A studio apartment in a dull part of seattle
a strand of lights suspended by a thumbtack in the drywall

the restaurants are closed so are the record shops,
the banks the bars and bartel drugs
and so is the half price book store

but the movies are always open
and I always have to open

a repertory movie house where 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 2 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 coronations 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 gotta work on chirstmas, sometimes
(you gotta work on christmas, sometimes)
you have to work on christmas, I doubt I ll miss this at all.