The songbook / Analog: a musical
Side Hustle Symphony
The opening number: the whole company, each character mid-hustle across the city, right before the jobs start disappearing.
- Key
- F
- Capo
- None
- Tempo
- 130 BPM
- In the show
- Act I, No. 1
- Sung by
- The whole company
- Feel
- Opening number. High-energy montage across the city.
- Words & music
- Wes Ellis
- F
- Dm
- B♭
- C
Tap any chord in the song to see its shape. The boxes are drawn right-handed; Lefty flips them, which is how I actually play. Use − and + to move the whole song into a key that suits your voice.
Transposed. The chord names and boxes have moved; any tab on this page is still written for the original key.
City sounds, notification pings, alarm clocks, rapid montage begins
Frantic energy, multiple monitors glowing
Maya
Coffee at midnight, deadline at six
Logo revisions, client won't pick
Seventeen concepts, they want something 'fresh'
But the budget says 'fast' and 'inexpensive' and 'less'
Side hustle life, side hustle dream
Gig economy, join the team
Every notification could be the one
That pays my rent before the month is done
Headset on, cheerful customer service voice
Rosa
Good morning sunshine, XYZ support
How can I help you? Let me make this short
Angry customer, billing mistake
But I'll fix it with a smile for Sofia's sake
Side hustle life, side hustle grind
Working three jobs just to stay behind
Every paycheck keeps us afloat
Hope is the currency on which I vote
Typing rapidly, phone constantly buzzing
Jamal
Freelance article, 500 words
'Ten Ways to Save Money' - how absurd
I used to write about corruption and lies
Now it's listicles for advertiser buys
Side hustle life, side hustle sell
Dignity's cheap when rent's due as well
Every story could be my big break
If I could just catch the break I need to take
All characters, rapid crosscutting between locations
All
Side hustle symphony, playing in every key
Working every angle just to barely be free
Upload, download, optimize your time
Turn your passion into nickels and dimes
This is the hustle, this is the grind
Leave your dreams and dignity behind
Side hustle symphony, join the song
We'll keep on hustling until something goes wrong
Multiple screens, energy drinks
Alex
Debug the system, patch the code
Building tomorrow while my ethics erode
They say it's progress, they say it's smart
But every algorithm breaks someone's heart
Playing for tips, small crowd gathering
Marcus
Street corner stage, my concert hall
Spotify pays pennies, if anything at all
But music's in my blood, songs in my soul
Even if the algorithms stole my role
Stacks of papers, coffee-stained desk
Diana
Review contracts, check every line
Billable hours, racing against time
Law school debt like a weight on my chest
Paralegal work pays, but it's not my best
Food delivery, rideshare, online selling
Zoe
Uber in the morning, DoorDash at night
Etsy store, TikTok, gotta get it right
Five different apps, seven income streams
Monetizing everything, living the dream
Music builds, characters move toward central meeting point
All
Every day's a hustle, every hour's a grind
Chasing just enough to ease our mind
But what happens when the music stops?
When the side hustle suddenly drops?
Full stage, maximum energy
All
Side hustle symphony, playing in every key
Working every angle just to barely be free
But there's a glitch in the system, a crack in the wall
What happens when the algorithm takes it all?
This is the hustle, this is the grind
But what happens when we get left behind?
Side hustle symphony, the song's getting strange
Everything's about to change, everything's about to change...
Music suddenly cuts to electronic glitches, notification sounds
Lights shift to harsh white, corporate
Electronic Voice
Optimization in progress... Human inefficiency detected... Upgrade available...
Blackout
From Analog, a stage musical by Wes Ellis. Words and music © Wes Ellis. All rights reserved. Play it, sing it, learn it; just don't pass it off as yours.