Sing for the common man and heaven help the working girl. Country music is full of songs about the working folk. The ones that work a 40 hour week for a livin’, the ones that worked all night in the Van Lear coalmine, the ones who did what they had to do because they didn’t want to let Mama down. Hey, even a girl named Fancy has gotta pay the bills.
In honor of Labor Day, I’m putting y’all to work. What are you favorite songs about working?
I’ll go with one of the somewhat Billie Jo Spears classic “Mr. Walker, It’s All Over,” a #4 hit from 1969. Check it out after the jump, and add your own favorites in the comments!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfaHvJZxasg
“Workin’ Man Blues”
I like ‘I’m Workin” by Tim McGraw, I used to work in a factory and that song paints the lifestyle pretty good.
“Oney”–Johnny Cash
I like “Goin’ to Work” By Martina McBride. A good working song for broken-hearted girls.
“Amarillo Sky” by Jason Aldean is a good working song..
Alabama’s “40 Hour Week (For a Livin’)”.
I love “on down the line” by patty
“9 to 5”, which is about work. And “Take This Job And Shove It” which isn’t. But the title has a separate life of its own.
Dolly’s whole “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs” album is kind of a concept album with a shout-out to the working folks of the world with songs like “Working Girl”, “Sing for the Common Man”, and “Poor Folks Town”
PLUS three real stand-outs…
“Detroit City” – you gotta hear Dolly’s version of the great Mel Tillis classic.
“Dark as a Dungeon”
“Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” – one of my favorite Dolly songs that was never one of her singles…you might get a listen of these gems on youtube, as someone is putting a lot of her 80’s stuff on there recently.
I don’t no if its what you would call a working man song but I love Hoyt Axtons “Bony Fingers.” How can you not love a chorus that goes”work your fingers to the bone and what you get? Bony Fingers,Bony Fingers” Man that’s good stuff!
‘9 to 5′ is really an excellent song lyrically. Alabama’s ’40 Hour Week’ is great and has an equally engaging music video. Travis Tritt’s ‘Lord Have Mercy On The Working Man’ is another favorite of mine, as is Alan Jackson’s ‘Working Class Hero’.
“Big Boss Man”–Elvis Presley