Songtext Work John Cale

Work

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

Andy was a catholic, the ethic ran through his bones
He lived alone with his mother, collecting gossip and toys
Every sunday when he went to church
Hed kneel in his pew and say, its just work,
All that matters is work.

He was a lot of things, what I remember most
Hed say, Ive got to bring home the bacon, someones got to bring home the roast.
Hed get to the factory early
If youd ask him hed tell you straight out
Its just work, the most important thing is work
No matter what I did it never seemed enough
He said I was lazy, I said I was young
He said, how many songs did you write?
Id written zero, Id lied and said, ten.
You wont be young forever
You should have written fifteen
Its work, the most important thing is work
Its work, the most important thing is work

You ought to make things big
People like it that way
And the songs with the dirty words - record them that way
Andy liked to stir up trouble, he was funny that way
He said, its just work, all that matters is work
Andy sat down to talk one day
He said decide what you want
Do you want to expand your parameters
Or play museums like some dilettante
I fired him on the spot, he got red and called me a rat
It was the worst word that he could think of
And Ive never seen him like that
Its just work, I thought he said its just work
Work, he said its just work

Andy said a lot of things, I stored them all away in my head
Sometimes when I cant decide what I should do
I think what would andy have said
Hed probably say you think too much
Thats cause theres work that you dont want to do
Its work, the most important thing is work
Work, the most important thing is work