Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas

E
A studio apartment in a dull part of Seattle,
  G#
A strand of light suspended,
     A             Asus4
By a thumb tack in the drywall,
E
The restaurants are closed,
E
So are the record shops,
                         G#
The banks, and bars, and Bartell drugs,
             A          Asus4      E
And so's the half price book store,
        Asus4      A      Asus2
But the movies are always open,
    Asus4    A       Am
And I always have to open.


E
A repertory movie house where life is not so wonderful,
    G#
For 15 soggy patrons,
         A         Asus4    E
Who have no better place to be,
E
Not to mention me,
E
I'm working for a holiday wage,
             G#
My family is two time zones away,
A               Asus4
I'm supposed to call them,
   Asus4     A       Asus2
My vodka and snow is melting,
    Asus4   A     Am
The alcohol isn't helping.


E                      Asus4   A
Sometimes, you have to work on Christmas.
E                      Asus4   A
Sometimes, you have to work on Christmas.
E                    Asus4   A
Sometimes, you gotta work on Christmas;
  Asus4      A
I doubt I'll miss this.


E                                           G#
There's an artificial tree, blinking in the lobby,
               A      Asus4  E
Sitting on the coffee table, yeah,
E
Strangers and spare changers,

Stand in line like poor relations,
        G#
At some kind of sad reunion,
        A           Asus4
And I'm selling the tickets,
     Asus4       A      Asus2
They come in out of the weather,
    Asus4       A      Am
For Christmas alone together.


E                      Asus4   A
Sometimes, you have to work on Christmas.
E                      Asus4   A
Sometimes, you have to work on Christmas.
E                    Asus4   A
Sometimes, you gotta work on Christmas;
  Asus4      A
I doubt I'll miss this.