Frank Loesser
What a Blessing
[BIRDSONG]
I know it's the devil who tempts me to crime
And to sin and corruption, and worse
But I find on resisting him time after time
That I can't quite believe he's a curse
For in face, I believe the reverse

What a blessing to know there's a devil
And that I'm but a pawn in his game
That my impulse to sin
Doesn't come from within
And so I'm not exactly to blame

What a blessing to know there's a devil
Ever leading me into some vice
And though easily led
I can hold up my head
Knowing I'm fundamentally nice

What relief, oh, what blessed relief
That a thief is by nature no thief
And a liar is merely the innocent buyer
Of lies from the liar-in-chief
So of course the remorse may be brief

What a blessing to know there's a devil
And that I'm but a pawn in his game
For I never do wrong
Until he comes along
And so I'm not exactly the one
Who's to blame
It's a fact, it's a comforting fact
That the soul remains whole and intact
Facing fraud and deceit, a forbidden sweetmeat
Or some game in which cards have been stacked
With this thought, for when caught in the act

What a blessing to know there's a devil
And that we're not exactly to blame
For all guile and all greed
And each rotten misdeed
Which might blacken sweet mankind's good name

What a blessing to know there's a devil
Or we'd all simply die of shame