AJOBO: 5 Labor Day Songs That “Work”
I can’t believe August is over! I hate the heat, but I can’t say that this August, particularly, treated me poorly. My birthday was the best one in recent memory, and the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago was a blast. Not to mention that REBEAT hit a few significant milestones over the past couple of weeks, thanks to you visitors! (On a side note, head over to our Facebook page and “like” it — we’ll be doing a cool giveaway there soon!)
Nevertheless, September — and fall — is upon us. Especially in New York, fall is a welcomed respite from muggy, gross, heavy heat. Even so, Labor Day is a little bittersweet. Saying goodbye to the beach, flip-flop season, and the universal feeling of freedom that somehow carries over from childhood to adulthood. Sigh.
Yes, Labor Day is a time to mentally prepare oneself for whatever backbreaking errand will occur every morning between now and Memorial Day. But, thinking about work doesn’t have to be a total drag. Here are five songs and artists that commiserate with the working-(wo)man’s plight. (And make sure you scroll to the bottom for what’s coming up this week on REBEAT!)
1) “Sixteen Tons,” Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955)
“You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?” Jack shit, according to Ernie Ford.
2) “Get a Job,” The Silhouettes (1957)
A song that’s as much (if not moreso) about procrastination as working. But, in its own way, isn’t procrastination the hardest kind of work?
3) “Chain Gang,” Sam Cooke (1960)
The Silhouettes wouldn’t have lasted a day hanging out with Sam Cooke’s rough-riding chain gang. Though, since this song’s written from the perspective an observer, the Silhouettes may have enjoyed watching someone else do all the work.
4) “Working in the Coal Mine,” Lee Dorsey (1966)
In an effort to make coal mining sound much less dangerous and strenuous than it actually is, Lee Dorsey released this fun little ditty that camouflaged the very-real risk of perilously falling into the mine as an “oops — about to slip down.”
5) “Friday on My Mind,” The Easybeats (1966)
Because, honestly, don’t we all have Friday on our minds all week?
Did I miss your favorite work-related song? Let me know in the comments!
This Week on REBEAT!
– We continue our preview of the 50th anniversary British Invasion tour (kicking off September 9 in Ridgefield, Connecticut) with an interview with another Liverpool heartthrob who joined other artists like Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, and some obscure band called the Beatles in Brian Epstein’s stable — Billy J. Kramer! While you’re waiting for our chat with Billy, why not catch up with Mike Pender and Jeremy Clyde?
– In the 1950s, some artists hadn’t yet learned to cleverly disguise their carnal desires in friendly, hand-holding songs (“Lightning Strikes,” anyone?). One of our newest contributors, Rick Simmons, takes us through some of the most risque, shocking — and banned — songs of the decade.
– Sunday, September 7, would have been Buddy Holly’s 78th birthday. We’ll celebrate his life with a look back at the candid, intimate “apartment tapes” he left behind. Plus, the fourth installment of “The Unhooked Generation,” our thoughts on Debra Tate’s new memoir of her sister, Sharon, JUKEBOX, RAVER, and more!
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