Lyrics The Dice - Paul Heaton, Jacqui Abbott

The Dice

Born into a certain life
You’ll only roll a one
Lucky to even hold the thing
Before the chance is gone
You’re Bransholme or you’re Manor Top
You’re Old Kent Road or same
Quickly learn in life, playing on this board
You’ll never reach Park Lane
And we knew a decent holiday
Was something out of reach
When they drove us to the pub carpark
And told us, 'That's the beach'
Born into a better class
That only rolls a two
A slightly lighter accent and
A slighter better shoe
Those shoes are walking on thin ice
Though you hold a decent job
Looking at this dump, one financial slump
Straight back on the rob
She said she felt luckier
Than all the stars above
But she wouldn’t stop the scratchcards
As we laid and made sweet love
And you’ll never find no wizardry at state school (State school)
That’s a very early lesson that they teach (That they teach)
Unless you’re holding magic wand, you’ll only roll a one
The good life’s out of reach, the good life’s out of reach…
Just a shade more lucky
Is the family right next door
Usually, they’ll roll a three
Occasionally a four
Their parents went to grammar school
And they did just the same
Wait till they are rich, pay the mortgage off
Leave for leafy lane
You can tell the car they’ll leave in
The keys don’t leave their hands
And head-to-toe in Lycra
The sort of day they’ve planned
And you’ll never find no wizardry at state school (State school)
That’s a very early lesson that they teach (That they teach)
Unless you’re holding magic wand, you’ll only roll a one
The good life’s out of reach, the good life’s out of reach…
Miles out in the country
Plus a couple up their drive
The kind of family who never seem
To roll less than a five
If good luck ain’t inherited
And it don’t drop from the sky
Usually it’s gained stomping on the heads
Of folk like you and I
School motto writ in Latin
That we can’t understand
Is 'Not unless your parents
Can cough up 50 grand'
And you’ll never find no wizardry at state school (State school)
That’s a very early lesson that they teach (That they teach)
Unless you’re holding magic wand, you’ll only roll a one
The good life’s out of reach, the good life’s out of reach…
Further down path, nestling on moat
Are the family who are the reason we vote
They don’t judge holiday by sun, sea, or sand
But if the peasants are selling up land
'Cause the only good trip fit for postcard home
Is from a beach you actually own
They’ve got the drawbridge up when the taxman’s in town
To other families, they only look down
And you’ll never find no wizardry at state school (State school)
That’s a very early lesson that they teach (That they teach)
Unless you’re holding magic wand, you’ll only roll a one
The good life’s out of reach, the good life’s out of reach…
And the lucky dice you’re holding, they ain’t lucky (Lucky)
If the numbers on the dice, they ain’t the same (Ain't the same)
If the dice ain’t got a six, there’s really no quick fix
It ain’t a level game, it ain’t a level game…