The Grind
Playing With Matches Lyrics

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It's been three years lost to punching clocks and working fingers to cuticles. Patience tested under fluorescents inside a cubicle.
It's a nine to five grind.
It's a nine to five grind.
Lower your hopes and raise the bottom line. Earning a living but not feeling alive.
Full dental, memberships to a county clubs, they love me at the bank. Cigars rolled in third world nations; it's a shame that my date book's always blank. The wage can't compensate the time taken from me. I'm remunerated with a life I never wanted as a person I never wanted to be.
It's a fucking nine to five grind.
It's a nine to five grind.
So lower your hopes and raise the bottom line. Earning a living but not feeling alive.

Lower your hopes and raise the bottom line. Earning a living but not feeling alive.
Attention everyone, management here.We're going to need everyone to come in this weekend and work a little over time
Coffee mug, putt-putt on the office rug, yeah that's my day. And a window ledge who's just a little too friendly lately. All day I sit and make up lists of things I could have had but missed because of this career. I quit.
It's a nine to five grind.

Lower your hopes and raise the bottom line.
Earning a living but not feeling alive

Overall Meaning

This song is about the frustrations that come with working a mundane nine to five job. The lyrics describe a life of sameness, where every day is spent sitting at a cubicle under fluorescent lights, punching clocks and typing away at a computer. The singer talks about how this kind of work can take over your life, leaving you feeling unfulfilled and disconnected from who you really are as a person. The lyrics also reference the way that certain material possessions like a membership to a country club or cigars rolled in third world nations are used to make up for the lack of joy in one's everyday life. Finally, the song ends with the singer declaring that they've had enough and quitting.

The song's message is one that is likely to resonate with many people who feel trapped in jobs they don't enjoy. The repetition of the phrase "it's a nine to five grind" highlights the monotony of this kind of work, while the line "earning a living but not feeling alive" sums up the sense of emptiness that can come with it. The mention of the manager asking everyone to come in for overtime over the weekend is a reminder that even when you're not at work, the job is still taking up your time and energy.

Overall, "The Grind" is a call to action to those who are unhappy in their jobs to seek out something more fulfilling. It's a reminder that life is too short to spend so much time doing something that doesn't make you happy.

Line by Line Meaning

It's been three years lost to punching clocks and working fingers to cuticles. Patience tested under fluorescents inside a cubicle.
After three years of working in an office, my body is tired and my mind is worn out from the repetitive tasks and lack of stimulation. Working under artificial light in a small cubicle has tested my patience and I feel trapped.

It's a nine to five grind.
My job is a monotonous routine that I must complete every day for eight hours straight, five days a week.

Lower your hopes and raise the bottom line. Earning a living but not feeling alive.
The company's priority is to maximize profits, even if it means sacrificing the employees' quality of life. It's possible to make a living, but it comes at the cost of feeling unfulfilled and uninspired.

Full dental, memberships to a county clubs, they love me at the bank. Cigars rolled in third world nations; it's a shame that my date book's always blank. The wage can't compensate the time taken from me. I'm remunerated with a life I never wanted as a person I never wanted to be.
Although I have a well-paying job with benefits and fancy perks, it's not enough to make up for the fact that I'm missing out on so much of my personal time. My identity has been warped by this lifestyle that I never would have chosen for myself.

Attention everyone, management here.We're going to need everyone to come in this weekend and work a little over time
Despite the fact that everyone is already overworked and underpaid, the company is demanding even more of our time on the weekend without proper compensation.

Coffee mug, putt-putt on the office rug, yeah that's my day. And a window ledge who's just a little too friendly lately. All day I sit and make up lists of things I could have had but missed because of this career. I quit.
My day is filled with mundane activities like drinking coffee and playing mini-golf in the office. The only interesting thing that's happened lately is a bird that's been hanging out on the window sill. I spend all day daydreaming about the opportunities and experiences I've missed out on while stuck in this career, and I've finally decided to quit.

Contributed by Joshua L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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