Ray Stevens

Songtekst

Itemize the things you covet
As you squander through your life
Bigger cars, bigger houses
Term insurance for your wife

Tuesday evenings with your harlot
And on Wednesdays it's your charlatan
Analyst
He's high upon your list

You've got air conditioned sinuses
And dark disturbing doubt about
Religion and you keep those cards
And letters going out

While your secretary's tempting you
Your morals are exempting you
From guilt and shame
Heaven knows you're not to blame

You better take care of business, Mr. Businessman
What's your plan
Get down to business, Mr. Businessman
If you can
Before it's too late
And you throw your life away

Did you see your children
Growing up today
And did you hear the music of their laughter
As they set about to play

Did you catch the fragrance
Of those roses in your garden
Did the morning sunlight warm your soul
Brighten up your day

Do you qualify to be alive
Or is the limit of your senses so
As only to survive
Hey, yeah

Spending counterfeit incentive
Wasting precious time and health
Placing value on the worthless
Disregarding priceless wealth

You can wheel and deal the best of them
And steal it from the rest of them
You know the score
Their ethics are a bore

Eighty-six anesthetic crutches
Prop you to the top
Where the smiles are all synthetic
And the ulcers never stop

When they take that final inventory
Yours will be the same sad story
Everywhere
No one will really care

No one more lonely than
This rich important man
Let's have your autograph
Endorse your epitaph

You better take care of business, Mr. Businessman
What's your plan
Get down to business, Mr. Businessman
If you can
Hey, yeah
Hey hey hey, yeah

Well, you better take care of business, Mr. Businessman
What's your plan
Get down to business, Mr. Businessman
If you can
Hey, yeah
Hey hey hey, yeah