Company Man
Unfulfilled Dreams: Love, Labor, and Longing in 'Company Man'
Lyrics
She's got my picture inside of her locket
She keeps a picture of me in her locket, a symbol of a close connection.
She's got a most unforgettable face
She has a face that is incredibly memorable and distinctive.
She goes for walks with her
She takes leisurely strolls with her hands in her pockets, suggesting a casual and relaxed demeanor.
Hands in her pockets
She possesses excellent and refined preferences in various aspects of life.
She is a girl of impeccable taste
She is a girl of refined taste, emphasizing her sophistication.
I work the mill and I vote with the union
The narrator is employed in a mill and aligns with union voting, following his father's footsteps as a loyal employee.
Just like my father, I'm a company man
The narrator identifies himself as a committed employee dedicated to the company.
She'll go away to a school in New England
She plans to attend school in New England, indicating a pursuit of education and a potential geographical separation.
I'll spend my life working with my hands
The narrator anticipates a life of manual labor, contrasting with her educational aspirations.
And oh she's never gonna be mine I know
The narrator acknowledges that the girl will never be romantically involved with him due to predetermined circumstances.
Some things were decided so long ago
Some aspects of their lives and relationship were decided or predetermined a long time ago.
I sit alone in a chair in her parlor
The narrator sits alone, reflecting on his physical labor as evidenced by the cuts on his hands.
And I look down at the cuts on my hands
The cuts on the narrator's hands symbolize the physical toll of his labor.
Her father smiles, he treats me kindly
The girl's father is kind to the narrator, but there's a realization that he doesn't fit into the father's plans for his daughter.
But I know I don't fit into his plans
The narrator recognizes that he is not part of the father's envisioned future for his daughter.
We'll meet tonight down at the drug store
They plan to meet at the drug store, possibly for a final farewell before she leaves.
We'll say goodbye and tomorrow she'll leave
They will part ways, and she will depart the next day, suggesting an imminent separation.
She'll cry and say she'll love me forever
She expresses love and promises forever, but the narrator doubts the permanence of her feelings over time.
But I know in time she'll forget about me
The narrator expects that, eventually, she will move on and forget about him.
And oh she's never gonna be mine I know
Reiteration that she will never be romantically involved with the narrator, emphasizing a sense of resignation.
Some things were decided so long ago
Reiteration that certain aspects of their lives were predetermined, reinforcing a lack of control over their circumstances.
But oh someday I'll own this factory
The narrator dreams of owning the factory where he works, expressing aspirations for a better future.
Someday I'll own this town
Envisioning a future where the narrator owns the entire town, suggesting a desire for success and influence.
Someday I'll get her back some way, somehow
The narrator hopes to win her back at some point in the future, showcasing a persistent longing for a romantic connection.
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