Version 2, with suggestions added:
1. Elvis Costello – Welcome to the Working Week
2. John Cougar Mellencamp – Rain on the Scarecrow
3. Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band – Harlan Man
4. Bruce Springsteen – Working on the Highway
5. They Might Be Giants – Minimum Wage
6. Tennessee Ernie Ford – Sixteen Tons
7. Tom Waits – I Can’t Wait To Get Off Work
8. The Creation – Painterman
9. Johnny Cash – One Piece at a Time
10. Loretta Lynn – Coal Miner’s Daughter
11. Palace Music – Work Hard, Play Hard
12. Uncle Tupelo – Graveyard Shift
13. King Missle – Take Stuff from Work
14. Police – Dead End Job
Clicky on the more to see the commentation…
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I found Springsteen’s “Working on the Highway” track from Born in the USA — while I have a certain, special, special place in my heart for “Glory Days”, “Working on the Highway” is more on-target for this comp.
Hmm… I’m currently reviewing “Allentown” by Billy Joel. Undecided at the moment. (update: negative.) In regards to Kevin’s suggestions of Loverboy and Johnny Paycheck…. well, I’m trying my damnedest to stay away from the album-oriented FM five-oh-clock standards. Gary — Living on a Prayer? Wow. I know you listen to that as you take the train into the salt mines over there in Japan, but it ain’t gonna make it on this comp.
Now. About FLASHDANCE. No, nevermind.
Jackson’s choice of “Welcome to the Working Week” by Elvis Costello has supplanted to top spot on this comp, because it’s perfect in its rockitude. I’ve also moved “Graveyard Shift” to the end of the list, as it appropriately caps the whole thing.
RE: The Ani DiFranco issue. I enjoy Ani DiFranco, I really do. Between Kelly and I, I think we own a handful of CDs. However, Ani DiFranco is a bit of a compilation-killer. I’m trying to maintain the chugga-chugga of the workingman’s day here.
I’m listening to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5″ at the moment. It’s a great pop song, but referring back to my five-oh-clock frenzy rule earlier, it will be sadly absent.
I also checked out Van Morrison’s “I’ve Been Working”, but it just doesn’t jive with me. Sorry. Also, he mentions making love to someone. Yeesh. Pee-cha-whoo-won-kee Chew-baa-kaa.
Ah, yes. Oingo Boingo’s “Wild Sex (in the working class)”. I am suffering this one at the very moment. It certainly has the driving beat I’m looking for, but no. Certainly not. Waaaatching the gears move! (it does rock a little bit there)
I haven’t been able to find Orbison’s “Working for the Man”, or Haggard’s “Workingman Blues”, but I’m trying.
Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was considered for this comp, but frankly, it would only be depressing and long.
Nugent’s “Workin’ Hard, Playin’ Hard” is about to be previewed, as is Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Workin’ for MCA”. I’ve heard the latter, but I’m going to give it a second chance. I am at the moment listening to John Prine’s “Paradise”, but it’s not quite work-themed enough. Oooh! Skynyrd just came on… “Workin’ for MCA” is good. Hmm… it is up for contention. Okay, The Nuge is out.
Just listened to King Missile’s “Take Stuff from Work”. I think it works well… perhaps as some sort of “hidden track”. Tom Wait’s “I Can’t Wait to Get off Work (to See My Baby on Montgomery Avenue)” is fantastic. It’s going on.
Red Hot Chili Pepper’s cover of Bowie’s “Working Class Hero”? Negative.
Devo’s “Workin’ In A Coal Mine”? Eh, no. Ike & Tina’s “Proud Mary”? Hmm… Man, if there was a version that was just the “rough” second half — it’d be on here.
Hah. Okay. The theme to Laverne & Shirley! Yah! No, not really. More later.
Just added The Police’s “Dead End Job”. Also, considering Kevin Spacey’s speech from American Beauty (where he quits).
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You ought to throw “EMI” by the Pistols in there just for the hell of it. And I’m telling you, go with Creedence’s version of “Proud Mary” because it has the rock. And screw Kevin Spacey’s speech, throw in Edward Norton’s dialogue from Fight Club, right after he beats the shit out of himself in front of his boss. And you are a wise man to keep Ani Difranco on her own CDs where no one else can be harmed.
come on now, how could you have a workinman’s cd and not have Loverboys “working for the weekend” on there? But oh wait – thoughts of that song beckon back to images of Chris Farell as a chipindale dancer.
I choose this to view this as a clever joke. It helps me to sleep at night.
…my earlier comment on album-oriented five-o-clock rock. nothing against loverboy — they had their day — but i think my comps need to espouse the rarely heard. you throw that song, or say, “9 to 5″ on there, and it’s like a turd in a punchbowl. (not to equate loverboy or dolly parton with a turd, or my compilation as a punchbowl, but the point is that it’s just too striking). my intentions are for the listeners to say “oh wow! who is this?” not “oh shit, it’s that damned Loverboy song… AGAIN”, and then flip off the CD and the FM station turns on playing Huey Lewis and the News’ “Workin’ for the Weekend”.