All I Need is a Job

Words by Tom Lehrer

Tune
All I Need is the Girl” from Gypsy; words by Stephen Sondheim, music by Jule Styne

[Historical note: The chorus was written (c. 1979) for Brian Arsenault’s senior dance recital at UCSC. The verse was added later for a revue at Cowell College UCSC, sung by Matt Shapiro.]

Verse

Got my education
Sat through graduation
Now I’m ridin’ high
Crammed with knowledge
Bye bye, college
Now I’m neat and dressy1
Not like UCSC2
Starting this July
I’ll even wear a tie
I’m all set —
I’ll succeed —
There’s only one thing I need:

Refrain

Got my B.A.
So I’m O.K.
All I need now is a job
Got my hopes high3
Passed my Nat Sci4
Had professors all around to inspire me
Now all I need is someone to hire me
Three cheers
For my four years
I’m no longer your basic slob
And if they’d say
“You’re hired,” I’d gladly throw away
Those fat books that they made me read
All I really need
Is a job

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT

I, Tom Lehrer, and the Tom Lehrer Trust 2000, hereby grant the following permission:

All the lyrics on this website, whether published or unpublished, copyrighted or uncopyrighted, may be downloaded and used in any manner whatsoever, without requiring any further permission from me or any payment to me or to anyone else.

Some lyrics written by Tom Lehrer to copyrighted music by others are included herein, but of course such music may not be used without permission of the copyright owners. (The translated songs may be found in their original languages on YouTube.)

In other words, all the lyrics herein should be treated as though they were in the public domain.

In particular, permission is hereby granted to anyone to set any of these lyrics to their own music and publish or perform their versions without fear of legal action.

This permission applies only to the lyrics on this website. Most of the music written by Tom Lehrer will be added gradually later with further disclaimers.

Note: This website will be shut down on December 31, 2024, so if you want to download anything, don’t wait too long.


  1. These two lines should be replaced when performed away from UCSC.

  2. These two lines should be replaced when performed away from UCSC.

  3. These two lines may be replaced in venues where “Nat Sci” is unknown

  4. These two lines may be replaced in venues where “Nat Sci” is unknown

---
author: Tom Lehrer
base-url: "https://tomlehrersongs.com/"
date: 2020-10-27
pdf-url: "https://tomlehrersongs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/all-i-need-is-a-job.pdf"
title: All I need is a job
transcription: Gaius Julius Caesar
---