Sometimes You have to Work on Christmas (sometimes)

A studio apartment in a dull part of Seattle

A strand of light suspended by a thumbtack in the drywall

The restaurants are closed

So are the record shops, the banks, and bars, and Bartel drugs,

and so's the half price bookstore

But the movies are always open

And I always have to open

A repertory movie house

Well life is not so wonderful

For 15 soggy patrons who have no better place to be

Not to mention me

I'm working for a holiday wage

My family is two time zones away,

I'm supposed to call them

My vodka and snow is melting

The alcohol isn't helping

Sometimes you have to work on Christmas, sometimes

You have to work on Christmas, sometimes

You gotta work on Christmas,

I doubt I'll miss this

There's an artificial tree blinking in the lobby,

Sitting on the coffee table, yea

Strangers and spare changers stand in line like poor relations

At some kind of sad reunion

And I'm selling the tickets

They come in out of the weather

For Christmas alone together

Sometimes you have to work on Christmas, sometimes

You have to work on Christmas, sometimes

You have to work on Christmas,

I doubt I'll miss this next year

Sometimes you have to work on Christmas, sometimes

You gotta work on Christmas, sometimes

You have to work on Christmas,

I doubt I'll miss this at all