This sordid slug will be damnably trying—
I think that from his task he’d try to shirk.
This project may promote much pronounced sighing.
But—with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of pluck,
I will get this slinking kid to work.
With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little of luck, I’ll show his work.

He’d gorge on liquor, to inebriation,
So I must keep away from him the gin.
He’d gorge to a point way past satiation,
But—with a little bit of luck, this tippler will nix big sucks
On the bottle and hit the tea tin.

(In this and the following choruses, the CLEANING WOMAN moves to PRIGGINS, broom in hand, and the two sing as a duet.)

With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little bit of luck, it’s tea drinkin’.

PRIGGINS

I’ll pester and vex him till he’ll not tarry;
Insist he mind my library of books.
At times I will have to harangue and harry.
But—with a little bit of luck, indolence will be unstuck:
If he tarries, he’ll get scary looks.

CHORUS

With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little of luck he’ll hit the books.
With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little text-perusing luck.

PRIGGINS

And nor will I let him slack off from labor,
As long as he is shacked up in my home.
I hope our policy can be “good neighbor.”
But—with his sh!t I will not truck; I will hit him like a truck
If I have to crack open his dome.

CHORUS

With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little bit of luck, there’s no cracked dome.

PRIGGINS

He stays here at my will; I’ll be commanding.
If he should make me ill, I’ll kick him out.
If he should be ill-timed and whine, demanding,
Done—with this sh!t I will not truck, fisted digits I will tuck
And deliver a hit to his snout.

CHORUS

With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little bit of luck there’s no hit snout.
With a little bit, with a little bit,
Nix the hits on viscous rheumy muck.

PRIGGINS

His stands on art, I find, are quite bewild’rin’;
I think his mind might just be loose a screw.
I’ve not taught fine arts to ill-mannered children.
But—with a little bit of luck, twisted vitriol I’ll duck,
Get his mind right in a day or two.

CHORUS

With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little bit of luck, tighten that screw.

PRIGGINS

Dormant, his fine-art form; I must unlock it—
To do so, I’ll have to bring down some heat.
Then two thousand pounds from Picturing’s pocket—
With a little bit of luck—I will be fixin’ to tuck
Into my bank—victory so sweet!

CHORUS

With a little bit, with a little bit,
With a little bit of luck, a coup de brush!
With a little bit, kid’ll be a hit,
With a little bit of grooming luck.