Anaïs Mitchell - Work Makes Free lyrics

The bedroom window view of chestnuts says it's morning It's still dark and it's snowing The floor is cold and the bed is warm It's almost time I was going I put my wet boots on and walk on down To the diner at the edge of Chinatown The guys in hardhats will come in out of the cold They want some coffee, they want something warm to hold Old Man Peter says he's ready to retire He's taking off his yellow hat Hasn't had a sick day since the day that we was hired And it's like he prides himself on that He's through with nursing children And unruly dreams He nurses bottles now and wounds and other things Could somebody take this weight off of my head Cause if I was not awake I would just stay in bed I'm gonna quit this job cause I get nervous When I start to feel obliged I'm gonna quit my job cause Peter never did And I don't think he ever tried Too many hours of overtime Too many scratch-offs of the ones that didn't win Too many prostitutes and destitutes Just waiting to get back in the black again, again But what if when we're born They lock the gate and toss the key Behind the sign that says Work Makes Free And all I can say Is that I pray that is not me Not me Not me, not me, not me Could somebody take this weight off of my head Cause if I was not awake I would just stay in bed