[Verse 1: Ray Davies]
Have you heard about the trouble throughout the land
With the fascists and the left wing militants
Out of work executives are killing themselves
And the I.R.A. are killing everybody else
Don't panic, don't lose control
Keep your head, keep ahold
Act normal there's nothing wrong
Stay cool, just carry on

[Verse 2: Ray Davies]
You gotta live life and be yourself
You can't live life for anyone else
You gotta live life that's all you do
Nobody gonna live your life for you

[Verse 3: Ray Davies]
Don't get depressed when you read in the press
About world revolution and social unrest
Try not to panic when you switch on the news
And see crooked politicians and the unemployment queues
It's only life it's really fine
So don't you believe all you read in the headlines
Live life, see it through
Carry on, it's all you can do
[Hook 1: Ray Davies]
You gotta live life for yourself, can't live for anyone else
You gotta live life, that's all you do
Nobody gonna live their life for you

[Hook 2: Ray Davies]
Live life, you gotta live life
You gotta live life, you gotta live life

[Verse 4: Ray Davies]
Trendy intellectuals always take action
For every cause that's ever been in fashion
Weekend revolutionaries protest and sing
Because they're dedicated followers of any old thing
They got every solution for every revolution
They live in the slums just like the poor people do
But they'd rather sniff coke instead of glue
Right-wing fascists beat up the blacks
Then they salute the Union Jack
You can't pretend there's nothing wrong
It's not the end, so just carry on

[Hook 1]

Ooh, life's a mother, ooh, life's a mother
Ooh, life's a mother, ooh, life's a mother
[Hook 1]

[Hook 2]