# Occupations in Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901 "2020-04-30T15:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/141 "2020-05-04T03:12:48Z")
Naval officer: “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” by Paul McCartney. I won’t link to a video because I’m not that cruel. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/142 "2020-05-04T03:40:24Z")
Unless I missed it, the [Wichita Lineman is still on the line](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjzTNWWO7U0). Also, I am not a mercenary nor a mercenary recruiter. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/143 "2020-05-04T04:08:53Z")
Funking amazing- Curtis Mayfield [Pusherman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCDAfa-NI-M)! Not what you had in mind, but how about REM [Welcome to the Occupation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7tdQEgpi94)? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/144 "2020-05-04T04:42:48Z")
_Quite_ NSFW (along with armpit fart): Killdozer’s [The Puppy,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ICs61yB1w) the saga about a not-so-stable sausage plant worker. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/145 "2020-05-04T15:10:26Z")
Besides millions about teachers and trucker, “Wichita Lineman” came to mind. I know of it, but I couldn’t hum it. What surprises me is that no one has posted my next thought yet. “Car Wash” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v8I5egzoMo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v8I5egzoMo) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/146 "2020-05-04T16:32:33Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > What surprises me is that no one has posted my next thought yet. “Car Wash” > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v8I5egzoMo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v8I5egzoMo) Post #14.😉 This should be a board rule equivalent to **Gaudere’s Rule** : When anyone says “I can’t believe no one has posted yet!”, it’s a near certainty has been mentioned in the first 20 posts, if not the OP.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/147 "2020-05-04T17:57:23Z")
Maybe… Frankenstein - by Edgar Winter Group. Frankenstein is actually the doctor. He is the title character, even though it’s an instrumental. However, the song was probably about the monster, which isn’t an occupation. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/148 "2020-05-04T19:43:07Z")
Monday afternoon song dump: Moody Blues-I’m Just A Singer (in A Rock And Roll Band) Alice In Chains-Rooster: Soldier REM-Driver 8: Engineer (driver) and conductor, apparently on the Southern Crescent Grand Funk Railroad-American Band: Yes, band members of course - but ‘Sweet Connie’ was Connie Hamzy (kind of a groupie) and Freddie King was …blues guitarist Freddie King The Kinks-Come Dancing: The ‘singer’s’ grown up and (seemingly professionally) playing in a band Replacements-Alex Chilton: The eponymous Alex Chilton, singer/songwriter (Save this for the next “Songs that name-check other singers” thread) The Who-The Real Me: Mentions a doctor and a preacher (to a great bass line…) The Velvet Underground-I’m Waiting For The Man: The ‘singer’ describes his drug dealer Weak mentions: Nirvana-Floyd the barber: A cheat- yeah Floyd is mentioned, but the ‘singer’ seems to be having a ‘nightmare’ (from whatever stimulus) involving characters from the Andy Griffin show. Steppenwolf-The Pusher: The ‘singer’ is not the drug pusher, but mentions pushers and what he wants to do to them quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/149 "2020-05-04T20:00:23Z")
Rocket From the Crypt - “Ditchdigger” Breeders - “When I Was A Painter” King Missile - “Sensitive Artist” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/150 "2020-05-04T20:02:37Z")
> [@SirRay](#): > > Moody Blues-I’m Just A Singer (in A Rock And Roll Band) AC/DC - [Rock’n’Roll Singer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxqCEPBDZxk) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/151 "2020-05-04T20:07:07Z")
Barry Sadler had a song about being a [Green Beret](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG3izg9FXEE). Tripler And Dos Gringos sang about being a [pilot.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdSj0_Fd4ds) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Sean\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/152 "2020-05-04T20:41:19Z")
The Police - “Roxanne” - she’s a hooker, hence the red light Johnny Rivers - “Secret agent Man” - self-explanatory David Wilcox - “Layin’ Pipe” - construction (although seems to be a _double entendre_ in many places) * * * “Stay the blazes home” - Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/153 "2020-05-04T20:53:28Z")
The character in “(Fine Time To Leave Me) Lucille” seems to be a farmer, since he mentions crops in the field. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/154 "2020-05-04T21:16:35Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > The character in “(Fine Time To Leave Me) Lucille” seems to be a farmer, since he mentions crops in the field. The Band - [King Harvest Has Surely Come](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxzQChNxQQ8) is about the plight of a poor farmer. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/155 "2020-05-04T22:37:56Z")
In “Once I was the King of Spain”, the titular monarch emeritus holds a variety of jobs: In the version I looked up, working at the pizza pizza, vacuuming artificial turf, and driving a zamboni. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/156 "2020-05-05T00:08:30Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Junior Brown’s “[Highway Patrol](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zEzHPsi87w)” should be self-explanatory. As should his [Joe the Singing Janitor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rvixb70yD4). ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/157 "2020-05-05T17:55:00Z")
Poet, picker, prophet, pusher, pilgrim, preacher – Kris Kristofferson - The Pilgrim - Chapter 33 ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/158 "2020-05-05T20:21:11Z")
Bee Gees - [New York Mining Disaster 1941](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S43YhQ_eGTw). Concerning - uh - mining. I’m moved to mention this firstly because it’s actually not too bad a song; so that’s worth noting for the Bee Gees. And secondly because this was the kicking off point for Barclay James Harvest to write the far better song [The Great 1974 Mining Disaster](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xgd2ENLa3c), which at least tangentially mentions a _different_ profession - politician: > [@](#): > > Heard the news the other day > About a sailor [Edward Heath] oh so gay > And though his policies were grey > They took me far away j ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/159 "2020-05-05T20:41:26Z")
Which reminds me of the Beatles’ “Taxman” (about a taxman, natch) which also mentions the politician Edward Heath (as well as his rival, Harold Wilson). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901/160 "2020-05-05T20:43:17Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > The Band - [King Harvest Has Surely Come](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxzQChNxQQ8) > > is about the plight of a poor farmer. And in _The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down_, Virgil Caine worked on the Danville train, but after the Yankees tore up the tracks he worked the land and chopped wood. The _Unfaithful Servant_ is a servant. _The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show_ features a faith healer. In _Get Up Jake_, Jake works on the ferry Baltimore. _Hobo Jungle_ features a professional hobo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-in-songs/852901.md?page=9)