I was listening to a Donald Fagen album and one of the songs is Security Joan. In the song Joan works for airport security. I was thinking of what occupations are held by main characters in songs.
For example, Lovely Rita is a meter maid.
And for occupations like singers, songwriters, military, cowboys and bartenders, there are too many songs to mention. I’m looking more for a variety of occupations.
Genesis-I Know What I Like (In your Wardrobe)
It’s about a lawn mower (not the machine, the actual person who mows the lawns)
Leroy Van Dyke - The Auctioneer
The characters in “Money For Nothin” are appliance delivery men.
Jazzman Carole King
Killing Me Softly Roberta FlackI thought the protagonist of the song “Tangled Up in Blue” mentioned a bunch of different occupations, but reading the lyrics, there are actually only two: “working as a cook for a spell” and “workin’ for a while on a fishin’ boat right outside of Delacroix”.
First thing I thought of was “Wichita Lineman,” which is about… a lineman (for the county).
The Bobs - (First I Was a Hippie, Then I Was a Stockbroker) Now I Am a Hippie Again
Im reluctant to post this Dr Demento classic but here goes
NSFW
I play a lot of oldtime/bluegrass. Listing the songs about train engineers and coal miners would break the boards!
The first song I thought of was “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)”.
There are a fair number of songs about farmers like “The Farmer’s Song” (Murray McLauchlan) or “400 Hogs” (Tom T. Hall).
“The Jolly Tinker” is a naughty classic.
This reminds me of another song popularized by Dr Demento, The Ballad of Irving
There was Meri Wilson’s ouvre:
Telephone Man
Peter the Meter Reader
Internet Man
Dick the DJ
Rose Royce was working at the Car Wash.
Jim Croce got the Working At the Car Wash Blues.
Memphis Slim - “Churnin’ Man Blues”
The Plugz - "Hombre Secreto (Secret Agent Man)"Tony’s Theme by Pixies is a song about a superhero named Tony. Does superhero count as an occupation?
Two clicks for the video because it’s a static image of the album cover, which includes nudity.
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Memphis Slim - “Churnin’ Man Blues”
The Plugz - "Hombre Secreto (Secret Agent Man)" [/QUOTE]You missed the obvious one! “Repo Man” (Iggy Pop)
Taxi by Harry Chapin is about a guy driving a taxi
Lawyers Guns and Money is about a spy, (I think)
Bob Dyan’s Hurricane is about Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a boxer who spent 19 years in jail for murder
Jerry was a race car driver.
And he sang about Rapid Roy the Stockcar Boy and Tuffy the Roller Derby Queen.
Simon and Garfunkle sang about The Boxer.
Jimmy Buffet was a pirate…