EconGoneCountry

Supply and demand with a twang

Title: Take This Job and Shove It 

​Artist: Johnny Paycheck

Economic Concepts: Frictional unemployment

Details: As a result of changes in his personal life, a man decides to quit his job, and does so with some rough language.  This song is a great example when talking to students about why the unemployment rate will never be zero.  It may seem puzzling to some students why the U.S. natural rate of unemployment is in the range of 5% - 6%.  It is important for them to understand we will always have frictional and structural unemployment.  There will always be disgruntled workers who quit their job, people moving across the country, students graduating from college and entering the labor force, etc.     

Lyrics: 
Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more
My woman done left and took all the reasons
I was working for
You better not try to stand in my way
'Cause I'm walkin' out the door
Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more

I been workin' in this factory
For nigh on fifteen years
All this time I watched my woman
Drownin' in a pool of tears
And I've seen a lot of good folks die
That had a lot of bills to pay
I'd give the shirt right offa' my back
If I had the guts to say

Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more
My woman done left and took all the reasons
I was workin' for
You better not try to stand in my way
'Cause I'm walkin' out the door
Take this job and shove it
I ain't workin' here no more

Well that foreman, he's a regular dog
The line boss, he's a fool
Got a brand new flattop haircut
Lord, he thinks he's cool

One of these days I'm gonna' blow my top
And that sucker, he's gonna' pay
Lord I can't wait to see their faces
When I get the nerve to say
Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more
My woman done left and took all the reasons
I was workin for
You better not try to stand in my way
'Cause I'm walkin' out the door
Take this job and shove it
I ain't workin' here no more

Take this job and shove it​