My oldest brother Tommy was a lineman rest his soul

His job was hanging hot wires on them power company poles

I said with all of that high voltage don't it scare you half to death?

He said it makes me kinda nervous but I just can't help myself 'cause



It pays big money and boy I'm into that

It pays big money if you're willin' to take a chance

I'll tell you sonny you ought to see my bank account

It paid big money but he sure can't spend it now



My dear departed cousin used to put in forty hours

Changing all them light bulbs on them television towers

Every morning bright and early he'd climb up in the sky

And I didn't understand it so one day I asked him why, he said



It pays big money and boy I'm into that

It pays big money if you're willin' to take a chance

I'll tell you sonny you ought to see my bank account

It paid big money but he sure can't spend it now



My late Uncle Charlie was demolition man

And he traveled all over the country blasting holes in this great land

And he carried a case of dynamite everywhere he went

And he'd smoke them big long cigar's 'til it got the best of him, but



It pays big money and boy I'm into that

It pays big money if you're willin' to take a chance

I'll tell you sonny you ought to see my bank account

It paid big money but he sure can't spend it now



Now the moral of this story

Is don't go getting yourself killed

And be kind to your rich relatives

And they might just leave you in their will

And that pays big money having foolish kin

It pays big money, I guess I owe it all to them

I'll tell you sonny you ought to see my bank account

It pays big money think I'll go spend some of it now