1
No sitting down on your butt
The world don't owe you
No sitting down in a rut
I wanna show you
Don't waste your energy
On making enemies
Just take a deep breath
And work your way up
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, kill poverty
La, la, la
Work your way up
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, kill poverty
You're sitting down on your butt
And your get greedy
You start to lose your nuts
Don't you look seedy
Can generosity bring you humility
So take a deep breath
Ain't gonna sweat for you
Ain't gonna sigh for you
Ain't gonna cry for you
If you're lazy
Ain't gonna slave for you
Ain't gonna hurt for you
It just won't work for you
If you're lazy
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Let's work, let's eat
Let's live in ecstasy
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, kill poverty
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, let's work
Get down in the dirt and let's work
Get down in the dirt and let's work
Get up, be free
Get down in the dirt, let's work
Get down in the dirt, let's work
Get down in the dirt
Take off your shirt
Get down in the dirt
Let's work
The world don't owe you
No sitting down in a rut
I wanna show you
Don't waste your energy
On making enemies
Just take a deep breath
And work your way up
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, kill poverty
La, la, la
Work your way up
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, kill poverty
You're sitting down on your butt
And your get greedy
You start to lose your nuts
Don't you look seedy
Can generosity bring you humility
So take a deep breath
Ain't gonna sweat for you
Ain't gonna sigh for you
Ain't gonna cry for you
If you're lazy
Ain't gonna slave for you
Ain't gonna hurt for you
It just won't work for you
If you're lazy
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Let's work, let's eat
Let's live in ecstasy
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, kill poverty
Let's work, be proud
Stand tall, touch the clouds
Man and woman, be free
Let's work, let's work
Get down in the dirt and let's work
Get down in the dirt and let's work
Get up, be free
Get down in the dirt, let's work
Get down in the dirt, let's work
Get down in the dirt
Take off your shirt
Get down in the dirt
Let's work
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I like the enthusiasm and driving rhythm of this unusual Jagger song. For a change it's not about heroin, prostitutes, Satan or getting one's rocks off.
I don't think it's about spring cleaning the house, weeding the garden or washing the car either.
No, I think Mick may actually be urging humanity to get up off its arse and get down to solving its problems, not least of them apathy, petty rancor, despondency, and very concrete poverty.
A refugee immigrant working in a self-run agricultural cooperative was asked by a TV journalist if he thought this kind of work was useful for immigrants like himself.
The immigrant replied: "Work is useful for the whole world".
I like to think that is the spirit of this song. Well done Mick!