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Bartleby Lyrics by Lumpp

The Hypothetical Album

2019

Bartleby was a scrivener
A man who takes the firm dictates
Of people far more powerful than he
Could ever even hope to be

Bartleby was a hard worker
He’d copy documents for hours
Then recite them back at length
Requiring great steadfastness and strength

Until one day, the boss would ask
Him to complete a simple task
A paper needed to be read
He stood there mildly and said:

"I would prefer not to."

Bartleby was a placid man
No malice or anger in his voice
He very simply just would not
And soon, the boss forgot

Bartleby was a hollow man
With nothing human in his eyes
But soon his work continued on just fine
He copied over every line

And soon his work had to be checked
To see that everything’s correct
With everything prepared that day
He came out from his hole to say:

"I would prefer not to."

Bartleby made them furious:
The boss and all his fellow scribes
But even so, he never could be fired
It seemed instead that he should be retired

Yet Bartleby was oblivious
He never left the office now
Annoying those his little room abuts
And eating only ginger nuts

And soon, all this became routine
He copied things behind his screen
But when he’s called on to comply
Then, every time he would reply:

"I would prefer not to."

One day he stood, with hazy eyes
He said he would no longer write
But would not leave the premises
And so he stayed there, day and night

The business moved its offices
And left poor Bartleby behind
He still was not compelled to move
Was left for the new boss to find

And soon he found himself in jail
With no one that would pay his bail
And then, refusing to be fed
The warden soon would find him dead

He preferred not to
Credits
Lumpp

Lumpp

About “Bartleby” by Lumpp

Read the complete lyrics to "Bartleby" by Lumpp from the album "The Hypothetical Album" in 2019. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Bartleby" is performed by Lumpp. from the album "The Hypothetical Album" in 2019 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Bartleby", explore more songs by Lumpp using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Lumpp · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Bartleby" is credited to Lumpp. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Bartleby" appears on "The Hypothetical Album" in 2019.

Visit the Lumpp artist page at /artist/lumpp for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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