Millworker
James Taylor Lyrics

Now my grandfather was a sailor,
My family has a history of being traditional, hardworking people.

He blew in off the water.
My grandfather worked as a sailor, but would often come back home.

My father was a farmer and I,
My father worked as a farmer, and I was his only daughter.

His only daughter.
Since I had no brothers, my father would often rely on me to help him.

Took up with a no good millworking man
I fell in love with a millworker who only brought trouble and misfortune.

From Massachusetts
He was originally from the state of Massachusetts.

Who dies from too much whiskey
He died due to excessive consumption of alcohol.

And leaves me these three faces to feed.
Before his death, he left me with the responsibility of taking care of our three children.

Millwork ain't easy, millwork ain't hard,
Working in a mill is a tedious job that requires a lot of hard work.

Millwork it ain't nothing
This line is sarcastically implying that millwork is easy, when in fact it is not.

But an awful boring job.
Millwork requires a lot of repetition and can be mind-numbingly boring.

I'm waiting for a daydream
I spend a lot of time daydreaming about a different life.

To take me through the morning
I hope that daydream will help me make it through the day.

And put me in my coffee break
I anticipate the daydream will happen during my coffee break.

Where I can have a sandwich and remember.
During my coffee break, I can have a sandwich and reminisce.

Then it's me and my machine
After the break, I return to work on the factory line.

For the rest of the morning,
I work with the machine until the end of the morning.

For the rest of the afternoon
I will continue to work in the afternoon.

And the rest of my life.
My life has become consumed with millwork and will most likely remain that way.

Now my mind begins to wander
During my work, my mind often starts to wander.

To the days back on the farm.
I fondly recall the days I spent working on the farm with my father.

I can see my father smiling at me,
I have a vivid memory of my father's smile.

Swinging on his arm.
We had a close relationship and would often swing arms.

I can hear my granddad's stories
I also remember the stories my grandfather would tell me.

Of the storms out on Lake Erie
He would tell me about the dangerous storms that occurred while he worked as a sailor on Lake Erie.

Where vessels and cargoes and fortunes
During those storms, many ships and their valuable goods were lost.

And sailors' lives were lost.
Unfortunately, many sailors also lost their lives at this time.

Yes, but it's my life has been wasted,
I believe that my life has been wasted, especially on this tedious millwork.

And I have been the fool
I feel that I have been foolish for allowing myself to be stuck in this life.

To let this manufacturer
I blame the manufacturer for using my body as a tool.

Use my body for a tool.
The manufacturer only cares about using me for their own benefit, not about my well-being.

I can ride home in the evening,
After work, I ride home in the evening.

Staring at my hands,
I often stare at my hands, which are rough and calloused from the long hours of millwork.

Swearing by my sorrow
I swear to myself that this life cannot be all there is.

That a young girl
As a young girl, I had dreams of a different life.

Ought to stand a better chance.
I believe that I deserved a better chance in life.

So may I work the mills
I accept that I will continue to work in the mills for as long as I am able.

Just as long as I am able
I will work there until my physical ability prevents me from doing so.

And never meet the man
I hope to never cross paths with the man whose selfishness is to blame for my current situation.

Whose name is on the label.
The manufacturer of the millwork equipment.