“There but for fortune”??? I always thought it went”There but for the grace of God”
There but for the grace of God is what I believe.
The other phrase was in use before the singer Phil Ochs wrote his much covered song. He was an antiwar songwriter.
His sibling and he had severe mental illness. “He was prescribed medication, and he told his sister he was taking it. On April 9, 1976, Ochs died by suicide in Sonny’s home. Years after his death, it was revealed that the FBI had a file of nearly 500 pages on Ochs.” Wikipedia
There But For Fortune
Show me the prison, show me the jail
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale
And I’ll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune go you or I
Show me the alley, show me the train
Show me the hobo who sleeps out in the rain
And I’ll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune go you or I