"John Henry's Hammer" - Johnny Cash - from a whole concept album about hard work (exhausting just thinking about it!)
Kind of an obscure pick, not even a youtube clip to show - but a better quality bandcamp clip. Hamell On Trial - The Vine THE VINES, by HAMELL ON TRIAL "I had moved South to a new state, pawned my guitar to get there. Slept on the floor of a friend of a friend. I got a temp job, government work. I know it was weeding but they gave it a glorified title: Foliage Reconciliation.4:30AM a field truck picks up 60 of us, men and woman, the sky is hot and dark, the air thick as damp pepper. A two hour ride to the work place, a blazing sun rises, men strip their shirts, someone sings....." "I think I'm gonna be sickle...."
Johnny Cash: "One Piece At A Time" Well, I left Kentucky back in forty nine An' went to Detroit workin' on a 'sembly line The first year they had me puttin' wheels on Cadillacs Every day I'd watch them beauties roll by And sometimes I'd hang my head and cry 'Cause I always wanted me one that was long and black. One day I devised myself a plan That should be the envy of most any man I'd sneak it out of there in a lunchbox in my hand Now gettin' caught meant gettin' fired But I figured I'd have it all by the time I retired I'd have me a car worth at least a hundred grand. I'd get it one piece at a time And it wouldn't cost me a dime You'll know it's me when I come through your town I'm gonna ride around in style I'm gonna drive everybody wild 'Cause I'll have the only one there is around.
Darrell Scott: "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" But the times got hard and tobacco wasn’t selling And ole granddad knew what he’d do to survive He went and dug for Harlan coal and sent the money back to granny But he never left Harlan alive
"Bad Worker" by the Replacements, Paul W. as janitor: "I'll give you minimum effort for a minimum wage"
Dave Alvin: "Gary Indiana 1959" I'm old, weak and grey and I'm running out of time Yeah, but you should have seen me, brother, when I was young and in my prime Back in Gary, Indiana in 1959 I was a steel working man with 2 kids and loving wife And the Union was strong, smokestacks burning day and night Back in Gary, Indiana in 1959
I think Bruce Springsteen should be crowned king of this thread. Half of his songs reference blue collar/factory workers.
Rod Picott: "Sheetrock Hanger" Drink the gas station coffee And the Gas station creamer Light the propane heater Knock the mud off the beater There's a burr in your finger And a scratch in your throat Weather cracks on your hands It's just the second coat Carpetbaggers they came down No work back in the Yankee towns They talk fast and they're too loud On their cigarette break Well, the screws gun's whining And the radio's playing Classic rock or a talk show It only gets 2 stations I coulda gone to school, but I went to work To get some drinking money, like all the other jerks I'm pretty sure about this, when I'm gone and dead, If I don't get wings, I'll be hanging sheetrock, instead.
Also Richard Thompson's Walking Through A Wasted Land: "Now that the steel's shut down It's fear that puts the sweat on a man's face"
Todd Snider: "Looking For A Job" you can't talk to me like that boss I don't care who you are if you don't want to have to hang your own dry wall don't push me too far boomtown work ain't hard to come by boomtown workers are you might be the one running the show but that don't mean you're in charge I was looking for a job when I found this one don't need the work like you need the work done you look like you're under pressure I was looking for a job when I met you
