# Songs about Work
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** music
**Created:** [September 1, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895 "2021-09-01T12:47:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/1 "2021-09-01T12:47:29Z")
In honor of Labor Day Weekend coming up here in the US, l thought it might be fun to post songs about good, salt of the Earth, blue collar workers doing what they do to keep the world running, and often not being properly compensated or appreciated for it.
I’ll begin with a tasty live version of Rush’s “Working Man” that starts out slow and Reggae-fied, then rocks it up at about the 1:30 mark:
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sI5VuBzo-Qc/maxresdefault.jpg ""Working Man" by Rush (Time Machine Tour: Live In Cleveland) [OFFICIAL]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5VuBzo-Qc)
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/2 "2021-09-01T12:50:11Z")
Alabama-_Forty Hour Week_
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-G2J3RzURA)
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### Author:  [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/3 "2021-09-01T13:03:40Z")
Blue Collar Man by Styx
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDM6v1XhWEg)
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### Author:  [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/4 "2021-09-01T13:06:56Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzGoDtmTllg)
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### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/5 "2021-09-01T13:12:09Z")
Workin’ Man Blues
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cr-HgQyNcQ)
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/6 "2021-09-01T13:12:51Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECNcAnu77a4)
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/7 "2021-09-01T13:15:24Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbzxemJZIc)
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### Author:  [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/8 "2021-09-01T13:22:32Z")
Hey, don’t just brush off the white collar people, or indeed the pink collar people.
[Dolly Parton - 9 to 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxUSsFXYo4)
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### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/9 "2021-09-01T13:31:11Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#):
>
> …don’t just brush off the white collar people, or indeed the pink collar people.
Sure, as long as the song is about people putting in an honest day’s work, all collar colors accepted.
Maybe just, no songs about hedge fund managers and such, is that fair?
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### Author:  [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/10 "2021-09-01T13:33:12Z")
Here’s Johnny Cash on how precarious paycheck to paycheck jobs can be:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGxhk2NkeEI)
I’m a Worried Man
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### Author:  [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/11 "2021-09-01T13:36:41Z")
> [@solost](#):
>
> Maybe just, no songs about hedge fund managers and such, is that fair?
Sure, here’s another less well known song about my sisters in suffering.
[Statler Brothers - Monday Morning Secretary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLF0Ulw8XiY)
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/12 "2021-09-01T13:39:30Z")
Van Morrison reminiscing about his youth, cleaning windows in Belfast:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc9J96f4cDk)
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### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/13 "2021-09-01T13:44:53Z")
This one was on the tip of my tongue…
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=559eWB93jW4)
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### Author:  [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/14 "2021-09-01T13:45:56Z")
_She Works Hard For The Money_ - Donna Summer
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuUEpbGVV2Y)
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### Author:  [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/15 "2021-09-01T13:51:14Z")
Working for the Man · Roy Orbison
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNzGoT5bYYs)
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/16 "2021-09-01T13:51:53Z")
# The Bangles - Manic Monday
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmVgoXDq2w)
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### Author:  [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/17 "2021-09-01T13:53:24Z")
Tennessee Ernie Ford - 16 Tons
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRh0QiXyZSk)
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### Author:  [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/18 "2021-09-01T13:55:21Z")
Easybeats - Friday On My Mind
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnqxbdnzlhw)
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/19 "2021-09-01T13:58:58Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd-o_kLONVI)
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### Author:  [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2021, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-work/949895/20 "2021-09-01T14:13:34Z")
Here’s one about work stresses and violence, from the Roaring 20’s, no less:
[Wilmer Watts and the Lonely Eagles - Been on the Job Too Long](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtjbKbKWyhM)
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