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God's Away On Business Lyrics

Artist: Tom Waits

I'd sell your heart to the junkman baby
For a buck, for a buck
If you're looking for someone
to pull you out of that ditch
You're out of luck, you're out of luck

The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
There's leak, there's a leak,
in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who ore the ones that we kept in charge
Killers, thieves, and lawyers

God's Away, God's away
God's away on Business. Business. God's Away,
God's Away God's Away on Business. Business.

Digging up the dead with
a shovel and a pick
It's a job, it's a job
Bloody moon rising with
a plague and a flood
Join the mob, join the mob
It's all over. It's all over, It's all over
There's a leak, there's a leak,
in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God's away. God's away, God's away
On Business. Business.
God's away, God's away. God's away
On Business.

Instrumental Break
Goddamn there's always such
a big temptation
To be good, To be good
There's always free cheddar in
a mousetrap, baby
It's a deal, it's a deal
God's away, God's away, God's away
On Business. Business.
I narrow my eyes like a coin slot baby,
Let her ring, let her ring
God's Away, God's Away
God's Away on Business.
Business..........

Comments/Interpretations

by trinity on 6/2/2008 11:51am
waits is a sick fuck

by Satan's Circus on 8/8/2008 9:31pm
love it, it's perfect

by DrWho on 12/30/2008 12:24pm
Damn solid lyrics.

by CBordages on 1/5/2009 10:35pm
Given the reason why the economy is in the shitter, this song is not only brilliant, but prophetic. Tom Waits may be a "sick fuck," but he's a genius.

by Mountain Drew on 1/8/2009 1:17pm
Never tire of this song.

by G Akerlund, Sweden on 2/11/2009 2:47am
Tom Waits is no prophet, this has been said before, but it is of course correct anyway. Compare with Cohen's "the Future". God has left us here, yes. He is away on business. Creating other worlds maybe. We do not seem able to run what we've got. So why waste time on us?

by Charlie on 7/13/2009 7:07am
The Music Hound Rock Album Guide described Waits' voice as sounding �like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months and then taken outside and run over with a car�.

What car?

by bob on 3/4/2010 3:42pm
Perfect song for a sick,sick anything goes free market capitalist system. Atta boy Tom!

by Heh. on 6/28/2010 6:15am
The lyrics are a good criticism on the current mess and eventual failure of the capitalistic/corporate "democracy" of the nations who represent it, the United States especially. If you are "proud to be an American" or Canadian then you are blind to what is happening to the country you live in. True democracy should mean the people have a right to decide on ALL aspects of their government/society, including which corporations are allowed to be a part of the society and to what extent, no matter who you vote for President the corporate monopoly's are the ones who have the true power, and with the current system the people are almost powerless to regulate them. I really fear the future of our species considering the human condition, can we be saved?, Probably not.

by Jehhne on 12/16/2010 10:37am
Heh: Simplistic thinking, all human being are fallible. The people who are deciding which corporations are allowed to exist will be just as corrupt as the people running the corporations. Your type of thinking led to the murders of millions in the Soviet Union, China and all over the world. The only system that makes this place bearable is the one described in the Constitution. As much as we decide to follow it anyways.

by Eleven Eleven on 4/21/2011 4:53pm
Anu is God. And he is not away on business, but he is actually quite proud of his "creation" or, more accurately manipulation. Dont believe me? Read the dead sea scrolls, then go to look up Desteni Productions on youtube.

by Than on 8/22/2011 10:47pm
I am a bit surprised that most people here tend to be interpreting these lyrics as a political statement, particularly as a critique of capitalism. Undoubtedly such interpretations are plausible, but I think the lyrics speak more meaningfully to the tension between those who want to be "good," "humble," and "moral" versus those who are more cutthroat and conniving. Waits seems a bit cynical of both positions, recognizing that neither lifestyle is really going to cut it at the end of the day. After all, the ship is sinking. Just my own take on the lyrics.

by Kumar on 12/22/2011 11:14am
KILLERS: corporations that make people pay a lot and pay them back little are literally starving them to death. But Waits means the corporations and politicians who deal with bad stuff and kill innocents in order to keep going. THIEVES: the same companies who lobby and break rules to get more money no matter what. LAWYERS: the guys who get the government to pardon them for breaking important rules.

Tom Waits knows what he's talking about :) We're royally screwed

by docmix on 7/12/2012 6:16am
This song played over the final credits of movie 'Malice in Wonderland'. Great movie - awesome song!

by david corey on 2/15/2013 2:18pm
an incredible man with an incredible talent!