Factory of Broken Dreams
Tom Juravich
I wanted to be a teacher, I thought that I’d be good
Working with children, at least my momma thought I could
So I started off at college, but it was all too big and new
I was back in Southie, before the year was through
My aunt Helen said I should try, down at the phone company
She said I think they’re hiring, sometimes they’ll pay your
college fees
So I’ve been at Verizon, now, going on five years
I earn a decent living, but sometimes I can’t stop the tears
As I sit here, sometimes it seems
For all of us in here
It’s not some kind of office job, I can’t believe the pace
I’m hardly done with one call, they send me another case
They time my every motion, it’s all about the speed
Selling stuff to people, I’m not sure they need
As I sit here, sometimes it seems
For all of us in here, it’s just a factory of broken dreams
Sometimes I think of college, teaching’s on my mind
But I never do get started, with the commute and the overtime
Then I had my little Joey, a kinder boy you’ll never know
But when his dad left me to raise him, this job was all she wrote
I sometimes think of quitting, setting myself free
But I’d start at half of what I make here, and where would that get me?
So I guess they’ve really got me, at least that’s what it seems
I just don’t know where to put them, where to put my dreams
As I sit here…
I wanted to be a teacher
©2007, BMI
“When people hear that you work in an office, they think you come in, get your coffee, sit down, and take a call here and there. It’s not like that at all. Everything you do is timed. How long you’re on a call is timed. How long you take between calls is timed. How much you sell is averaged… If that doesn’t put stress on you, I don’t know what does.”
Call center worker