My older brother Tommy was a lineman, rest his soul
His job was hanging hot wires on them high-line power poles
Every morning bright and early, he'd climb way up in the sky
And I never understood it, so one day I asked him why
He said, it pays big money and man, I'm into that
It pays big money if you're willing to take a chance
Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account
It pays big money but he sure can't spend it now
Well, my late Uncle Charlie, was this demolition hound
He'd travel across the country blowing buildings to the ground
He carried a case of dynamite seemed everywhere he went
And he smoked them big long cigars and he'd wink at you and grin
He said, it pays big money, man, I'm into that
It pays big money if you're willing to take a chance
Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account
It pays big money but he sure can't spend it now
Well, now the moral of this story, boys
Is don't go getting yourself killed
Be kind to your rich relatives
They just might put you in their will
And that pays big money and we're all into that
It pays big money and big money's where it's at
Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account
It pays big money and we're rolling in it now
It pays big money, having foolish kin
It pays big money, guess I owe it all to them
Let me show you something, sonny, take a look at this bank account
It pays big money, let's go spend some of it now