My older brother Tommy was a lineman, rest his soul   His job was hanging hot wires on them high-line power poles   Every morning bright and early, he'd climb way up in the sky   And I never understood it, so one day I asked him why      He said, it pays big money and man, I'm into that   It pays big money if you're willing to take a chance   Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account   It pays big money but he sure can't spend it now      Well, my late Uncle Charlie, was this demolition hound   He'd travel across the country blowing buildings to the ground   He carried a case of dynamite seemed everywhere he went   And he smoked them big long cigars and he'd wink at you and grin      He said, it pays big money, man, I'm into that   It pays big money if you're willing to take a chance   Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account   It pays big money but he sure can't spend it now      Well, now the moral of this story, boys   Is don't go getting yourself killed   Be kind to your rich relatives   They just might put you in their will      And that pays big money and we're all into that   It pays big money and big money's where it's at   Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account   It pays big money and we're rolling in it now      It pays big money, having foolish kin   It pays big money, guess I owe it all to them   Let me show you something, sonny, take a look at this bank account   It pays big money, let's go spend some of it now