by Amy Gold
Can factory workers ca. 1909
Songs about work may seem like an oxymoron. Why sing about something which most of us think about as a necessary evil? But the concept of working for a living has inspired more songwriters and musicians than you would think. There is a seemingly endless catalog of songs that celebrate the working man and his constant need to bring home a paycheck.
From the earliest days of popular song, work has been a common theme. For a work song you can look no further than Lee Dorsey, or maybe you'd prefer the doo-wop sound of "Get A Job." Tennessee Ernie Ford talked about life as a company man in "Sixteen Tons" and an entire musical, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying," was created around life in the corporate world.
Coal miner ca. 1932
Work comes in many forms and so, too, do songs about work. From rootsy ballads about the backbreaking reality of manual labor, like Johnny Cash's "I Never Picked Cotton" to "Workin' In A Coal Mine" by Lee Dorsey. Even Bruce Springsteen touched on blue-collar angst in his song "Factory."
Life can be just as bleak on the white collar side, as Dolly Parton reminds us with "9 to 5" and Fountains of Wayne touch on in "Bright Future In Sales." There seems to be endless inspiration to be had in the working man's struggle to get free of time clocks, business suits and endless, repetitive days. And human nature tells us to take our work related angst and turn it into songs we can all relate to.
Of course, we're more than just "work work work," but it seems like even on the job we've always got one eye on play. And many songwriters have given voice to that dilemma by creating songs that rally us into standing up for own rights or just seeking out a better life. Music is meant to inspire as well as entertain and that is true of work-related tunes as well.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the concept of a work song took on a whole new meaning as these laid back times found us looking out the window and daydreaming about better things to come. Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" and Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care Of Business" talk about doing what you have to to get by and wishing you could be spending your days some other way.
Of course, when it comes to songs about work, perhaps nothing stands out like Johnny Paycheck's iconic "Take This Job And Shove It," the ultimate working man's response to a job that he can no longer tolerate and a boss who makes his life miserable.
Work is something which we can't outrun no matter how hard we try, and it evokes a myriad of emotions, almost of all of which have found expression in song. It may not make it any easier to take, but sometimes singing about a lousy job can bring some small measure of relief. At least with these and many other work songs, we can take comfort in knowing that we're far from alone in our frustration!
The Workweek
- Five O'Clock Whistle - Glenn Miller And His Orchestra - 1941
("Five O'Clock Whistle" was also a chart hit for Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra in 1940 and Ella Fitzgerald in 1941.) - A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles - 1964
("A Hard Day's Night" topped the charts for the Beatles in 1964. An instrumental version was also made by the Ramsey Lewis Trio which was a chart hit in 1966.) - Five O'Clock World - The Vogues - 1965
- Monday, Monday - The Mamas And The Papas - 1966
("Monday, Monday" topped the charts in 1966.) - 9 To 5 - Dolly Parton - 1980
("9 To 5" topped both the Adult Contemporary and Pop/Rock charts in 1980. Title song from the movie starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman.) - Morning Train (Nine To Five) - Sheena Easton - 1981
("Morning Train (Nine To Five)" topped both the Adult Contemporary and Pop/Rock charts in 1981.) - Rush Hour - Jane Wiedlin - 1988
- 15 Minutes - Marc Nelson - 1999
The Boss
- Big Boss Man - Jimmy Reed - 1961
("Big Boss Man" later also became a chart hit for Gene Chandler (Soul Hootenanny) Iin 1964 and Elvis Presley in 1967.) - Workin' For The Man - Roy Orbison - 1962
- Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who - 1971
("Meet the new boss, same as the old boss ...")
