Parenting & Family Quote by Mojo Nixon

Mojo Nixon delivers the line like a punchline that hurts a little because it’s true: the dream job doesn’t stay a dream once you’re clocking in. The repetition in “business... business” is doing real work here, flattening the romance of music into paperwork, scheduling, networking, the grind of being “on.” He’s not romanticizing the hustle; he’s naming the bait-and-switch baked into turning passion into livelihood. The kid-fan who once chased shows for joy gets replaced by the professional whose presence in a room is transactional, expected, and evaluated.

The subtext is exhaustion, but also a sly critique of the mythology around “doing what you love.” Nixon’s persona has always leaned against polish and piety, and this is that same anti-sentimental streak applied to art-world labor. “I’ve been in a bar every night for the last 15 years” sounds like a rock-and-roll boast until the final turn: “Going to see bands for me is work.” Suddenly the bar isn’t a playground; it’s a workplace with bad hours and no off-switch.

Context matters: musicians don’t just make songs, they maintain visibility, community, relevance. The scene that once fed you becomes a circuit you service. Nixon isn’t asking for sympathy. He’s warning that professionalization can quietly steal the very thing that made music matter: the ability to be a fan without an agenda.