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

Chorus: 1,3,5
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 (depending on verse) "they never give you" or
"you never get the" credit; it's enough to drive you crazy, if you let it

Verse 2
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

Chorus: 2
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 some-times, that man is out to get me

Chorus: 4,6
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