Working Man Songs
Songs About the Working Man
For decades, country music has given voice to the working men and women who have kept the wheels turning in the farms, mines, factories, job sites, roads, stores, schools, homes, hospitals and offices of America. The folk music of the Scottish and Irish immigrants of Appalachia, the blues and hollers from African American slaves in the South, the Spanish influence on the southwest border and the Acadian, Cajun and Caribbean music of Louisiana have all blended to create an irresistible gumbo of tune, rhythm and verse. Here are some of the songs that continue to resonate deeply with the American worker.
1924) “Casey Jones:” The Skillet Lickers. One of the very first Appalachian string bands to put music to record, The Skillet Lickers registered the first of many versions of this folk ballad about the engineer who never ran behind schedule. A true story, Casey Jones’s obsession with speed eventually caught up with him when he lost control and collided with another freight train on a foggy night on April 30, 1900 inVaughan,Mississippi. The tune was reprised and rearranged as "Freight Train Boogie" by the Delmore Brothers in 1946.
1930) “Muleskinner Blues:” Jimmy Rodgers. In terms of sheer influence; Jimmy Rodgers belongs on theMt.Rushmoreof early country singers. Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Gene Autry and Ernest Tubb all point to Jimmy Rodgers as a major inspiration.
1930) “Buddy Won’t You Roll Down the Line: Uncle Dave Macon was considered by some observers to be one of the very few country artists with the talent, stage presence and longevity to have bridged the gap between the unrecorded folk music of the 19th century and the birth of commercial country music.Maconwas one of the first performers to be broadcast on live radio on WSM from the Grand ‘Ole Opry in 1925. Uncle Dave performed regularly until shortly before his death in 1952.
1947) “Dark as a Dungeon:” Merle Travis is the father of the Travis finger picking style, which later influenced Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore and others. As such, it can be argued that Merle had as much to do with the birth of rock ‘n roll as any other single figure. Travis’s father was a coal miner inMuhlenberg County,Ky.and many of his songs like “Dark as a Dungeon” and “Sixteen Tons” have long been considered classics.
1955) “Get Rhythm:” Johnny Cash. This is an up tempo song about a shoe shine boy who never gets low down and an uplifting tale about making the best out of any circumstance, however humble. This tune is not your typical Johnny Cash ballad and as a result, showcases an obscure side of the highly talented Man in Black.
1968) “Witchita Lineman:” This is Glen Campbell’s version of the Jimmy Webb classic. While driving on a deserted highway in northernOklahoma, Webb spotted a solitary lineman working high on a transmission cable and the idea for the lyric was born. 1969) “Work’in Man Blues: One of Haggard’s signature songs, this tune remains a live standard in country bars and honk-tonks and is widely regarded as the anthem of the American blue collar worker.
Country music has a long history of honoring the dignity of work and the labor of Americans from all walks of life. These songs narrator’s describes the ups and downs of life as a working man. These songs are as reliable and enduring as the workers they honor.
Written by: Richard Bell, Country Music Historian: Nashville,Tennessee, USA. Oct., 2009.
