Author - Phil Brown

When as a young man, out of work and no pay,

I applied at a co-op, thinking this might be the way.

Little did I know, what the future would bring,

Cut a bush, trim a tree, do almost anything.

You start at the bottom and work your way up the ladder,

As a laborer or a groundman, it really didn't matter.

You hammer and drill and dig the holes,

And hear old linemen say, "The money's at the top of the poles."

As a trainee you think, there's got to be a better way,

I do all the work, they get all the pay.

But as time wears on and still climbing the wood,

You realize everything was for your own good.

Supper with the family is a time to cherish,

With a ring of the phone, this time will perish.

To miss a child's recital or a ballgame or two,

Is nothing uncommon for men like you.

The birthday's you miss, the holiday's so dear,

Storms keep coming, year after year.

The career you've chosen, with hooks and gloves,

Makes a pretty good living for the ones you love.

The rain and the ice comes by day and by night,

They roll in and roll out with a terrible might.

If at home, you'd seek shelter, fearing the worst,

At work, restoring power, is the thing that comes first.

It's not for the glory, for in this job there is none,

It's just for pride and the love of a job well done.

When all is o.k. and the 1st rolls by,

You're only a rascal, who's rates are too high.

But when a storm hits and darkness is at hand,

They cuss us, they praise us, but we are in demand.

Then one day as you're working, right out of the blue,

An amazing thought comes to you,

Been a laborer, a groundman and even a climber,

As the years take their toll, now I'm just another old-timer.

Never go to work mad, start each day with a kiss,

In this type of work, who knows what you'll miss.

Tell your kids you love them and also your wife,

Storms a coming, be late tonight, the lineman's life.

 author: Phil Brown
Craighead Electric Cooperative