These words are transcribed without permission the way they appear in the "Hatful Of Hollow" album (they are incomplete in the debut album). Additions to the printed lyrics are in darker text while omissions are striken out.

As merry as the days were long
I was right and you were wrong ¹
Back at the old grey school
I would win and you would lose
But you've got everything now ²
you've got everything now
and what a terrible mess I've made of my life
oh what a mess I've made of my life
No, I've never had a job
because I've never wanted one ³
I've seen you smile
but I've never really heard you laugh ⁴
So who is rich and who is poor?
I cannot say...
You are your mother's only son ⁵
and you're a desperate one
But I don't want a lover
I just want to be seen in the back of your car

A friendship sadly lost? ⁶
well, this is true
and yet, it's false
But Did I ever tell you, by the way
I never did like your face
But you've got everything now
you've got everything now
and what a terrible mess I've made of my life
oh what a mess I've made of my life
No, I've never had a job
because I'm too shy
I've seen you smile
but I've never really heard you laugh ⁴
So who is rich and who is poor?
I cannot say...
You are your mother's only son
and you're a desperate one
But I don't want a lover
I just want to be tied
to the back of your car
to the back of your car
to the back of your car
to the back of your car
(repeat to fade)

 

² Live, Morrissey often changed this line to "You've got nothing now".

³ Morrissey often changed this line when he did this song live. He has changed it to "because I'm too handsome", "because I'm too sensible", "because I've never had an interview", "because I'm too ugly", "because i'm too fey" or "because frankly, I just don't want one!".

⁴ On the Jensen session, as heard on "Hatful Of Hollow", as well as in early rehearsals of the song: "but I've never heard you laugh". Live, Morrissey occasionally sang this line as "I know you can smile, but can you throw back your head and laugh?"

⁵ In live performances of this song, Morrissey has been known to occasionally change this line to "You are your mother's only son and you're a miserable one".

⁶ When this song became encore material, Morrissey often changed this line to something different such as "A friendship sadly lost... it could be true, it could be false", "...this is not true, this is not false", "...it isn't true and it's false", "...well this is true and it's false" or "...is it true? Is it false?".

Note: In early (unreleased) versions of the song, Morrissey sang these words which were dropped: "When you lost the will to go on, I gave you some"; "You never really wanted the truth and so I never gave it to you"; "I've never had a friend because I've never wanted one" and "Please make your move".