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Mary Got a New Job

F   C   G   C


C
Mary got a new job working on a line,
                       G
Help to make the automobile.

Wasn't very long till the job was going fine
                                  C
And she liked the way it made her feel.

It gave her independence to pull into the lot
                                F
And pull her heavy work clothes on.
                                    C
She liked the rush and clatter, she liked her new friends,
        G        G7    G6  G     C
And her favorite was a man named John.

John was like a brother working at her side
And they both came on the job the same day.
Learned the job together, how the ropes were tied,
Went together down to draw their first pay.
Opening up his packet, Johnny dropped his cash,
Money was all over the floor.
Mary saw the money, saw to her surprise,
Johnny had a whole lot more.
And she said:

"Who's been matching you sweat for sweat?
Who's been working on the line?
Who's been earning what she ain't got yet?
All I want is what's mine.
I've got eyes and hands and a back like yours
And I use 'em hard the whole day.
I stand here working just as hard as you do,
And I want my equal pay!"

Johnny was a good man, Mary knew that,
Taught to think of women as queens.
Now here stood Mary in her yellow hard hat
And her broken down faded blue jeans.
He liked her more than anybody he knew,
And he was close to understanding why
She didn't cuss or spit, she didn't raise her voice,
She just looked him straight in the eye.
And she said:

"Who's been matching you sweat for sweat?
Who's been working on the line?
Who's been earning what she ain't got yet?
All I want is what's mine.
I've got eyes and hands and a back like yours
And I use 'em hard the whole day.
I stand here working just as hard as you do,
And I want my equal pay!
And I want my E.R.A.!"

(Words and music by Tom Paxton, 1980)

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