I got hired on the spot
He liked my attitude
I was respectful and courteous
Never, never rude
He told me I was his kind of man
He said I'd fit nicely into his own plan

I climbed the ladder because I knew what to do
I earned the corner office
The one with the view
Working hard, always on the run
Living life and having fun

I was working for the man and the pay was pretty good
Then the bottom dropped out and I was out in the woods
I've been to the mountain top
I so enjoyed the climb
Those were the days when my money would fly

He closed the door, looked at me and smiled
He said it was fun while it lasted
It was fun for a while
He turned away with nothing more to say
He turned back again and gave me one last wave

I was working for the man
That was always the plan
Keeping my head well above the ground
Keeping the family safe and sound
Loving the life
Me and my wife surrounded by family and friends
Living it up and laying it down
Never knowing it all would end

On that day the bottom dropped out
All I could do was scream and shout
He had to have known this was coming to an end
So many things I didn't understand
I thought he was a friend not just the man
Never a warning
Never a by the way
He left me out in the cold and it's cold today

I hung on as long as I could
I finally ran out of firewood
Taring down walls to feed the fire
Stepping through doors to talk of hire
The road gets shorter every day
Looking for work for an honest pay

I got by but I ran out of dimes
Uncle Bill is calling all of the time
I never answer I've got nothing new to say
The well is still dry just like it was yesterday

I know the man is sitting pretty
Drinking cocktails in the sand
I know that no good cheating scoundrel had this all planned
He closed that door with too big of smile
I saw it with my own two eyes
So many plan to work for the man
It can't be helped sometimes

To live with and live without you need to know what it's about
Sometimes you struggle but you get by
For every action there's a reason why

I've been rolling pennies
They don't roll very far
I thought there were more in that big ass jar
I've lifted all the cushions
I've found my last dime
I know tomorrow the sun's going to shine

There is a moral to this story that I hope you'll understand
Rely on yourself and never the man

04/16/2017

Author's Note: Laid down with a tune in my head

Posted on 04/16/2017
Copyright © 2024 Thomas K. Hunt