Top 20 Songs About Work and Labor

For Labor Day, or any work day, these songs are about the working man. 

It's time for a Labor Day picnic with a mix-CD or mp3 play list with songs about work. Here are the top 20 songs for Labor Day, or a working man's song list about work, the working man, and the weekly grind. Why exactly to we celebrate labor? I guess we celebrate for the pay check.

1 – Working Man by Rush from their debut LP. Definitely the coolest song about work.

I get up at seven, yeah, And I go to work at nine

I got no time for livin' ...Yes, I'm workin' all the time

...They call me the working man

2 – Taxman by the Beatles from the Revolver album. You work, you pay taxes. Unless you're a rich Wall Street guy... then you just work a little, pay no taxes, and get a bailout for your casino losses.

3 – Working John, Working Joe, a great electro-acoustic rock tune by Jethro Tull from the “A” album (1980) And for my pay I worked, an honest day, And took what pittance I could win ….And mortgaged to the hilt I threw... The breeze of caution's behind me.

4 – Takin' Care of Business by BTO, Bachman Turner Overdrive

5 – Salt of the Earth, an early tune by the Rolling Stones

6 – Found a Job by the Talking Heads

7 – I Don't Like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats (Bob Geldof)

8 – Thank God it's Friday! TGIF by Love & Kisses from the 1978 disco craze movie featuring Donna Summer.

9 – She Works Hard for the Money by Donna Summer

10 – Keep Pushin' by REO Speedwagon. Keep pushin' on and working, and pushin' whatever your boss wants you to push. Push a broom, or push those overpriced clothes onto those customers at $99.99. And when you've had enough work, play “Time for Me to Fly” from the infamous “You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tune a Fish” CD.

11 – Working on the Highway by Bruce Springsteen from the Born in the USA album.

12 – Working on the Road by Ten Years After

13 – Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders with Chrissie Hynde (1982)

14 – Maggie's Farm by a young Bobby Dylan

15 – “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton

15 – Working for a Living by Huey Lewis

16 – Working in the Coal Mine by Devo from the animated Heavy Metal movie soundtrack.

17 – Money by Pink Floyd

18 – Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) by Styx from the Pieces of Eight album.

19 – Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) by the Pet Shop Boys

20 – Working for the Weekend by Loverboy

Enjoy your long Labor Day weekend. Plenty of days ahead for more work, so take these work songs with you.