Tumble out of bed and 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 nine to five

Nine to five, 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 credi
It's enough to drive you crazy, if you let it

They let you dream just to watch them shatter
You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
But you've got dreams he'll never take away
In the same boat with a lot of your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
And the tide's gonna turn, and it's all gonna roll your way

Nine to five, 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

Nine to five--they've 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 pocket