I am quite certain every DJ worth Harry Truman’s tub of warm spit will be spinning work songs this weekend. WMKY gave me two hours this month, and though I rarely pretend to market my monthly show, this one was particularly fun. And so a list of work songs for the weekend. Leaving out a bunch I hadn’t time for or lacked the wit to include in the first place.
WOODY GUTHRIE, “Talking Hard Work’
TIM CARROLL, “Why Do I Need a Job?’
THE ROCHES, “Please Mr. Selleck”
JAMES TALLEY, “Workin’ for Wages”
KEVIN GORDON, “Blue Collar Dollar”
BILLY JOE SHAVER, “Manual Labor”
ROY ORBISON, “Working for the Man”
JIMMY REED, “Big Boss Man”
TIM O’BRIEN, “Walking Boss”
KIERAN KANE, KEVIN WELCH & FATS KAPLIN, “Everybody’s Working for the Man Again”
PETER ROWAN, “Will Work for Food”
THE WASHINGTON SQUARES, “D Train”
ATOMIC DUO, “John Deere Tractor”
STEVE YOUNG, “Worker’s Song (Handful of Earth)”
PHIL OCHS, “Automation Song”
RANDY NEWMAN, “Mr. President, Have Pity on the Working Man”
MICKEY NEWBURY, “Working Man”
ERIC HANKE, “Factory Man”
ED LEWIS, “John Henry”
RICHARD THOMPSON, “Stuck On the Treadmill”
THE STAIRWELL SISTERS, “Shuffle and Shine”
OTIS GIBBS, “Outdated, Frustrated and Blue”
THE KENNETH BRIAN BAND, “Something Better”
DAVE MOORE, “The Working Life”
JAMES MCMURTRY, “We Can’t Make It Here”
MERLE HAGGARD, “Workin’ Man Blues”
CARL PERKINS, “Give Me Back My Job”‘
DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER, “Poor Boy Working Blues”
THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, “Get Downtown”
HOYT AXTON, “Boney Fingers”
