Labor Day is coming up this weekend. A holiday celebrating hard-working
individuals and their effort and impact in creating the “American dream,” many
take it as that one final blast of summer before school and work become reality
once more.
Like so many other relatable topics, there has been many a
song dedicated to celebrating (or scorning) the working world. Hard work is a trope
used in classically Americana-type songs, especially when it comes to country
music and rock. The pains and pleasures of working hard are also a popular
topic, from getting paid to getting off work.
In celebration of Labor Day, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s
music outlet, is taking a look at songs about work. Whether about respecting
the nine to five or being glad that it’s over, here are six tracks to
soundtrack your end-of-summer barbecues.
1.
Dolly
Parton, “9 To 5”: “9 To 5,” one of country legend Dolly Parton’s first big
hits, is an ode to working women everywhere. Written for the film of the same
name and titled for a working women’s organization, the song details the day in
and day out of work life for women. From the get up and go and humdrumness of
the workday to the struggles of inequality in the workplace, there is a lot of
reality summed up in those nearly three minutes that it’s “enough to drive you
crazy.” (video)
2.
Donna
Summer, “She Works Hard for the Money”: Labor Day is all about respecting
workers, whether they are in an office, building things or serving you coffee
at a local watering hole. “She Works Hard for the Money” is an ode to the
latter, painting a picture of a hard working waitress serving clients and
trying to make ends meet. Often these pink-collar workers get overlooked and
mistreated by customers, so they deserve to be “treated right.” (video)
3.
The
Bangles, “Manic Monday”: Monday can be a drag coming off a fun and/or relaxing
weekend. Sometimes it can be a struggle just to get to work on time. “Manic
Monday” puts the pains of starting the work week into an upbeat, dreamy, danceable
package that one can relate to. (video)
4.
*NSYNC,
“Just Got Paid”: Who doesn’t like the feeling of just getting paid and having a
little disposable income in your pocket? “Just Got Paid,” originally by Johnny Kemp, got a facelift
from *NSYNC back in 2000 with even more pomp and flare for an even bigger
celebration. Celebrate this Labor Day and be happy that you just got paid. (video)
5.
The Vogues, “Five O’Clock World”: Best known as
one of the theme songs to the cubical-set sitcom ‘The Drew Carey Show,’ “Five O’Clock
World” is an early Rock ‘N’ Roll tune extolling the hour most people get off
work. The song mirrors the work day cycle: sluggish in the beginning as you get
up for your job and hustle to work, then explodes at the chorus when work is
over and the world seems brighter. (video)
6.
The Offspring, “Why Don’t You Get A Job?”: It
sucks to have someone leaching off of you and your hard earned money. The
Offspring’s 1998 hit “Why Don’t You Get A Job?” is an anthem for anyone who’s
significant other won’t work, telling them that things must change and to go
get a job. (video)
Whether singing about respecting the working class, getting
a job, getting paid or the joys of leaving work, work has been a popular topic in
music for decades. This Labor Day weekend, celebrate the fruits of your labor by
adding some of the work-themed songs above to your holiday playlist. Then, let
us know some of your favorite work-themed tracks in the comments below.
---
Find the music that drives your work at Vinyl Bay 777. As
Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles in a
variety of genres to choose from. Browse our wide selection of new and used
vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our
Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added
to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay
777.
No comments:
Post a Comment