(Intro: piano chords) [Verse 1] Penny Wise, she counts the pennies in her purse again, She buys her bread from down the street at Dolly’s store ’Cause the supermarket bread costs more, and it’s fresher too… What to do? She walks a mile in the rain just to save a dime, She takes the stairs to save the lift from breaking down, She'll mend a sock eleven times without a frown Before she throws it in the bin. [Chorus] Penny Wise closes her eyes. And thanks the Lord She’ll save a penny anywhere And maybe hoard… [Verse 2] She waits for buses in the rain To see the chemist for her pain, Won’t take a taxi, that’s a sin— But gets pneumonia when she’s in. She buys the bigger jar of honey ’Cause she thinks she’s saving money, Then finds the cupboard's full of jars And half of them are full of stars. [Chorus] Penny Wise closes her eyes. And thanks the Lord She’ll save a penny anywhere And maybe hoard… [Verse 3] She never flies across the sea, A week in Margate's luxury. She knows a beach ten miles away That doesn't charge you by the day. She shops around the corner store, Won’t pay the supermarket more, But buys twelve tins of bargain beans— She only wanted two or three. [Bridge] Cheap is cheap and cheap is clever, Buy two now and save forever! Unless the thing you never use Is twice as cheap in worn-out shoes. A bargain is a funny thing— You save a pound and spend a king's. The cheapest way to lose your cash Is buying just because it’s flash. [Verse 4] Penny Wise, she knows the score, She never wastes a penny more. She turns the heating down at night, And wears her jumper extra tight. She saves the water, saves the light, She switches everything off right— Then drives twelve miles to find a shop That sells her favourite soap a drop. [Chorus] Penny Wise closes her eyes. And thanks the Lord She’ll save a penny anywhere And maybe hoard… [Verse 5] But Penny Wise is not alone, She lives in every thrift-store home. In every wallet, every till, In every “special offer” deal. We all know when to spend or save, We all have bargains that we crave, And sometimes saving what we can Costs more than spending when we plan. [Final Chorus] Penny Wise, Penny Wise, Open up your penny eyes. Save a little, spend a little, Don’t let saving make you brittle. She bought the biggest jar of honey To save a little more money… Now she’s got enough honey To last until she's ninety-two…. [Outro]
