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Tango Ballad Lyrics by Lotte Lenya, Scott Merrill

The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)

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[MACHEATH]
There was a time, and now it's all gone by
When we two lived together, she and I
The way we were was just the way to be
I cared for her, and she took care of me
And that arrangement seemed to work perfectly
The milkman rang the bell, I got out of bed
I opened up her purse, paid him what he said
I'd have a glass of milk, back in bed I'd climb
You understand, she was out working all this time
And so we lived, me and my little mouse
In that snug two-by-four where we kept house
[JENNY]
That was a time, and now it's all gone by
When we were poor but happy, he and I
But when the day would bring no job to me
He'd curse and say, "How lazy can you be?"
I let him huff and puff; I worked long enough
But when he drank too much I'd get kind of grim
And shout the house down how I stood a clown like him
And then he'd turn around and try to bite my arm
And I would kick him in the teeth, meaning no harm
It was so sweet to be his little spouse
In that foul two-by-four where we played house
[MACHEATH & JENNY]
Oh happy time, and now it's all gone by
Until we quit each other, you and I
[JENNY]
You stayed in bed all day, and don't you smirk
[MACHEATH]
You know we said that you'd do all the work
Now sleep's for the night they say; it ain't bad by day
[JENNY]
So then I had my fiddles so I wouldn't stir
[MACHEATH]
It looked like soon I might be taking care of her
[JENNY]
You'd think a woman had a right to have one gripe
You left me flat
[MACHEATH]
Well I just ain't the working type
[MACHEATH & JENNY]
We locked the door and each commenced to roam
Goodbye sweet two-by-four that we called home
Credits
Lotte Lenya

Lotte Lenya

Scott Merrill

Scott Merrill

About “Tango Ballad” by Lotte Lenya

Read the complete lyrics to "Tango Ballad" by Lotte Lenya, Scott Merrill from the album "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)". 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 Off-Broadway, Musicals, Pop.

"Tango Ballad" is performed by Lotte Lenya, Scott Merrill. from the album "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)" 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 "Tango Ballad", explore more songs by Lotte Lenya, Scott Merrill 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

"Tango Ballad" is credited to Lotte Lenya, Scott Merrill. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Tango Ballad" appears on "The Threepenny Opera (Original Off-Broadway Cast)".

Visit the Lotte Lenya, Scott Merrill artist page at /artist/lotte-lenya for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.