9 To 5 – English Lyrics

• By: Dolly Parton

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Dolly Parton's timeless hit, "9 To 5"! This empowering anthem offers a fantastic way to learn English by delving into its relatable lyrics about daily work life, workplace challenges, and the universal dream of a better future. Its clear narrative and catchy rhythm make understanding common phrases and emotional expressions accessible and enjoyable, showing how everyday struggles can be turned into a powerful message of hope and solidarity.

[English]

("9 to 5" by Dolly Parton)

♪ 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 pumpin' ♪

♪ Out on the streets the traffic starts jumpin' ♪

♪ For folks like me on the job from 9 to 5 ♪

♪ Workin' 9 to 5 ♪

♪ What a way to make a livin' ♪

♪ Barely gettin' by ♪

♪ It's all takin' and no givin' ♪

♪ They just use your mind ♪

♪ And they never give you credit ♪

♪ It's enough to drive you ♪

♪ Crazy if you let it ♪

♪ 9 to 5 ♪

♪ For service and devotion ♪

♪ You would think that I ♪

♪ Would deserve a fat promotion ♪

♪ Want to move ahead ♪

♪ But the boss won't seem to let me ♪

♪ I swear sometimes that man is ♪

♪ Out to get me hmmm ♪

♪ They let you dream ♪

♪ Just a watch 'em shatter ♪

♪ You're just a step on the boss man's ladder ♪

♪ But you 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 you away ♪

♪ Workin' 9 to 5 ♪

♪ What a way to make livin' ♪

♪ Barely gettin' by ♪

♪ It's all takin' and no givin' ♪

♪ They just use your mind ♪

♪ And you never get the credit ♪

♪ It's enough to drive you ♪

♪ Crazy if you let it ♪

♪ 9 to 5 ♪

♪ Yeah they got you were they want you ♪

♪ There's a better life ♪

♪ And you think 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 wallet ♪

♪ 9 to 5 ♪

♪ Oh what a way to make a livin' ♪

♪ Barely gettin' by ♪

♪ It's all takin' and no givin' ♪

♪ They just use your mind ♪

♪ And they never give you credit ♪

♪ It's enough to drive you ♪

♪ Crazy if you let it ♪

♪ 9 to 5 ♪

♪ Yeah they got you where they want you ♪

♪ There's a better life ♪

♪ And you dream about it don't you ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ambition /æmˈbɪʃən/ B2	noun - a strong desire to achieve success or something
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the body
traffic /ˈtræfɪk/ B1	noun - the movement of vehicles or people along roads or in airports
promotion /prəˈmoʊʃən/ B2	noun - the act of encouraging or supporting something to increase its success or rank
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of images, ideas, or feelings that happen while sleeping verb - to imagine or hope for something that is desirable
credit /ˈkrɛdɪt/ B2	noun - trust in someone's ability or truthfulness; praise given for an achievement
devotion /dɪˈvoʊʃən/ C1	noun - great dedication or loyalty to a cause or person
ladder /ˈlædər/ B1	noun - a piece of equipment for climbing up or down
boat /boʊt/ A2	noun - a small vessel used to travel on water
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the existence of a person or thing
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method or style of doing something

Key Grammar Structures

• Tumble out of bed

  ➔ Verb phrase with preposition

  ➔ "Tumble out of" is a phrasal verb indicating to fall or drop suddenly and clumsily from a place.

• Pour myself a cup of ambition

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun + noun phrase

  ➔ The phrase uses the reflexive pronoun "myself" to indicate that the subject is performing an action for their own benefit.

• And try to come to life

  ➔ Infinitive phrase with purpose

  ➔ "Try to come to life" is an expression indicating an effort to become energetic or active.

• And the blood starts pumpin'

  ➔ Simple present tense with a gerund

  ➔ The phrase uses the simple present tense "starts" to describe an ongoing or habitual action, with "pumpin'" (pumping) as a gerund to emphasize activity.

• They just use your mind

  ➔ Simple present tense with quantifier "just"

  ➔ "Use" is in the simple present tense, indicating a habitual action, with "just" emphasizing that the action is limited or solely focused on "your mind".

• It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it

  ➔ Conditional clause with "if" and infinitive

  ➔ "It's enough to drive you crazy" is a main clause expressing a consequence, with "if you let it" as a conditional clause indicating that this consequence will happen only if the subject allows it.