With doubt and dismay your are smitten
You think there's no chance for you, son?
Why, the best books haven't been written
The best race hasn't been run
The best score hasn't been made yet
The best song hasn't been sung
The best tune hasn't been played yet
Cheer up, for the world is young!
No chance? Why the world is just eager
For things that you ought to create
Its store of true wealth is still meager
Its needs are incessant and great
It yearns for more power and beauty
More laughter more love and romance
More loyalty, labor and duty
No chance - why there's nothing but chance!
You think there's no chance for you, son?
Why, the best books haven't been written
The best race hasn't been run
The best score hasn't been made yet
The best song hasn't been sung
The best tune hasn't been played yet
Cheer up, for the world is young!
No chance? Why the world is just eager
For things that you ought to create
Its store of true wealth is still meager
Its needs are incessant and great
It yearns for more power and beauty
More laughter more love and romance
More loyalty, labor and duty
No chance - why there's nothing but chance!
f with pleasure you are viewing
Any work someone is doing
If you like them or you love them, tell them now
Don't withhold your approbation
Till the parson makes oration
And they lie with snowy lilies on their brow
No matter how you shout it
They won't really care about it;
They won't know how many teardrops you have shed
If you think some praise is due them
Now's the time to slip it to them
For they cannot read their tombstone when they're dead
[Chorus]
If with pleasure you are viewing
Any work someone is doing
If you like them or you love them, tell them now
Don't withhold your approbation
Till the parson makes oration
And they lie with snowy lilies on their brow
Any work someone is doing
If you like them or you love them, tell them now
Don't withhold your approbation
Till the parson makes oration
And they lie with snowy lilies on their brow
No matter how you shout it
They won't really care about it;
They won't know how many teardrops you have shed
If you think some praise is due them
Now's the time to slip it to them
For they cannot read their tombstone when they're dead
[Chorus]
If with pleasure you are viewing
Any work someone is doing
If you like them or you love them, tell them now
Don't withhold your approbation
Till the parson makes oration
And they lie with snowy lilies on their brow
[Chorus]
Start where you stand and never mind the past
The past won't help you in beginning anew
And if you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through
Start where you stand and never mind the past
The past won't help you in beginning anew
And if you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through
This is another chapter in the book
This is another race that you have planned
Don't give the vanished days a backward look
Start where you stand, start where you stand
Start where you stand and never mind the past
The past won't help you in beginning anew
And if you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through
Start where you stand and never mind the past
The past won't help you in beginning anew
And if you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through
This is another chapter in the book
This is another race that you have planned
Don't give the vanished days a backward look
Start where you stand, start where you stand
[Chorus]
If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it
Work day and night for it
Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it
If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it
Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it
Hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it
If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it
If gladly you'll sweat for it
Fret for it, Plan for it
Lose all your terror of God or man for it
If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it
Work day and night for it
Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it
If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it
Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it
Hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it
If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it
If gladly you'll sweat for it
Fret for it, Plan for it
Lose all your terror of God or man for it