The Dice - Paul Heaton, Jacqui Abbott

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…