Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Graham Parker
Canonical path: /graham-parker/honest-work
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Honest Work
Read Honest Work lyrics by Graham Parker on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Honest Work
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
As long as you give me my pay youll get your moneys worth
Ill be there 8 hours a day I wont hide and I wont shirk
I got a way with a hammer and a nail a dovetail and a tongue and groove
Put up a wall in half a day guarantee itll never move
Chorus
Shouda li li li dum dum a day honest work
Im gonna build a strong foundation marble walls like grand central station
Not gonna feel any more frustration do enough work for an entire nation
Gonna get a chisel and an awl and a saw carve my name out on your door
A block and tackle and a spirit level take your heart of glass and put on a bevel
Chorus repeat
Got to build a strong foundation strong enough to hold up a nation
Strong enough to put your faith in the roof wont leak and the floor wont cave in
Gonna get a lathe and a capstan press take an old claw hammer to this mess
Gonna knock down the walls of denial wear em down with a pick and a file
Chorus repeat
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Honest Work"?
Graham Parker performs "Honest Work", and this lyric page sits inside the Graham Parker catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Honest Work"?
Yes. The related section below points to Hard Side Of The Rain and A Brand New Book with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Graham Parker?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Graham Parker's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Honest Work yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.