9 to 5
Dolly Parton Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tumble outta bed and I 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 pumping
Out on the street the traffic starts jumping
With folks like me on the job from 9 to 5

Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
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 fat promotion
Want to move ahead but the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me

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
You're in the same boat with a lotta your friends
Waiting for the day your ship'll come in
And the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way

Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
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 where 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, whoa what a way to make a living
Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
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

Overall Meaning

Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" is a song that explores themes of dissatisfaction with a mundane, unfulfilling job, with the feeling that the worker is being exploited for their time and effort. The first verse highlights the daily routine of an average worker, waking up early, trying to come to life and then rushing to work, facing the grind and monotony of the daily commute, eventually beginning another repetitive day on the job. The chorus is a repetition of the idea of working 9 to 5 as a means to make a living, but feeling like the job is taking all of a worker's energy and resources without adequately compensating them.


The second verse is a reflection of how even though employees might work very hard and put in a lot of effort to achieve a promotion, it still may not be enough to convince the boss to appreciate their effort. The song presents a powerful critique of the workforce system, where people are promised upward mobility, however, that dream is often shattered as they remain just a step on the boss man's ladder, feeling stuck in the same boat as their friends. The chorus is repeated again, emphasizing the extent to which the job is sufficiently driving someone mad.


The third and final verse emphasize the greater dissatisfaction with the system, as workers begin to realize that they are caught in a cycle with no end in sight. They are working long hours, barely getting by and not getting any credit while living in the shadow of the boss's wealth. The song's hook is repeated once more, driving home the message that the job is a rich man's game, and employees all have dreams of a better life than what they're currently experiencing.


Line by Line Meaning

Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen
I wake up and groggily move towards the kitchen


Pour myself a cup of ambition
I make coffee to power up for the day ahead


And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
I stretch to shake off sleep and try to feel more alert


Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumping
I take a shower to wake up my senses and get my day started


Out on the street the traffic starts jumping
The hustle and bustle of the street comes alive


With folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
I'm working a typical 9-5 workday like many others


Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Working a typical 9-5 job isn't the most fulfilling way to make a living


Barely getting by, it's all taking and no giving
It's difficult to get ahead financially with this type of job, and it feels like the work is endless without reward


They just use your mind and they never give you credit
The job requires mental effort and creativity, but the employer never recognizes or rewards it


It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
If you allow yourself to become consumed with work, it can have a negative impact on your mental health


9 to 5, for service and devotion
The expectation is to show up and work the assigned hours with dedication


You would think that I would deserve a fat promotion
With the amount of work and effort put in, it feels deserving of a promotion


Want to move ahead but the boss won't seem to let me
Despite wanting to advance in the company, the boss is not allowing for such opportunities


I swear sometimes that man is out to get me
It feels like the boss is actively working against progress and success for personal reasons


They let you dream just to watch 'em shatter
The employer sometimes makes it seem like there is potential for growth, but then shows there isn't


You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
The employee is just another rung on the ladder to the boss man's success


But you got dreams he'll never take away
Despite the circumstances, the employee still has personal goals and aspirations


You're in the same boat with a lotta your friends
Many other people face similar struggles in the work environment


Waiting for the day your ship'll come in
Hoping for a time when things will improve or opportunity will present itself


And the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way
Eventually, things will improve and success will come


9 to 5, yeah they got you where they want you
The job expects you to work a set schedule and is in control of your time and resources


There's a better life, and you think about it, don't you?
Despite the challenges of the job, there is still hope for a better future


It's a rich man's game no matter what they call it
The corporate world ultimately benefits the wealthy, even if it's not explicitly stated


And you spend your life putting money in his wallet
The employee sacrifices time and effort for the benefit of the employer's financial gain




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dolly Parton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@senadogan6267

Lyrics for anyone who needs:
Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawn and stretch and try to come to life
Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin'
Out on the street the traffic starts jumpin'
With 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 fat promotion
Want to move ahead but the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me!
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
You're in the same boat with a lotta your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
An' the tide's gonna turn and it's all gonna roll your way
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 you never get the 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 puttin' money in his wallet
9 to 5, whoa 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 puttin' money in his wallet
9 to 5, working 9 to 5



@MK-ko9lz

LYRICS :

Tumble outta bed
And I 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 street
The traffic starts jumpin'
The 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

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

You're in the same boat
With a lot of your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
'N' the tide's gonna turn
And it's all gonna roll your way

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 you never get the 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 think about it, don't you?
It's a rich man's game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin' money in his wallet

9 to 5, whoa
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
Puttin' money in his wallet

Working 9 to 5



All comments from YouTube:

@JordanHanna

Dolly Parton – Lead vocals, nails

@lacibrooks1618

1. Ya look like thomas doherty
2.i seen that

@xpo9777

just seen this on tik tok😂

@JordanHanna

@@xpo9777 that’s why I’m here too

@emilyvannurden

So we are all here from the TikTok?

@brandonnettleton4248

@@emilyvannurden Yep

112 More Replies...

@TSKseattle

The ticking rhythm is dolly clicking her acrylic fingernails. It's how she worked out the song on set because it sounds like a typewriter. She even has a separate credit on the song for it.

@fbncook

Seriously she's one of the greatest songwriters to walk the planet

@oakleysierney1918

are you joking?

@senajabeen1076

@@oakleysierney1918 i can hear it

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