Whistle While You Work
Bea Wain & Larry Clinton Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the work begins to pile up,
And your temper starts to rile up,
That's the time a fellow needs a song.

Doctor, Banker, Butcher, Baker,
You can be a merry maker,
If you'll keep on singing all day long.
If you're hanging in suspense from eight till five,
And you want to keep the sense of humor alive.
Just, whistle while you work (whistle)
Put on that grin and start right in,
To whistle loud and long.

Just hum a merry tune (hum)
Just do your best,
Then take a rest and sing yourself a song.

When there's too much to do,
Don't let it bother you,
Forget your trouble, try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee,
And whistle while you work (whistle)

Come on get smart




Tune up and start
To whistle while you work.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bea Wain's song "Whistle While You Work" talk about the power of music and singing to make work more bearable. The first stanza explains that when work starts to pile up and frustration sets in, singing a song can help to alleviate those negative feelings. The second stanza gives examples of different professions and how they can all benefit from singing while they work. The third and fourth stanzas emphasize how important it is to keep a positive attitude even when there is a lot of work to be done. The lyrics suggest that humming a tune and taking breaks to sing a song can help overcome these challenges.


The song's messages are based on the idea that music is a universal language that can help people connect and uplift their moods. The repetition of the phrase "whistle while you work" emphasizes the power of music to transform difficult tasks into enjoyable ones. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody lend themselves well to the message of the lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

When the work begins to pile up,
When you have a lot of work to do and it starts to feel overwhelming,


And your temper starts to rile up,
And you're starting to become upset or angry,


That's the time a fellow needs a song.
That's when it's helpful to have some music or singing to lift your spirits.


Doctor, Banker, Butcher, Baker,
No matter what your job is,


You can be a merry maker,
You can find joy in your work,


If you'll keep on singing all day long.
As long as you keep singing or enjoying yourself while you work.


If you're hanging in suspense from eight till five,
If you're feeling anxious or uncertain all day long,


And you want to keep the sense of humor alive.
And you want to keep a positive attitude or stay lighthearted,


Just, whistle while you work (whistle)
Just start whistling or humming a tune while you work,


Put on that grin and start right in,
Smile and get to work right away,


To whistle loud and long.
To continue whistling or humming as long as you want.


Just hum a merry tune (hum)
Just hum or sing a happy song,


Just do your best,
Just try your hardest,


Then take a rest and sing yourself a song.
Then take a break and enjoy some music or singing.


When there's too much to do,
When you have too much work,


Don't let it bother you,
Don't let it stress you out or weigh you down,


Forget your trouble, try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee,
Forget about your problems and try to be as carefree as a happy bird,


And whistle while you work (whistle)
And keep whistling or humming a tune as you work.


Come on get smart
Come on, be clever or resourceful,


Tune up and start
Get ready to sing or hum,


To whistle while you work.
As you work, keep whistling or humming to stay cheerful and relaxed.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Frank Churchill, Larry Morey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found