Millworker Lyrics

Performed by James Taylor

Now my grandfather was a sailor
He blew in off the water
My father was a farmer
And I, his only daughter
Took up with a no good millworking man
From Massachusetts
Who dies from too much whiskey
And leaves me these three faces to feed

Millwork ain't easy
Millwork ain't hard
Millwork it ain't nothing
But an awful boring job
I'm waiting (on) a daydream
To take me through the morning
And put me in my coffee break
Where I can have a sandwich
And remember

Then it's me and my machine
For the rest of the morning
(and) the rest of the afternoon
And the rest of my life

Now my mind begins to wander
To the days back on the farm
I can see my father smiling at me
Swinging on his arm
I can hear my granddad's stories
Of the storms out on Lake Erie
Where vessels and cargos and fortunes
And sailors' lives were lost

(Yeah), but it's my life has been wasted
And I have been the fool
To let this manufacturer
Use my body for a tool
(I'll) ride home every evening
Staring at my hands
Swearing to my sorrow that a young girl
Ought to stand a better chance

So may I work your mills just as long as I am able
And never meet the man whose name is on the label

(it's still)me and my machine
For the rest of the morning
And the rest of the afternoon (and on and on and on...)
for the rest of my life

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Grace, the millworker | Reviewer: Anonymous | 12/17/11

Studs Terkel's book was made into a musical. 1000 years ago I was cast in this musical (my last performance) as Grace, the millworker--quite an honor to sing the song, written by JT. I believe that all songwriters for the musical were to use the words of each character (verbatim) from Terkel's interviews. Grace's monologue is quite sad and it wasn't an easy role--i saw eddie vedder live in boston and he did a cover--great job. Ironically, I own my own business and moved it into a refurbished mill...it all comes full circle.

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Late for work | Reviewer: Richard Addison | 12/2/09

I've come to this song very late, via a wonderful British TV show called Transatlantic Sessions (with Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Martha Wainwright and a whole bunch of wonderful Celtic musicians - well worth checking out) I know it came from the Studs Terkel-based musical, but I'm not clear as to whether Terkel wrote the lyric. It's a beautiful, haunting but unsentimental song and it wasn't until I checked it out on You-tube that I discovered just how many people had covered it. Unlike the earlier reviewer, I don't prefer the Emmylou Harris version, fine though it is - a touch too pretty perhaps. What interests me about the song is it's structure, with a "middle eight" coming so near the end - gives a fantastic emotional pull to take it home.

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"Millworker" lyrics | Reviewer: Brian Oliver | 4/13/07

Of course JT composed it, so his lyrics are the definitive ones. Both Bette Midler and Emmylou Harris exercised artists' rights to modify them (slightly)in their renditions.

As a P.S., I favor Emmylou's version, but it sure sounds as if James is doing haronmies on her track. Perhaps guitar as well.

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