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Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door,
She said,
"Sonny, move out to the country."
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack
You oughta know by now
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that what you get with your money?
It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.
Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore's down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.
You should never argue with a crazy mind
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?
It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Good luck movin' up cause I'm movin' out.
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door,
She said,
"Sonny, move out to the country."
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack
You oughta know by now
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that what you get with your money?
It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.
Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore's down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.
You should never argue with a crazy mind
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?
It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Good luck movin' up cause I'm movin' out.
Lyrics submitted by kevin
Track duration: 03:28
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"And if he can't drive/ With a broken back/ At least he can polish the fenders"
is actually:
"A n*gger can't drive/ With a broken back/ At least he can polish the fenders"
in the original version (at 1:31 in the song). Goes to show what was more acceptable back when this song came out in 1977. Although it is considered offensive by today's standards, it is a piece of art, and to modify it would cause it to lose some of its original value. A good example is the movie "The Birth of a Nation" by D.W. Griffith, which is blatantly racist but is a masterpiece once one can look past the obviously racist themes.
Not to mention, a "Sergeant O'Leary" who isn't whiter than snow is fairly unlikely.
Basically, not earning enough money in their jobs, having to get a second job (LEO/Barkeep), and still barely getting by.
If that's moving up, I'm moving out... Gonna find a better job, or at the very least, one I enjoy.
Nobody's slave... Working for someone else, not for yourself. All you do and it only helps your employer to move up - You stay put 'cause they need you there.
"If that's moving up, I'm moving out"
Example: Anthony works hard at a grocery store saving his money and hoping something better will come along one day, but then eventually notices that good will happen if you're just staying in one spot. Therefore he moves out of his community and out into the world, looking for something better in life, a better career and life.