Gentle ladies, gentleman Waiting 'till the dance begins Carefully we come to speak A word for all to hear If you listen, if you should We won't be misunderstood But don't expect the words to ring Too sweetly on the ear Live in fear, live in fear Live in fear In the gutter, in the street Off his head or off his feet Listen to the scratchy voices Eating at your nerves Pencils ready, paper dry Shoot the girls and make 'em cry Run for cover, things are bad But now they're getting worse Live in fear, live in fear Live in fear, live in fear Is it painful, is it right? Does it keep you warm at night? Fool your friends and fool yourself The choice is crystal clear If you break it on your knee Better men might disagree Do you laugh or do you stick Your finger in your ear? Live in fear, live in fear Live in fear, live in fear