Business
- Mr. Businessman - Ray Stevens - 1968
- Piano Man - Billy Joel - 1974
("And the waitress is practicing politics, as the business men slowly get stoned ...") - Takin' Care Of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - 1974
Chain Gangs
- Chain Gang - Bobby Scott - 1956
(This song, which is different from the Sam Cooke hit by the same name, was also a chart hit for Len Dresslar that same year.) - Chain Gang - Sam Cooke - 1960
("Chain Gang" later also became a chart hit for Jackie Wilson and Count Basie in 1968 and Jim Croce as part of a medley in 1976.) - Back On The Chain Gang - The Pretenders - 1982
Coal Mines
- Working In The Coal Mine - Lee Dorsey - 1966
("Working In The Coal Mine" later also became a chart hit for Devo in 1981.) - Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn - 1970
Cotton Fields
- Cotton Fields - The Highwaymen - 1961
("Cotton Fields" is based on a traditional American ballad by the same name from ca. the 1800s. This song later also became a hit for Ace Cannon (as "Cottonfields") in 1963.) - Black Hands And White Cotton - The Caboose - 1970
- I Never Picked Cotton - Roy Clark - 1970
(A cover version of this song was recorded by Johnny Cash for his 1996 album, "Unchained.") - Cotton Jenny - Anne Murray - 1972
- Mississippi Cotton Pickin' Delta Town - Charley Pride - 1974
- Cotton Eye Joe - Rednex - 1995
("Cotton Eye Joe" is based on an American folk song of the same name (a.k.a. "Cotton-Eyed Joe").)
Farms
- Blackland Farmer - Frankie Miller (Of "Black Land Farmer" Fame) - 1961
("Blackland Farmer" also became a chart hit for Wink Martindale that same year.) - Farmer John - The Premiers - 1964
- Mr. Farmer - The Seeds - 1967
- Junior's Farm - Paul McCartney And Wings - 1974
- Rain On The Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp - 1986
- Daddy Won't Sell The Farm - Montgomery Gentry - 2000
General Work-Related
- A Full Time Job - Doris Day and Johnny Ray - 1952
- Work, Work, Work - Lee Dorsey - 1965
- A Cowboys Work Is Never Done - Sonny And Cher - 1972
- A Man Sized Job - Denise LaSalle - 1972
- Workin' At The Car Wash Blues - Jim Croce - 1974
- Hard Work - John Handy - 1976
- Take This Job And Shove It - Johnny Paycheck - 1978
("Take This Job And Shove It" topped the Country charts for Johnny Paycheck in 1978.) - It's My Job - Jimmy Buffett - 1981
- Working On It - Chris Rea - 1989
- Lightning Does The Work - Chad Brock - 1999
- Bright Future In Sales - Fountains of Wayne - 2003
("Bright Future In Sales" is from the 2003 album, "Welcome Interstate Managers," by Fountains Of Wayne.) - Work - Ciara - 2009
("Work" is from the 2009 album, "Fantasy Ride," by Ciara.)
Get A Job
- Get A Job - The Silhouettes - 1958
("Get A Job" topped the charts in 1958 and was the Silhouettes one and only chart hit. This song was also a chart hit for the Mills Brothers that same year.) - Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent - Gwen Guthrie - 1986
- Let's Work - Mick Jagger - 1987
- Supermodel (You Better Work) - RuPaul - 1993
- Why Don't You Get A Job? - The Offspring - 1999
Hard Times
- Midnight Special - Paul Evans - 1960
("Midnight Special" later also became a chart hit for Johnny Rivers in 1965.) - Detroit City - Bobby Bare - 1963
("Detroit City" was also a char hit for Ben Colder that same year and later also became a chart hit for Tom Jones in 1967.) - Detroit City No. 2 - Sheb Wooley - 1963
("Detroit City No. 2" is a parody of the Bobby Bare hit.) - Deadend Street - The Kinks - 1967
("Deadend Street" is different from the Lou Rawls hit by the same name.) - Dead End Street - Lou Rawls - 1967
- If We Make It Through December - Merle Haggard - 1973
- Out Of Work - Gary (U.S.) Bonds - 1982
Housework
- A Girl's Work Is Never Done - The Chordettes - 1959
Looking For A Job
- (Just Like) Romeo And Juliet - The Reflections - 1964
- Gotta Find a Job - Lee Dorsey - 1967
("Gotta Find a Job" is the B-side of "Rain Rain Go Away" which was a minor hit in 1967.) - Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen - 1984
("Born In The U.S.A." is about the struggles of a returning Vietnam vet that include not being able to find work.)
