[Verse 1]
There were people on the sidewalks (Sidewalks)
Strolling down the avenues (Avenues)
People sitting outside in cafes (Cafes)
We were looking for the muse (For the muse)
Well I was locked in by the system (Ooh)
Where no freedom is the rule
Now I spend all my time (All my time)
Trying to make it understood (Understood)

[Verse 2]
It once was my life (Was my lifе)
That's what everybody said (Everybody said)
Things I usеd to do (Used to do)
And the people that were friends (That were friends)
I've got to make it mean something (Ooh)
At the end of the day
It once was my life (Was my life)
I can't take that away (That away)

[Bridge]
Trials and tribulations (Trials and tribulations)
And stupidity still rules (It still rules, it still rules)
Some days it seems like (Some days you know it seems like)
I'm on a ship of fools
[Verse 3]
It once was my life (Was my life)
When my message was just the street (Just the street)
Then it became something else (Something else)
And now it's incomplete (Incomplete)
I've just got to get back to when (Ooh)
Can somebody please shed some light?
It used to be so simple (Be so simple)
It used to be my life (Be my life)
Alright

[Verse 4]
Used to be my life
Used to be uptight

[Bridge]
Trials and tribulations (Trials and tribulations)
And stupidity still rules (It still rules, it still rules)
Some days it seems like (Days you know it seems like)
I'm still on a ship of fools

[Verse 5]
Well I'm back here on the boards (On the boards)
I can hear the engines roar (Engines roar)
Everybody's got to pay (Got to pay)
Some people have to pay more (Pay more)
You can tell the people anything (Ooh)
Spoon feed them anything you like
It used to be my life (Be my life)
It used to be uptight (Be uptight)
[Verse 6]
Now everything's so complicated (Complicated)
Just to speak or use the phone (Use the phone)
Some people want to use me (Want to use me)
'Cause they don't have their own (Have their own)
Don't know what's round the corner (Ooh)
Trying to sell me some more tripe
It used to be so simple (Be so simple)
It used to be my life (Be my life)

[Verse 7]
Used to be my life baby (Be my life)
It used to be my life
Used to be my life baby (Be my life)
Yeah it used to be my life (Be my life)
It used to be my life baby (Be my life)
It used to be my life
Used to be my life baby (Be my life)
Used to be uptight
Cha cha cha

[Outro]
Thank you very much. Thank you.