Working - Musical - Lyrics

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Lyrics on this page include "All the Livelong Day," "If I Could've Been," and "Fathers and Sons"

For "It's an Art" and "Fathers and Sons" see also the Stephen Schwartz songbook.

"Just a Housewife" and "The Mason" are included in the Craig Carnelia Songbook Craig Carnelia Songbook - Expanded Edition (P/V/G Composer Collection)  

For others see the sheet music listed on the full page all about the musical Working

"All the Livelong Day"

Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz - protected by copyright

SINGER:

I HEAR
AMERICA SINGING...

MAN:

God, is it Monday already?

SINGERS
I HEAR ...


WOMAN:

How could it be Monday? Wasn't yesterday Monday?

SINGERS:

THE VARIED CAROLS I HEAR
(AMERICA SINGING...)

MAN:
(as if calling downstairs)
Honey! Is it Monday?

SINGERS:

THE MASON SINGING...
THE WAITRESS SINGING...
THE FARM WORKER SINGING
THE CAR HIKER SINGING
THE FIREMAN SINGING
EACH ONE SINGING
THE CHECKER
THE TRUCKER
THE HOOKER
THE HOUSEWIFE
I HEAR
AMERICA SINGING...
AMERICA SINGING...

....

MIKE:

HEY SOMEBODY, DON'CHA WANNA HEAR
THE STORY OF MY LIFE?
ONE OF THEM MOVIE COMPANIES
T.V. DOCUMENTARIES
WON'CHA COME AND ASK ME PLEASE ...
AND PAY ME A MILLION DOLLARS
TO TELL YOU WHAT I DO AT THE STORE
'CAUSE IF YOU PAY ME A MILLION DOLLARS
I WOULDN'T GOTTA GO AND DO IT NO MORE

MEN:
ONE ...
TWO ...
THREE ...
FOUR ...

JUST LIKE THE SONG SAY
ALL THE LIVELONG DAY
EVERYBODY DONE KNOW THAT SONG
WORKING FOR A LIVING THE WHOLE DAY LONG
ALL THE LIVELONG DAY ...

WOMEN:

HEY SOMEBODY, WON'CHA TURN YOUR HEAD
TAKE A LOOK MY WAY
I'M GETTIN' OLD AND I TELL YOU
GETTIN' OLD AIN'T NOTHIN' NEW
STUCK AGAIN WITH YOU KNOW WHO --
ME AND MY OLD PAL MONDAY
Y'KNOW RAIN OR SHINE HE'LL BE SHOWIN'
ME AND MY OLD PAL MONDAY
AND ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE, GET THE JUICES FLOWIN'
AND IT'S ONE ... TWO ... THREE ... GET GOIN'!

ALL

JUST LIKE THE SONG SAY
ALL THE LIVELONG DAY
EVERYBODY DONE KNOW THAT SONG
WORKING FOR A LIVING THE WHOLE DAY LONG
ALL THE LIVELONG DAY ...

...

ALL

JUST LIKE THE SONG SAY
ALL THE LIVELONG DAY
JUST LIKE THE SONG SAY
ALL THE LIVELONG DAY
EVERYBODY DONE KNOW THAT SONG
WORKING AT LIVING THE WHOLE DAY LONG
ALL
THE
LIVE-
LONG
DAY!

"If I Could've Been"

Music and lyrics by Micki Grant - protected by copyright

IF I COULD'VE BEEN
WHAT I COULD'VE BEEN
I COULD'VE BEEN
SOMETHIN' ...

....

IF WHAT I COULD BE
HAD BEEN LEFT TO ME

I WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHIN' ...

...

A TOWER OF STRENGTH
A CENTER OF POWER
AT TEN BUCKS AN HOUR ...

IF I COULD'VE DONE WHAT I COULD'VE DONE
I COULD'VE DONE BIG THINGS
WITH SOME LUCK TO DO WHAT I WANTED TO
I WOULD'VE DONE BIG THINGS
SWAM A FEW RIVERS
CLIMBED A FEW HILLS
PAID ALL MY BILLS ...