Money
- Money Is The Root Of All Evil - Andrews Sisters - 1946
("Money Is The Root Of All Evil" was also a chart hit for Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians.) - If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time - Jo Stafford - 1950
- Money Tree - Margaret Whiting - 1956
("Money Tree" was also a chart hit for Patience and Prudence in 1957.) - Gas Money - Jan And Dean - 1958
- Money (That's What I Want) - Barrett Strong - 1960
("Money (That's What I Want)" later also became a chart hit for the Kingsmen in 1964, Jr. Walker and the All Stars in 1966, and the Flying Lizards in 1980.) - A Dollar Down - The Limeliters - 1961
- More Money For You And Me - The Four Preps - 1961
("More Money For You And Me" is a parody song sung to the tune of "Tom Dooley" that includes bits and pieces from "Mr. Blue," "Alley Oop," "In This Whole Wide World," "A Worried Man," "A Teenager In Love," "Tom Dooley," and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.") - Greenback Dollar - The Kingston Trio - 1963
- Money - Pink Floyd - 1973
- Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper - 1973
- For The Love Of Money - The O'Jays - 1974
("For The Love Of Money" later also became a chart hit the for BulletBoys in 1989.) - Money - Gladys Knight And The Pips - 1975
- Money Honey - Bay City Rollers - 1976
- Gimme Your Money Please - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - 1976
- Money, Money, Money - ABBA - 1977
- She Works Hard For The Money - Donna Summer - 1983
- The Big Money - Rush - 1985
- Money's Too Tight To Mention - Simply Red - 1986
- Just Got Paid - Johnny Kemp - 1988
- It's Money That Matters - Randy Newman - 1988
- I Need Money - Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch - 1992
- Money In The Ghetto - Too Short - 1994
- Get Money - Junior M.A.F.I.A. - 1996
- One For The Money - Horace Brown - 1996
- Heartspark Dollarsign - Everclear - 1996
- Mo Money, Mo Problems - The Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy And Mase - 1997
("Mo Money, Mo Problems" topped the charts in 1997.) - Money's Just A Touch Away - Mack 10 Featuring Gerald Levert - 1998
- Got Your Money - Ol Dirty Bastard Featuring Kelis - 1999
TGIF (Thank God It's Friday!)
- Summertime Blues - Eddie Cochran - 1958
("Summertime Blues" later also became a chart hit for Blue Cheer in 1968, the Who in 1970, and Alan Jackson in 1994.) - Weekend - The Kingsmen (Of "Week End" Fame) - 1958
- Over The Weekend - The Playboys - 1958
- Happy Weekend - Dave "Baby" Cortez - 1962
- Wild Weekend - The Rockin' Rebels - 1962
- I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night - George Jones - 1965
- Funky Weekend - The Stylistics - 1975
- Livin' For The Weekend - The O'Jays - 1976
- Weekends - Wet Willie - 1979
- Working For The Weekend - Loverboy - 1981
- Bang The Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren - 1983
- Weekend Love - Queen Latifah - 1994
- Weekend Thang - Alfonzo Hunter - 1997
The Working Class
- Sixteen Tons - "Tennessee" Ernie Ford - 1955
("Sixteen Tons" topped both the Country and Pop/Rock charts in 1955. This song also became a chart hit for Johnny Desmond in 1955, Tom Jones in 1967, and Don Harrison Band in 1976.) - The Banana Boat Song/Banana Boat (Day-O) - The Tarriers - 1956
("The Banana Boat Song" also became a chart hit for Harry Belafonte, the Fontane Sisters, Steve Lawrence, Sarah Vaughan, and Stan Freberg.) - The Work Song - Herb Alpert And The Tijuana Brass - 1966
- Working Man's Prayer - Arthur Prysock - 1968
- Work To Do - The Isley Brothers - 1972
("Work To Do" later also became a chart hit for Vanessa Williams (featuring Black Sheep) in 1992.) - Working Class Hero - Tommy Roe - 1973
- Blue Collar - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - 1973
- Blue Collar Man - Styx - 1978
- Factory - Bruce Springsteen - 1978
("Factory" is from Springsteen's 1978 album, "On The Edge Of Town.") - Workin' For A Livin' - Huey Lewis And The News - 1982
- Working Class Man - Jimmy Barnes - 1986
- Worker Man - Patra - 1994
- Hands Of A Working Man - Ty Herndon - 1999
