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The Cake I Had Lyrics by Mary Louise Wilson, Christine Ebersole

Grey Gardens Original Broadway Cast Recording

2007

[EDITH, spoken]
I have no complaints, I have everything I ever wanted
[EDIE, spoken]
You had a rich husband, you should’ve stayed with him
[EDITH, spoken]
I had a perfect marriage, beautiful children
Terribly successful marriage, I never had a fight in my life
[EDIE, spoken]
Ha!
[EDITH, spoken]
I had a very very happy, satisfying life
[EDIE, spoken]
Can’t be done
You can’t have your cake and eat it too, you can’t
[EDITH, spoken]
Oh yes I can!
I most certainly did have my cake and eat it
Down to the last crumb
[EDITH]
What good is cake you have but never eat?
I never could deny myself a sweet
So I sliced my life and licked the knife
And ate the cake I had
[EDIE, spoken]
Can’t be done, I’m telling you
[EDITH]
Two perfect sons I thoroughly enjoyed
An absent spouse and cats to fill the void
And the tristate’s best accompanist
Oh yes, I ate the cake I had
Moist, light, gaily decorated
Every tasty morsel
Savored, chewed and masticated
Young, bright, rich and thin and clever
Like a second helping?
Sister, would I ever?
[EDIE, spoken]
I’ll probably be an old maid until I die
I’ll sit around with cats the rest of my life
[EDITH, spoken]
When are you gonna learn, Edie?
You’re in this world, y’know
You’re not out of the world
[EDITH]
The days are gone when money grew on trees
The money tree came down with elm disease
But at my age, ducks, for my two bucks
I’ll eat the cake I have
And like it
I’ll eat the cake I have
[EDIE, spoken]
I think the saddest thing was my not marrying
During the war, my best friend, she was a nurse with the Red Cross
She met somebody overseas in a hospital
A marine
Lost both of his legs at Iwo Jima
Romance was inevitable really given the situation
But I couldn’t travel, mother wasn’t well during the war you see
[EDITH, spoken]
Gerald Gettys worshiped you!
And those two nice Rockefeller fellas
[EDIE, spoken]
Horrible, horrible!
[EDITH, spoken]
You just didn’t wanna get married!
Now it’s all blamed on me!
[EDIE, spoken]
I missed out on everything
[EDITH]
Gripe, groan, point the famous finger
Life is disappointing
Put the parent through the ringer
Sulk, moan, blame it on the mother
When I’m dead and buried
You won’t get another
[EDIE, spoken]
I met a count in Greenwich Village
He was a poet and a playwright and he said
“Edith, I wanna make an honest woman outta ya”
I thought that was very decent
[EDITH, spoken]
He didn’t have a nickel in his trousers, not a nickel
[EDIE, spoken]
Mother despised him, gave him the pink slip
To think, I could’ve been a countess
Countess Edith
[EDITH]
Enough with all your celebrated loves
You had two hands, you could’ve modeled gloves
Is it my fault that your cake fell flat?
That you’re unmarried, bald and fat?
As the world waltzed by and Edie sat
I ate the cake I had
And loved it
Oh, I ate the cake I had
No thanks to daddy
I ate the cake I had
[EDIE, spoken]
Sometimes I think I have the saddest life
Credits
Mary Louise Wilson

Mary Louise Wilson

Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole

About “The Cake I Had” by Mary Louise Wilson

Read the complete lyrics to "The Cake I Had" by Mary Louise Wilson, Christine Ebersole from the album "Grey Gardens Original Broadway Cast Recording" in 2007. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Musicals, Broadway, Pop.

"The Cake I Had" is performed by Mary Louise Wilson, Christine Ebersole. from the album "Grey Gardens Original Broadway Cast Recording" in 2007 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Cake I Had", explore more songs by Mary Louise Wilson, Christine Ebersole using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Cake I Had" is credited to Mary Louise Wilson, Christine Ebersole. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Cake I Had" appears on "Grey Gardens Original Broadway Cast Recording" in 2007.

Visit the Mary Louise Wilson, Christine Ebersole artist page at /artist/mary-louise-wilson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.