In the middle of late last night
I was sittin' on a curb
I didn't know what about
But I was feelin' quite disturbed
A street sweeper came whistlin' by
He was bouncin' every step
It seemed strange how good he felt
So I asked him while he swept
He said, "It's my job
To be cleaning up this mess
And that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job
To be better than the rest
And that makes the day for me."
I got an uncle who owns a bank
He's a self-made millionaire
He never had anyone to love
Never had no one to care
He always seemed kinda sad to me
And I asked him why that was
And he told me it's because
In my contract there's this clause
That says, "It's my job
To be worried half to death
And that's the thing people respect in me
It's my job
But without it I'd be less
Than what I expect from me."
Now I've been lazy most all my life
Writin' songs and sleepin' late
And any manual labor I've done
Was purely by mistake
If street sweepers can smile
Then I've got no right to feel upset
But sometimes I still forget
'Til the lights go on and the stage is set
And the song hits home and you feel that sweat
It's my job
To be different than the rest
And that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job
To be better than the best
And that's a rough break for me
It's my job
To be cleaning up this mess
And that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job
To be better than the rest
And that makes the day for me