Released: September 29, 1977
Songwriter: Billy Joel
Producer: Phil Ramone
[Intro]
Hoo ooh
Ohh ohh
Mmm mmm
[Verse 1]
Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country"
Ah but workin' too hard can give you a heart attack
Ack-ack-ack-ack-ack
[Bridge]
You oughta know by now
(You oughta know by now)
Who needs a house out in Hackensack
Is that all you get for your money?
[Chorus]
And it seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm
Movin' out
I'm movin' out, mmm mm
Ooh-ooh, uh-huh, mmm
[Verse 2]
Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mr. Cacciatore's
Down on Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
Yeah, and he's tradin' in his Chevy
For a Cadillac-ac-ac-ac-ac-ac
[Bridge]
You oughta know by now
(You oughta know by now)
And if he can't drive with a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
[Chorus]
And it seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out
Mmm, I'm movin' out
Oh-ohh, ooh ooh, uh-huh, mmm
[Break]
You should never argue
With a crazy mind-mind-mind-mind
[Bridge]
You oughta know by now
(You oughta know by now)
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?
[Chorus]
And if that's what you have in mind
Yeah, if that's what you're all about
Good luck movin' up, 'cause I'm movin' out
I'm movin' out
[Outro]
I'm movin' out
Hoo ooh
Ohh ohh
Mmm mmm
[Verse 1]
Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country"
Ah but workin' too hard can give you a heart attack
Ack-ack-ack-ack-ack
[Bridge]
You oughta know by now
(You oughta know by now)
Who needs a house out in Hackensack
Is that all you get for your money?
[Chorus]
And it seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm
Movin' out
I'm movin' out, mmm mm
Ooh-ooh, uh-huh, mmm
[Verse 2]
Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mr. Cacciatore's
Down on Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
Yeah, and he's tradin' in his Chevy
For a Cadillac-ac-ac-ac-ac-ac
[Bridge]
You oughta know by now
(You oughta know by now)
And if he can't drive with a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
[Chorus]
And it seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out
Mmm, I'm movin' out
Oh-ohh, ooh ooh, uh-huh, mmm
[Break]
You should never argue
With a crazy mind-mind-mind-mind
[Bridge]
You oughta know by now
(You oughta know by now)
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?
[Chorus]
And if that's what you have in mind
Yeah, if that's what you're all about
Good luck movin' up, 'cause I'm movin' out
I'm movin' out
[Outro]
I'm movin' out
- The Stranger (1977)
- Greatest Hits, Volume I & Volume II (1985)
- The Essential Billy Joel (2001)
- Piano Man: Very Best of (2004)
- The Wolf of Wall Street (Music From the Motion Picture) (2013)
- We Didn’t Start the Fire
- Piano Man
- Vienna
- Uptown Girl
- The Longest Time
- She’s Always a Woman
- Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
- Just the Way You Are
- Only the Good Die Young
- Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
- New York State of Mind
- Allentown
- Honesty
- The Stranger
- Goodnight Saigon
- My Life
- It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
- Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
- And So it Goes
- Big Shot
- Captain Jack
- An Innocent Man
- Zanzibar
- The Downeaster “Alexa”