Songs about emotional labor?

April 6, 2024 5:16 AM

What are some songs about emotional labor?

I recently discovered the song "Labour" by Paris Paloma. What are some other songs about emotional labor? Any genre is welcome!

(There is a previous thread on this topic, but it's from 2015.)

posted by cozenedindigo to Media & Arts (27 answers total)

Phoebe Bridgers' Motion Sickness?
posted by dobbs at 6:07 AM on April 6 [3 favorites]

Gonna Be An Engineer by Peggy Seeger
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:20 AM on April 6 [7 favorites]

A few minutes ago I heard Grandma’s Hands by Bill Withers on my Spotify mix, which is somewhat relevant.
posted by rd45 at 6:31 AM on April 6 [2 favorites]

He Thinks He'll Keep Her by Mary Chapin Carpenter
posted by ojocaliente at 6:41 AM on April 6 [14 favorites]

Come on Home by the Indigo Girls
posted by mekily at 6:43 AM on April 6

Man Overboard by Do Re Mi
posted by flabdablet at 6:53 AM on April 6

Be Yr Mama by Sleater Kinney
posted by scantee at 6:55 AM on April 6

Tolerate It by Taylor Swift
posted by bcwinters at 8:18 AM on April 6 [3 favorites]

Did Beethoven Do the Dishes - Ginny Reilly
posted by itsatextfile at 8:41 AM on April 6

It's not as obvious from the lyrics, it's more a vibe - Can't Rely On You from Paloma Faith. Even if it doesn't quite fit, it still slaps.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:48 AM on April 6

Lucinda Williams' Drunken Angel, kinda.
posted by splitpeasoup at 9:45 AM on April 6

Maybe After You Say Sorry by Rachel Lark?
posted by miratime at 11:12 AM on April 6

Flo Not My Job
Wet Leg Ur mum
posted by stinker at 11:34 AM on April 6

Ain't Your Mama by JLo
posted by VyanSelei at 12:02 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]

Alanis Morissette - Not the Doctor
posted by bluloo at 12:35 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]

'This Woman's Work' - Kate Bush
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:05 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]

Angel from Montgomery by John Prine
posted by jeszac at 1:24 PM on April 6 [3 favorites]

And the classic one that taught me about emotional labor as a young child: There’s a hole in the bucket
posted by Knowyournuts at 3:47 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]

After You Say Sorry - Rachel Lark
posted by Dynex at 4:23 PM on April 6

Inmates, Goodlife
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 10:57 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]

Saturday Night Live: "And I got a robe."
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:40 AM on April 7

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Paula Cole
posted by j810c at 7:31 AM on April 7 [2 favorites]

Labour by Paris Paloma
For someone who I thought was my savior, you sure make me do a whole lot of labour.

Or i could just....read the whole post. my bad!
posted by zara at 7:41 AM on April 7 [1 favorite]

We Don't Need The Men by Malvina Reynolds
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:48 PM on April 9

I was too late for Angel From Montgomery...So here's the saddest sample from a guy who's good at them. Dinnu Lippati's bones.
posted by es_de_bah at 9:50 PM on April 11

I was fighting that edit clock after realizing Angel Montgomery was on there. Should have said Crucify.
posted by es_de_bah at 10:11 PM on April 11

I'm actually going to dissent against "Angel From Montgomery". There are those two lines towards the end that might be seen as an emotional labor thing ("How the hell can a person go to work in the morning/then come home in the evening and have nothing to say"), but the rest of the song is more about middle-aged "I had such high hopes for my life but things didn't happen that way" general malaise.

However - what about Respect? That doesn't just point out emotional labor, it demands to be paid for it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:07 AM on April 13 [1 favorite]