NOW IT'S JUST DREAMS THAT I'M STUCK WITH
AND HELL, THAT AIN'T A LOT TO SHOW
I HAVEN'T GONE FAR FROM THE STARTING LINE
BUT DEEP DOWN INSIDE WHERE IT COUNTS I KNOW ...

I KNOW IF I COULD'VE GONE
WHERE I COULD'VE GONE
I COULD'VE GONE PLACES
WITH LEEWAY TO GO
FAR AS I COULD GO
I WOULD'VE GONE PLACES
TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE
THE TOP OF THE TIER
A LONG WAY FROM HERE ...

WAY BACK THEN I HAD AMBITION
A LOT OF STAMINA AND GUTS
I NEVER TOOK "NO" FOR AN ANSWER
IT WAS TOUGHER TO FIGHT ALL THOSE IF'S, AND'S, OR BUT'S ...
ALL THOSE IF'S, AND'S, OR BUT'S...

BUT
IF
I COULD'VE BEEN WHAT I COULD'VE BEEN
I COULD'VE BEEN SOMETHIN'
IF MY DESTINY HAD BEEN UP TO ME
I WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHIN' ...

IF THEY HAD JUST LET ME GO
WHERE I WAS RARIN' TO GO
WHEN I WIS RARIN' TO GO BACK THEN ...

GOD ONLY KNOWS
WHAT I COULD'VE BEEN
WHAT I COULD'VE BEEN
WHAT I COULD'VE BEEN ...

"Fathers and Sons"

Fathers and Sons lyrics

Millworker

Enjoy "Millwork" and "Traffic Jam" along with eighteen other songs on the concert performance DVD Buy James Taylor - Pull Over - Amazon.com [new browser window]

James Taylor recorded his songs from Working on Flag Flag [new browser window]

By James Taylor

(version from the script)

GRANDAD WAS A SAILOR
AND HE BLEW IN OFF THE WATER
MY FATHER WAS A FARMER
AND I HIS ONLY DAUGHTER
TOOK UP WITH A NO-GOOD
MILLWORKING MAN FROM MASSACHUSETTS
WHO DIED FROM TOO MUCH WHISKEY
AND LEAVES ME THESE THREE FACES TO FEED ...

MILLWORK AIN'T EASY
MILLWORK AIN'T HARD
MILLWORK MOST OFTEN IS
AN GODDAMN AWFUL BORING JOB
AND I'M WAITING FOR A DAYDREAM
TO TAKE ME THROUGH THE MORNING
AND PUT ME IN MY COFFEE BREAK
SO I CAN HAVE MY SANDWICH AND REMEMBER ...

AND IT'S ME AND MY MACHINE
FOR THE REST OF THE MORNING
AND THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON
AND THE REST OF MY LIFE

MY MIND BEGINS TO WANDER
TO MY DAYS BACK ON THE FARM
I CAN SEE MY FATHER SMILING AT ME
SWINGING ON HIS ARM
AND I CAN HEAR MY GRANDAD'S STORIES
OF THE STORMS OUT ON LAKE ERIE
VESSELS AND CARGOES
AND FORTUNES AND SAILORS' LIVES WERE LOST ...

IT'S MY LIFE HAS BEEN WASTED
AND I HAVE BEEN A FOOL
TO LET THIS MANUFACTURE'
USE MY BODY FOR A TOOL
I GET TO RIDE HOME IN THE EVENINGS
STARING AT MY HANDS
SWEARING BY MY SORROW
THAT A YOUNG GIRL OUGHT TO STAND A BETTER CHANCE ...

AND MAY I WORK THIS MILL
JUST AS LONG AS I AM ABLE
AND NEVER MEET THE MAN
WHOSE NAME IS ON THE LABEL ...

AND IT'S ME AND MY MACHINE
FOR THE REST OF THE MORNING
FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON GONE
AND THE REST OF MY LIFE ...