I Won’t Be Here For Long...

Written July 2nd 1982
Keywords: Factory, Story Song, Folk

Story Behind the Song -

In the summer of ’82, I was transferred to the third shift at the Kohler Foundry. Best described, it was like Dante’s Inferno. The work was hard, the air was hot and filled with rust dust, and the workers were tough. It was dirty, nasty work that was not at all eased by the slogan my co-workers had: “Just think of the money...” I dedicate this song to anyone who’s ever said, “I’ll be through with you before you’re through with me!

Song Lyrics -

The first night was a nightmare & from there it went downhill,
workin’ in the foundry, graveyard shift.
‘Fighting not to fall asleep every time that I stood still,
and poppin’ caffeine tablets for a lift.
Eight hours of breathin’ black iron dust —
And when you sweat, your t-shirt turns to rust.

But I won’t be here for long, no —
I won’t be here for long,
I’ll get out of here, just wait and see.
I won’t be here for long, no —
I won’t be here for long,
I’ll be through with you before you’re through with me.

You better make damn sure you punch the clock by half-past 10,
‘cause the foreman is on the prowl tonight.
He told me just last week this ain’t no place to find a friend,
and he’ll talk behind your back to start a fight.
“Just think of the money,” someone laughs:
a third-shift foundry worker’s epitaph.

Two-thirty in the mornin’, still got half a night to go,
and anyone who’s sane is home in bed.
The foreman’s watchin’ all the lines, and he sees they’re runnin’ slow —
just like the men who look like walkin’ dead.
As we drag ourselves to the punch clock line,
they all say I’ll get used to it in time…