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Ballad of Gracious Living Lyrics by Raul Julia

The Threepenny Opera

1976

[MACHEATH, spoken]
Is this a life for one of my proud station?
I take it, I must frankly own, amiss
From childhood on I heard with consternation
One must live well to know what living is!
[MACHEATH]
I've heard them praising single-minded spirits
Whose empty stomachs show they live for knowledge
In rat-infested shacks awash with ullage
I'm all for culture, but there are some limits
The simple life is fine for those it suits
I don't find, for my part, that it attracts
There's not a bird from here to Halifax
Would peck at such unappetizing fruits
What use is freedom in a world like this?
One must live well to know what living is
The dashing sort who cut precarious capers
And go and risk their necks just for the pleasure
Then swagger home and write it up at leisure
And flog the story to the Sunday papers
If you could see how cold they get at night
With frigid wife beside them climb to bed
And how they dream they're going to get ahead
And how they see time stretching out of sight
Now tell me, who would choose to live like this?
One must live well to know what living is
There's plenty that they have. I know I lack it
And ought to join their splendid isolation
But when I gave it more consideration
I told myself: my friend, that's not your racket
Suffering ennobles, but it can depress
The paths of glory lead but to the grave
You once were poor and lonely, wise and brave
You ought to try to bite off rather less
The search for happiness boils down to this:
One must live well to know what living is
Credits
Raul Julia

Raul Julia

About “Ballad of Gracious Living” by Raul Julia

Read the complete lyrics to "Ballad of Gracious Living" by Raul Julia from the album "The Threepenny Opera" in 1976. 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 Broadway, Musicals, Pop.

"Ballad of Gracious Living" is performed by Raul Julia. from the album "The Threepenny Opera" in 1976 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 "Ballad of Gracious Living", explore more songs by Raul Julia 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

"Ballad of Gracious Living" is credited to Raul Julia. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ballad of Gracious Living" appears on "The Threepenny Opera" in 1976.

Visit the Raul Julia artist page at /artist/raul-julia for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.