We all desperately need the right music to help us get through the work week. The mundanity of our everyday jobs can feel especially soul crushing. This doesn't even account for the much more physically and mentally demanding gigs. Oftentimes, it feels like we're wasting away the one life we have because we have to pay the bills. Lord knows we weren't supposed to live this way. Alas, we make the best of our hands and we try to maintain our sanity accordingly. This is where a great country song can come into play.
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The genre is known for records about the working class. All the aspirations for glitz and glamour would occasionally take a step back. Instead, they would highlight people who are merely trying to get by despite all the trials and tribulations. Country is always about an honest day's work. Consequently, we came up with four songs that best reflect the grind of our everyday lives.
Four Fantastic Country Records About Working a Regular Job
Dolly Parton- "9 to 5"
Arguably the quintessential working woman's song. There's a firm that Loretta Lynn's country classic "Coal Miner's Daughter" holds the title. However, I reckon this is one of the few times where broadening the scope actually works in Dolly's favor. Everyone on earth has a 9 to 5; it could be back breaking construction to your soulless office jobs. It can feel like we're barely even people anymore, just cogs in the machine, husks for rich people to make more dough. But we're all desperately trying to survive despite the mental strife.
That's where Dolly's "9 to 5" kicks in. She's always been one of the hardest working people in country music, let alone just women. Consequently, her empathy feels genuine; when she croons about the man being out to get her, it feels sincere. Songs like these will always be eternal because we'll always have those higher up capable of exploiting us.
Merle Haggard- "Workin' Man Blues"
Oftentimes, you have to remind yourself that everyone is working their job for different reasons. Of course, we all have to survive. But sometimes, there are those with more mouths to feed than just their own. That's why "Workin' Man Blues" is such a powerful country song. Merle Haggard starts off the record relaying how the narrator has nine kids and a wife. It's much bigger than just himself.
That's why he's keeping his head down and keeping his hands useful. Hopefully, by the end of the week, he'll be able to wipe the sweat off of his brow and crack open a cold beer. He knows by Monday morning he's back at it all over again. Those days off can never last long enough.
Alan Jackson- "It's Five O' Clock Somewhere"
Sometimes, we don't need a country song that merely laments our everyday jobs. We all know work can suck. Moreover, we're all desperately trying to ignore the fact that we're spending over half of our lives working for someone else. It's torturous to remind ourselves of it. Consequently, to avoid being calloused cynics, we need a record that can provide a little bit of catharsis at the end of a long shift. That's where Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett come in.
The two legends unite on a country jam to once again shrug at how rough work can be. However, instead of stew in the misery, Jackson decides that it's much wiser to go ahead and get an early start to his drinking. He'll take his lunch break and head to Margaritaville with Jimmy Buffett and quip that it's "five o'clock somewhere." As the song goes on, Alan bypasses the idea of a "break" entirely and just decides to get plastered anyway. It's the summertime, this is what he's meant to be doing instead. It's a good bit of country catharsis, that a good drink can help us unwind from all of our frustrations.
Loretta Lynn- "Coal Miner's Daughter"
The best country songs long for the end of their workdays and hate their bosses. However, there are those that remain grounded and grateful in spite of it all. That's what makes "Coal Miner's Daughter" so poignant; Loretta Lynn looks back on her childhood with fondness. Poor or rich, sun or snow, the struggle never defined them. Even in back breaking moments in the coal mine, her old man always came back and helped feed the family. It's an optimistic worldview and a reminder of what we get up every morning for.
