Now that she's older
As the embers of romance fade to mortgages and leccy bills
Been comfortable and that
Nobody told her that she'd ever reach the stage
Where her husband bores or her or she lies about her age

He's compromising
At least he's got a job for life
Get born, get school, get job, get car
Pay tax and find a wife
And on that note the end can't come too soon
If you're not living on the edge you take up too much room

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
And feeling like a no one
Could've been me in the papers
With the money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

At school he used to dream about being Bruce Lee
But the need for chops in the Manor Top
Ain't all that great you see
And so he gave up
On his black belt and first Dan
As near as he got to China
Was a week in Camber sands

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
And feeling like a no one
Could've been me in the papers
With the money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
And feeling like a no one
Could've been me in the papers
With the money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

It's boring, it's boring
It might put you to sleep
As the same old routine repeated week after week
And you work harder, work harder
You're told that you must
And you must earn a living
You must earn a crust

And be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else

Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else

Be like everybody else
Just be like everybody else
Be like everybody else
I'm not like everybody else

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
And feeling like a no one
Could've been me in the papers
With the money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world

I could've been a contender
I could've been a someone
Caught up in the rat race
And feeling like a no one
Could've been me in the papers
With the money and the girls
I could've been the heavyweight champion of the world