Salesman
The Monkees Lyrics


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Salesman, where you gonna go?
To sell all your of your goods today
Salesman, gonna walk along the street, see friends along the way
Well salesman, with your wooden cart that you push along while you walk
Hey, salesman, got a little dog whose tail wags when you talk
You always wear a smile, even though you've gotta walk ten miles
Short lifespan, good time salesman
Yep, yep salesman got it on the street, whether it's hot or cold
It's salesman, well, you work real hard,
Until every part is sold
Salesman as the years go by,
People changing every day
Hey, salesman 'till the end of time you'll be livin' in the same way
You always wear a smile, you love 'em fast and you live wild
Short life span, but ain't life grand?

Copper kettles, different kinds of tin
There goes salesman and he's sailing high again
He's sailing so high, high, sailing so high

Salesman where you gonna go to sell all of your goods today
Yup, salesman, gonna walk along the street, see friends along the way
Hey, salesman, with your wooden cart that you push along while you walk
Hey, salesman with your secret goods that you push while you talk
You always wear a smile,
Even though you've gotta walk a hundred ten miles
Short life span but the whole thing's grand
Salesman

Now, well, I tried the one that you put it in and you have to do it
Manually. But I'd like the one that you just plug it in and it does it all
By itself in a real long strand and you cut 'em up. It's easier to do it
That way because, well, I put all the stuff in there and it keeps flippin'
Out. And I can't get the thing to stick together anything. Coupled with




The fact that I have to stick two of them together to even get on out of it
And they always end up lookin' like Lucky Strikes.

Overall Meaning

The Monkees’ song “Salesman” appears to be a cheerful and upbeat tune about a salesman going about peddling his wares. The opening lyrics talk about the salesman walking down the street with his wooden cart with a little dog following him around. Despite working long hours and having a short lifespan, this salesman always wears a smile and loves his job. The song seems to be celebrating the life of a salesman, who travels all over and meets new people every day.


However, there could be deeper interpretations to the song’s lyrics. The repeated mention of the salesman having a short lifespan could suggest that the job of a salesman is not sustainable or even dangerous. The lines “people changing every day” and “you love ‘em fast and you live wild” could imply that the salesman’s lifestyle is not conducive to having long-term relationships or stability. The final lines of the song, “Short life span but the whole thing's grand,” could be interpreted as a bittersweet commentary on the fleeting nature of life itself.


Overall, “Salesman” is an interesting song that could be interpreted in many different ways. On the surface, it seems to be a celebration of the life of a salesman, but there could be deeper messages underneath the song’s cheerful exterior.


Line by Line Meaning

Salesman, where you gonna go?
As a traveling salesman, where is your destination for selling your goods today?


To sell all your of your goods today
Your purpose for traveling is to sell all of your products today.


Salesman, gonna walk along the street, see friends along the way
As you walk along the street, you will meet with friends and acquaintances during your journey.


Well salesman, with your wooden cart that you push along while you walk
As a travelling salesman, you have a wooden cart that you push while walking.


Hey, salesman, got a little dog whose tail wags when you talk
You have a small dog who wags its tail when you speak to it.


You always wear a smile, even though you've gotta walk ten miles
Despite the fact that you have to walk a long way, you always have a smile on your face.


Short lifespan, good time salesman
As a traveling salesman, you may not have a long life, but you enjoy your work while you travel.


Yep, yep salesman got it on the street, whether it's hot or cold
You're always on the street, regardless of weather conditions.


It's salesman, well, you work real hard, until every part is sold
As a salesman, you work diligently until you've sold every product in your inventory.


Salesman as the years go by, people changing every day
As time passes, people change, but your role as a salesman remains the same.


Hey, salesman 'till the end of time you'll be livin' in the same way
As a salesman, your lifestyle will remain the same until the end of time.


You always wear a smile, you love 'em fast and you live wild
You maintain a positive attitude, and you enjoy living life quickly and unconventionally.


Short life span, but ain't life grand?
Although your life as a salesman may be brief, it's still a great life.


Copper kettles, different kinds of tin
You sell a wide variety of copper kettles and different types of tin.


There goes salesman and he's sailing high again
As you make another sale, you're once again on top of the world.


He's sailing so high, high, sailing so high
You're thrilled and excited to have made another successful sale.


Hey, salesman with your secret goods that you push while you talk
You also push some secret goods that you don't want everyone to know about as you sell them.


Even though you've gotta walk a hundred ten miles
Despite having to walk a very long distance, you keep smiling and keep going.


Short life span but the whole thing's grand
Even though your life as a salesman may be short, it's still a wonderful life.


Now, well, I tried the one that you put it in and you have to do it Manually.
A customer of yours tried one of your products, but it required manual work, which was difficult for them.


But I'd like the one that you just plug it in and it does it all By itself in a real long strand and you cut 'em up.
The customer would prefer a product that doesn't require manual work, something that they can plug in and cut up easily.


It's easier to do it That way because, well, I put all the stuff in there and it keeps flippin' Out.
The customer finds it difficult to keep things together when doing manual work, which is why they prefer an easier solution.


And I can't get the thing to stick together anything.
The customer has difficulty keeping things connected and together in their current process.


Coupled with The fact that I have to stick two of them together to even get on out of it And they always end up lookin' like Lucky Strikes.
In their current process, the customer has to combine two pieces together, and they end up looking like Lucky Strikes (cigarettes).




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CRAIG SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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