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Hi Everyone, Covid is destroying our economy. The jobless numbers are the worst since forever. What to do? Idea. Here are 20 "work/job" songs. Listen up! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vy0YxRpWpybYbrf2yzHWB?si=bFNePIe_Q-yLVpRt6tiBmg 1. "A Hard Day's Night" The Beatles. "I've been working like a dog..." Really? I don't know about your dog but mine never worked a day in her life. 2. "Handy Man" Jimmy Jones. Soulful falsetto sings and co-wrote this hit in 1960. |
3. "9 to 5" Dolly Parton. Singer/songwriter supreme, wrote, sang this, and starred in the 1980 film of the same name. Born in a one-room log cabin. One of 12 children. Not a lot of privacy. I guess that's why her parents stopped at 12.
4. "Get A Job" The Silhouettes. From Philly. Big hit in 1958. The group Sha-Na-Na supposedly got their name from the doo-wop group's background singing, "Sha-na-na-na-na." Lucky they didn't name the group "Mmmm-mmm-mmm."
5. "Yakety Yak" The Coasters. Huge hit. Leiber and Stoller wrote this sort of work song about a kid doing his chores and if not, "You don't get no spending cash." Huh. Describes my life now, too.
6. "If I Were A Carpenter" Bobby Darin. I chose this version over the original by Tim Hardin and the Four Tops' soulful version. I never knew how much I liked Bobby Darin.
7. "Working In the Coal Mine" Lee Dorsey. Song written by Allen Toussaint. I had a summer job working in a coal mine in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Still have my helmet.
8. "Dirty Work" Steely Dan. Off their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill" from 1972. Fabulous song. "Times are hard..."
9. "Factory" Bruce Springsteen. From the landmark "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album, released in 1978. The Boss does me in, again.
10. "Allentown" Billy Joel. Some call this a blue-collar anthem. The Piano Man gets it done.
11. "Sixteen Tons" Tennessee Ernie Ford. Country Western singer with the deepest singing voice ever. Big hit in 1955.
12. "Working My Way Back To You" The Spinners. Prefer this to the Four Seasons original. Good song about a schmuck. It has "working" in the title so that's my excuse.
13. "Workin' Man (Nowhere To Go)" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Country rock band from Long Beach, CA. One of my favorite NGDB songs. "I'm broke but not broken." Devastating.
14. "Five O'Clock World" The Vogues. From Turtle Creek, PA, outside of Pittsburgh. Big hit in 1966. Love song about a factory worker.
15. "Shiftwork" Kenny Chesney, George Strait. Duet with two of country music's most influential stars. Catchy song. "I drank my money away..."
16. "Wichita Lineman" Glen Campbell. Singer, songwriter, TV star. A classic song. Glen released 64 albums. That seems like a lot.
17. "Millworker" James Taylor. Written for the Stephen Schwartz musical "Working." Beautiful, evocative song that JT wrote from a woman's perspective.
18. "Pulled Out Of The Market" Ondara. Formerly known as J.S. Ondara. Love this young folk singer from Kenya who settled in Minneapolis. Covid and the economy hit him so hard he lost his first two initials.
19. "Maggie's Farm" Bob Dylan. Bob goes electric and loud with this song at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Folk-acoustic purists went crazy. I never really understood why.
20. "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" The Animals. Gritty, bluesy band led by Eric Burdon. Song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in 1965. "I've been working so hard..."
And that's our jobs report. Don't Forget to Disinfect and... PLAY IT LOUD!
Fact Check:
I never worked in a coal mine. Never got a helmet, either.
4. "Get A Job" The Silhouettes. From Philly. Big hit in 1958. The group Sha-Na-Na supposedly got their name from the doo-wop group's background singing, "Sha-na-na-na-na." Lucky they didn't name the group "Mmmm-mmm-mmm."
5. "Yakety Yak" The Coasters. Huge hit. Leiber and Stoller wrote this sort of work song about a kid doing his chores and if not, "You don't get no spending cash." Huh. Describes my life now, too.
6. "If I Were A Carpenter" Bobby Darin. I chose this version over the original by Tim Hardin and the Four Tops' soulful version. I never knew how much I liked Bobby Darin.
7. "Working In the Coal Mine" Lee Dorsey. Song written by Allen Toussaint. I had a summer job working in a coal mine in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Still have my helmet.
8. "Dirty Work" Steely Dan. Off their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill" from 1972. Fabulous song. "Times are hard..."
9. "Factory" Bruce Springsteen. From the landmark "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album, released in 1978. The Boss does me in, again.
10. "Allentown" Billy Joel. Some call this a blue-collar anthem. The Piano Man gets it done.
11. "Sixteen Tons" Tennessee Ernie Ford. Country Western singer with the deepest singing voice ever. Big hit in 1955.
12. "Working My Way Back To You" The Spinners. Prefer this to the Four Seasons original. Good song about a schmuck. It has "working" in the title so that's my excuse.
13. "Workin' Man (Nowhere To Go)" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Country rock band from Long Beach, CA. One of my favorite NGDB songs. "I'm broke but not broken." Devastating.
14. "Five O'Clock World" The Vogues. From Turtle Creek, PA, outside of Pittsburgh. Big hit in 1966. Love song about a factory worker.
15. "Shiftwork" Kenny Chesney, George Strait. Duet with two of country music's most influential stars. Catchy song. "I drank my money away..."
16. "Wichita Lineman" Glen Campbell. Singer, songwriter, TV star. A classic song. Glen released 64 albums. That seems like a lot.
17. "Millworker" James Taylor. Written for the Stephen Schwartz musical "Working." Beautiful, evocative song that JT wrote from a woman's perspective.
18. "Pulled Out Of The Market" Ondara. Formerly known as J.S. Ondara. Love this young folk singer from Kenya who settled in Minneapolis. Covid and the economy hit him so hard he lost his first two initials.
19. "Maggie's Farm" Bob Dylan. Bob goes electric and loud with this song at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Folk-acoustic purists went crazy. I never really understood why.
20. "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" The Animals. Gritty, bluesy band led by Eric Burdon. Song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in 1965. "I've been working so hard..."
And that's our jobs report. Don't Forget to Disinfect and... PLAY IT LOUD!
Fact Check:
I never worked in a coal mine. Never got a helmet, either.