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"
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack (ack, ack, ack, ack, ack)
You oughta know by now (oughta know)
Who needs a house out in Hackensack
Is that what you get for your money?
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
Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore's down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac (ack, ack, ack, ack, ack)
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
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
You should never argue with a crazy mind (mi-, mi-, mi-, mi-, mi-)
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money
If that's what you have in mind
If that's what you're all about
Good luck movin' up
'Cause I'm moving out
I'm moving out (mmm)
Ou, ou, uh huh (mmm)
I'm moving out
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country"
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack (ack, ack, ack, ack, ack)
You oughta know by now (oughta know)
Who needs a house out in Hackensack
Is that what you get for your money?
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
Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore's down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac (ack, ack, ack, ack, ack)
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders
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
You should never argue with a crazy mind (mi-, mi-, mi-, mi-, mi-)
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money
If that's what you have in mind
If that's what you're all about
Good luck movin' up
'Cause I'm moving out
I'm moving out (mmm)
Ou, ou, uh huh (mmm)
I'm moving out
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"He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders"
I love the broken back part. its so true people work their bodys to death and when the retire, they cant even enjoy it except for polishing your fenders.
I have a similar opinion on life. Id rather be poor with no "american dream" expenses to ball-and-chain me for 30 years. Living a simple life in a van with a minimum wage job or doing odd jobs across the country with little bills to pay is the life i wish i chose.
Every generation wants better for the next one. Meanwhile that one wants better still, so most of them look around and say "get me outta here". I gre up in NY and I sure as heck wanted out.
So, I always thought this song was about observing the older folks playing these life games and saying, "uh uh, not for me, I am outta here -- I'm moving out".
As for the immigration angle, possibly that's thrown in there because he's alluding to neighborhoods he speaks of in the song which are Italian and Irish areas of NY and NJ.
Basically, not earning enough money in their jobs, having to get a second job (LEO/Barkeep), and still barely getting by.
If that's moving up, I'm moving out... Gonna find a better job, or at the very least, one I enjoy.
Nobody's slave... Working for someone else, not for yourself. All you do and it only helps your employer to move up - You stay put 'cause they need you there.
"If that's moving up, I'm moving out"