Top songs with work or working in the title
Unless one is fortunate enough to inherit wealth, one must learn to hustle in order to survive. It’s not hard to find a song that relates to your 9 to 5, and we’re all familiar with the concept of clocking in and out.
Perhaps you’re compiling a list of work songs to help you get through the week until the weekend and have stumbled upon this page in your search for songs with work or working in the title.
Of course, not all songs about work are created equal when it comes to inspiration. As one might guess, some work songs serve as a therapeutic outlet for the angst felt during the day.
We’ve rounded up the usual assortment of songs, including those about working hard at something you love and those about jobs that aren’t worth the paycheck by workers who would love to stick it to the man.
14 Songs with work or working in the title
1. Kenny Chesney and George Strait’s “Shift Work”
Shift work is almost certainly going to be the first song that comes to anyone’s mind when they are asked to mention songs with work or working in the title.
This country song by Kenny Chesney is about the challenges of working 11-7, 7-3, and 3-11. He glorifies manual labor, which he describes as soul-crushingly difficult and rewarding only monetarily.
Scientific research supports his claims to an extent. employees whose shifts include the nighttime hours when most people are sleeping (SWSD). The following symptoms may be experienced by them:
Sleepiness during the day, sluggishness and foggy thinking at night, irritability, poor quality of sleep, and an increased risk of accidents are all negative outcomes of not getting enough sleep.
2. Fifth Harmony
“Work From Home”
The only real work these two do in this 2016 pop hit is engage in sexually and seduce one another. You’d think someone has a real job with all the talk of time cards, the boss, leaving early, and being let go.
They can only rely on their lustful fantasies. The two of you! Just lock yourself in a room, do the work, and then get out there and do some real work.
3. Brooks & Dunn’s “Hard Workin’ Man”
The protagonist of this country song from 1993 gets by on his own two hands. But he just can’t seem to get ahead of the game, no matter how much overtime he puts in.
He works hard during the week, so on Friday he goes out with his coworkers and spends all his money on wild parties and weekend babes. Perhaps that’s the cause of his financial difficulties. This is merely a suggestion.
4. Nowhere to Go (Workin’ Man) by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Few things are more depressing than a hardworking man who has nowhere to go because there are no jobs available. This country song from 1988 laments the consequences of high unemployment, such as home foreclosures, a drop in the stock market, strained family relationships, and an abundance of free time.
5. Gretchen Wilson’s “Work Hard, Play Harder”
The protagonist of this country song from 2010 doesn’t have time for nail polish and fake tan because she’s too busy making ends meet. She works two jobs—as a waitress and bartender—during the week to make ends meet.
On the other hand, the blue-collar girl with the calloused hands and redneck attitude is ready to honkytonk it up on Friday nights. The last one to leave work is the one who brags, “I’m the first to clock in.”
6. “Welcome to the Working Week
Elvis Costello
There’s a reason the title includes the word “welcome”: The album’s opener, “My Aim Is True,” introduces listeners to Elvis Costello’s “jagged but direct” style of songwriting and his debut album, released in 1977. But the song’s topic(s) are unclear to him.
The song begins with a reference to masturbation in the line “Now that your picture’s in the paper being rhythmically admired,” but the mood quickly shifts to one of general workplace dissatisfaction.
Regardless, the lyrical weariness of “Welcome to the Working Week” undermines its melodic punk base, despite the song’s brief length (less than a minute and a half).
7. Working in the Coal Mine by Devo (1981 single)
The original version of this song was a Top 10 hit, but many other artists have since recorded their own takes on the song. In 1981, Devo gave the song their signature eccentric spin by adding synths, reimagining the bass line, increasing the tempo, and generally making the track sound like Devo.
Devo gave the song a more upbeat feel, but the lyrics still lamented a life of hard work. Initially released as a bonus single to 1981’s New Traditionalists, the group’s cover later appeared on the Heavy Metal soundtrack. Irwin, Corey.
8. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Workin’ for MCA” (from 1974’s Second Helping)
With the final song on Side One of their sophomore album from 1974, Lynryd Skynyrd cast a cynical eye on the business side of the music business.
Mr. Yankee Slicker offers the band a record deal after they have played in “every joint you can name” for years. Ronnie Van Zant complains, “Suckers took my money since I was 17,” before warning his new superiors to be wary of his vigilance.
I’ll be singing my contract in full, and I want you all to know that I intend to track every cent of my earnings.
9. “Workin’ for a Livin,'” by Huey Lewis and the News
During his time spent “Working for a Livin’,” Huey Lewis composed the song’s title and its accompanying lyrics. “I had the idea for the song way back when I was delivering yogurt,” the singer recalled to UCR.
As I was putting together my band, I ran a Natural Foods Express Company on the side. I was the one who brought [the yogurt] to the Natural Foods stores. That’s how I pictured it, at least. I was behind the wheel when the thought crossed my mind: “Workin’ for a Livin.”
The entire piece was written in one sitting by me. The single version of the track from 1982’s Picture This album peaked at No. 41.
10. “Working on the Highway,”
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen’s “Working on the Highway” has the same skeleton as the outtake “Child Bride,” recorded in 1982 during the Nebraska sessions. According to Brian Hiatt’s biography of Springsteen’s songwriting, the majority of the lyrics were also carried over.
The New Jersey legend, however, used the framework of his earlier composition—originally acoustic and melancholy in tone—to create a rockabilly rave-up that will have you tapping your foot and looking for the nearest weekend. Later acoustic performances by Springsteen proved that the song’s fervor had not been dampened in the least.
11. Working Man, by Rush
The band’s success outside of Canada can be directly attributed to Rush’s homage to the tenacity of the working class. The music director at WMMS in Cleveland, Donna Halper, knew this speaker-rattling rocker would connect with the city’s blue-collar listeners when she first heard it.
In the 2010 documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage about the rock band Rush, she reflected on how the city had changed since her childhood. All the people in the audience could relate to the sentiments expressed in the song “Working Man.”
Geddy Lee, the band’s singer and bassist, was barely out of his teens when they released their debut album, but he sang every word with the experience of a veteran of the factory, whose only reward for a job well done is the buzz from a “ice cold beer.”
12. Loverboy, “Working for the Weekend” (from Get Lucky, 1981).
The typical workweek feels like a never-ending, soul-crushing grind. The majority of us spend Monday through Friday longing for the weekend, an emotion beautifully captured by Loverboy in their 1981 hit.
The song’s loud guitars, abundance of ’80s synths, and instantly catchy chorus were written after guitarist Paul Dean saw that office workers missed a beautiful midweek day.
The formula worked, as “Working for the Weekend” became one of Loverboy’s most popular songs, peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
13. Working Class Hero
John Lennon
The iconic song by John Lennon from 1970 is a scathing indictment of the established order of wealth and poverty. I think it’s a revolutionary song — it’s really revolutionary,” the former Beatle told Rolling Stone.
People like me, from the working class, are supposed to be moved up the social ladder and integrated into the system. This is just what happened to me, and I’m hoping it serves as a cautionary tale for others.
14. Working (This F*ing) Job” -By Truckers
The protagonist of this rock from 2010 is stuck asking, “Do you want fries with that?” after his first career choice, which was to follow in his father’s footsteps, ended in unemployment. Now he has to try to provide for his family on the bare minimum. He’s barely holding on by a thread.
