That Jerk You Know

Verse 1

They told me work real hard and you'll move up the line

So I put my head down, doubled every target I could find

Months and years of numbers, mine were twice the rest

Still they handed me the jobs that no one else would bless

Pre-Chorus

I stayed late, I stayed focused, kept the quota flying high

While certain other people practised looking busy when the bosses came by

Chorus

Working hard or hardly working — guess which one paid off?

I was stacking double output, still stuck doing the dross

The ones who got the titles had a different kind of skill

They knew how to shine the apples and sit real close to the till

When management came walking they put on quite a show

While I just did the labour and got called "that jerk" you know

Verse 2

Every time the clipboards showed up for a little look around

The same few faces suddenly were the hardest workers in the town

I kept my eyes on the task and the numbers on the board

And somehow that made me the problem they could not afford

Pre-Chorus

I stayed late, I stayed focused, kept the quota flying high

While certain other people practised looking busy when the bosses came by

Chorus

Working hard or hardly working — guess which one paid off?

I was stacking double output, still stuck doing the dross

The ones who got the titles had a different kind of skill

They knew how to shine the apples and sit real close to the till

When management came walking they put on quite a show

While I just did the labour and got called "that jerk" you know

Guitar Solo

Bridge

I never learned the art of nodding at the perfect time

Or laughing at the jokes that weren't funny or sublime

I just kept hitting targets like they told me that I should

Turns out the rulebook only works if you're understood

Final Chorus

Working hard or hardly working — guess which one paid off?

I was stacking double output, still stuck doing the dross

The ones who got the titles had a different kind of skill

They knew how to shine the apples and sit real close to the till

When management came walking they put on quite a show

While I just did the labour and got called "that jerk" you know

Yeah, that jerk... you know