Working 9-5 (by Dolly Parton), the brutal reality behind an upbeat tune is still true today.
I’m sure you’ve heard the song, but have you ever listened to the lyrics closely? They don’t match the upbeat tune in the slightest but they’re more a scathing indictment of capitalism.
I was recently watching The Orville, a great show by the way and during one episode, the words of Dolly parton from the song “Working 9-5” were used as a basis for societal upheaval – and that’s when I read the lyrics closely for the first time.
The lyrics, if you read them away from the tune, are depressing as hell:
God damn if everyone who has ever had a job didn’t experience some or most of it.
It’s almost like she’s exposing a manual that’s used on us and what’s more is it was written 40 years ago and it’s truer than ever today.
Starting with “yawn and stretch and try to come to life” because the blaring alarm clock from hell woke you up once again.
“Barely gettin’ by, It’s all takin’ and no givin’” truer today than ever when corporation profits are higher than ever while people are struggling to make ends meet.
“Want to move ahead, But the boss won’t seem to let me, I swear sometimes that man is, Out to get me” – I think we’ve all expeirenced this whether they make sure you don’t get a promotion due to inaction on their part, nepotism or just plain old
Particularly poingant, personally, is the “They let you dream, Just to watch ’em shatter“, that’s so true every time a promotion or pay rise has been dangled in exchange for working late or an unpaid weekend here or there, just for it not to materialize when the time comes. Holy hell – it strikes deep.
Full lyrics:
Tumble out of bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin’
Out on the streets, the traffic starts jumpin’
For folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it
9 to 5
For service and devotion
You would think that I
Would deserve a fair promotion
Want to move ahead
But the boss won’t seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is
Out to get me, hmmm
They let you dream
Just to watch ’em shatter
You’re just a step on the boss man’s ladder
But you got dreams he’ll never take away
In the same boat with a lot of your friends
Waitin’ for the day your ship’ll come in
And the tide’s gonna turn
And it’s all gonna roll you away
Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
And you never get the credit
It’s enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it
9 to 5
Yeah, they got you were they want you
There’s a better life
And you think about it, don’t you?
It’s a rich man’s game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Putting money in his wallet
9 to 5
Oh, what a way to make a livin’
Barely gettin’ by
It’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it
9 to 5
Yeah, they got you where they want you
There’s a better life
And you dream about it, don’t you?
It’s a rich man’s game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Putting money in his wallet
