Songwriter: Ray Stevens
Producer: David Mackay
Itemise 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 got air conditioned
Sinuses and dark, disturbing doubts
About religion
And you keep those cards
And letters going out
And while your
Secretary's tempting you
Your morals are exepting
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 they 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?
And did you smell the
Fragrance of those roses
In your garden?
Did the morning sunlight
Warm your soul and
Brighten up your day?
Do you qualify to be
Alive or is the limit
Of your senses
So as only to survive?
Spending counterfeit
Incentive, wasting
Precious time and health
Placing values on the
Worthless, disregarding
Priceless wealth
Well, 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
86 proof anesthetic crutches
Brought 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 -
Noone will really care. Noone more lonely than
This rich important man
Let's have your autograph
ENDORSE your epitaph!
You better take care...
................if you can!
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 got air conditioned
Sinuses and dark, disturbing doubts
About religion
And you keep those cards
And letters going out
And while your
Secretary's tempting you
Your morals are exepting
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 they 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?
And did you smell the
Fragrance of those roses
In your garden?
Did the morning sunlight
Warm your soul and
Brighten up your day?
Do you qualify to be
Alive or is the limit
Of your senses
So as only to survive?
Spending counterfeit
Incentive, wasting
Precious time and health
Placing values on the
Worthless, disregarding
Priceless wealth
Well, 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
86 proof anesthetic crutches
Brought 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 -
Noone will really care. Noone more lonely than
This rich important man
Let's have your autograph
ENDORSE your epitaph!
You better take care...
................if you can!
more tracks from the album
From the album
- Help It Along (1974)
Cliff Richard popular songs
- Congratulations
- Devil Woman
- Visions
- We Don’t Talk Anymore
- Ocean Deep
- Shine, Jesus, Shine
- Constantly
- Mistletoe & Wine
- Fall In Love With You
- Sunny Honey Girl
- Climbing Up Mount Everest
- If You Walked Away
- Mr. Businessman
- Can’t Keep This Feeling In
- They Can’t Take That Away from Me
- One Fine Day
- All Out of Love
- True Love Ways
- Shame on You
- Scarlet Ribbons
- Always Guaranteed
- Butterfly Kisses
- Free
- Now You See Me, Now You Don’t