[ORPHANS] It's a hard-knock life for us! It's a hard-knock life for us!
[ANNIE] 'Stead of treated,
[ORPHANS] We get tricked!
[ANNIE] 'Stead of kisses,
[ORPHANS] We get kicked!
[ALL] It's a hard-knock life! Got no folks to speak of, so, It's the hard-knock row we how
[ANNIE] Cotton blankets [ORPHANS] 'steada wool
[ANNIE] Empty Bellies
[ORPHANS] 'Steada full!
[ALL] It's a hard-knock life!
[ANNIE] Don't it feel like the wind is always howlin?
[KATE AND TESSIE] Don't it seem like there's never any light?
[ANNIE and MOLLY] What's a day you don't wanna throw the towel in?
[PEPPER,JULY] It's easier than putting up a fight. [ANNIE] No one's there when your dreams at night are creepy! No one cares if you grow or if you shrink! No one dries when your eyes get wet and weepy
[ALL] From the crying you would think this place would sink! Ohhhh!!!!!!! Empty belly life! Rotten smelly life! Full of sorrow life! No tomorrow life!
[MOLLY] Santa Claus we never see,
[ANNIE] Santa Claus? What's that? Who's he?
[ALL] No one cares for you a smidge When you're in an orphanage It's the hard knock life
[MOLLY] (Making a whistling sound and imitating Miss Hannigan) You'll stay up 'til this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building.
[ORPHANS (Except Molly)]
Yank the whiskers from her chin Jab her with a safety Pin Make her drink a Mickey Finn I love you Miss Hannigan. [Molly] Get to work! Strip them beds! Scrub that floor! Polish my shoes! And I mean. Start. NOW!
[ALL] It's the hard-knock life for us It's the hard-knock life for us No one cares for you a smidge When you're in an orphanage It's The Hard Knock Life! It's the Hard Knock Life! IT'S THE HARD KNOCK LIFE!!!1