Looking for songs that critique the "rat race" or the "9-5" workday.
December 1, 2024 4:45 PM Subscribe
Some specific examples are in the more inside section, but in general, I'm looking for songs that comment on the work culture of the "American Dream", particularly the classic 1950s/60s establishment, but any decade will do. (we're talking critique of the Don Draper archetype, "keeping up with the joneses", etc.)
There's a lot of leeway here: themes can also be about conformity, emptiness of suburban life, or the tedium of working a job.
Examples of lyrics:
Examples of lyrics:
- THE 8:17 NORTHBOUND SUCCESS MERRY-GO-ROUND by Margo Guryan
- Magnificent Seven by The Clash
- Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
In Tall Buildings by John Hartford (I love Gillian Welch's cover).
And Little Boxes, of course.
posted by mskyle at 5:01 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
And Little Boxes, of course.
posted by mskyle at 5:01 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
The Kinks have a whole concept album, Soap Opera, with many relevant songs.
Also “Synchronicity II” by The Police (close reading in this Ask)
posted by staggernation at 5:09 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Also “Synchronicity II” by The Police (close reading in this Ask)
posted by staggernation at 5:09 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Aesop Rock 9-5ers anthem
posted by bookworm4125 at 5:10 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by bookworm4125 at 5:10 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Sung by Pete Seeger, written by Malvina Reynolds, both major forces in their own rights.
posted by Citizen Cane Juice at 5:12 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by Citizen Cane Juice at 5:12 PM on December 1, 2024
more 80s/90's I think than 60s but Quality Time, Dave Frischberg
posted by snowymorninblues at 5:14 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by snowymorninblues at 5:14 PM on December 1, 2024
D Train by the Washington Squares
5 O'Clock World by the Vogues
posted by libraryhead at 5:19 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
5 O'Clock World by the Vogues
posted by libraryhead at 5:19 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Outlaw Country and Classic Rock
One Piece at a Time- Johnny Cash
Oney- Johnny Cash
Take This Job and Shove It- Johnny Paycheck
Sixteen Tons- Tennessee Ernie Ford
Summertime Blues- Eddie Cochran
Working Man- Rush
The Big Payback- Bruce Springsteen
posted by EKStickland at 5:24 PM on December 1, 2024 [3 favorites]
One Piece at a Time- Johnny Cash
Oney- Johnny Cash
Take This Job and Shove It- Johnny Paycheck
Sixteen Tons- Tennessee Ernie Ford
Summertime Blues- Eddie Cochran
Working Man- Rush
The Big Payback- Bruce Springsteen
posted by EKStickland at 5:24 PM on December 1, 2024 [3 favorites]
XTC's Respectable Street gets at the emptiness of suburban life from a English perspective.
posted by mollweide at 5:26 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by mollweide at 5:26 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
UK Subs - Rat Race, although I am partial to the Fastbacks' cover of it.
posted by pdb at 5:28 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by pdb at 5:28 PM on December 1, 2024
Pink Floyd's 'Welcome to the Machine' is a bit more general than this, but I've always thought of the pressure to have a 'career' and confirm to expectations that modern society puts on us when I hear it.
posted by dg at 5:35 PM on December 1, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by dg at 5:35 PM on December 1, 2024 [4 favorites]
TMBG's Minimum Wage does not have a huge depth of commentary.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 5:42 PM on December 1, 2024 [8 favorites]
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 5:42 PM on December 1, 2024 [8 favorites]
about conformity, emptiness of suburban life...
He Thinks He'll Keep Her by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
posted by ojocaliente at 5:43 PM on December 1, 2024 [3 favorites]
He Thinks He'll Keep Her by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
posted by ojocaliente at 5:43 PM on December 1, 2024 [3 favorites]
emptiness of suburban life, or the tedium of working a job
Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees and Nobody Takes Me Seriously by Split Enz
posted by Rash at 5:50 PM on December 1, 2024 [3 favorites]
Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees and Nobody Takes Me Seriously by Split Enz
posted by Rash at 5:50 PM on December 1, 2024 [3 favorites]
Another tune with the same name, from The Bus Boys: Minimum Wage -- a tune from the bar band of Murphy and Nolte's 48 Hours.
posted by Citizen Cane Juice at 5:51 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by Citizen Cane Juice at 5:51 PM on December 1, 2024
The Beatles: (CW: self-harm) A Day In the Life
posted by Citizen Cane Juice at 5:59 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by Citizen Cane Juice at 5:59 PM on December 1, 2024
Well, some will sell their dreams for small desires
Or lose the race to rats
Get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere
To relax their restless flight
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 6:13 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Or lose the race to rats
Get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere
To relax their restless flight
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 6:13 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Green Day - The American Dream Is Killing Me
posted by past unusual at 6:15 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by past unusual at 6:15 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Billy Joel's No Man's Land
posted by XtineHutch at 6:24 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by XtineHutch at 6:24 PM on December 1, 2024
Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia
Jonathan Coulton - Shop Vac
Probably more toward the "living in the burbs" than "working for the man"
posted by neilbert at 6:28 PM on December 1, 2024
Jonathan Coulton - Shop Vac
Probably more toward the "living in the burbs" than "working for the man"
posted by neilbert at 6:28 PM on December 1, 2024
INXS - Doctor about choosing a normal career over being a singer.
Cotton Mather - Payday
Corb Lund - Washed Up Rockstar Factory Blues
James McMurtry - We Can't Make it Here Anymore
The Coral - Bill McCai
Charlie Robison - Desperate Times
Mark Knoffler - Corned Beef City
Schleprock - Suburbia
INXS - Wishy Washy
Their first album is kind of a concept album about the dream of growing up and the pitfalls of the modern world. This one is about the city vs the country vs the suburbs.
posted by The_Vegetables at 6:38 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Cotton Mather - Payday
Corb Lund - Washed Up Rockstar Factory Blues
James McMurtry - We Can't Make it Here Anymore
The Coral - Bill McCai
Charlie Robison - Desperate Times
Mark Knoffler - Corned Beef City
Schleprock - Suburbia
INXS - Wishy Washy
Their first album is kind of a concept album about the dream of growing up and the pitfalls of the modern world. This one is about the city vs the country vs the suburbs.
posted by The_Vegetables at 6:38 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens), But I Might Die Tonight.
("I don’t want to work away
Doing just what they all say
'Work hard boy and you’ll find
One day you’ll have a job like mine'
’Cause I know for sure
Nobody should be that poor
To say yes or sink low
Because you happen to say so....")
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:52 PM on December 1, 2024
("I don’t want to work away
Doing just what they all say
'Work hard boy and you’ll find
One day you’ll have a job like mine'
’Cause I know for sure
Nobody should be that poor
To say yes or sink low
Because you happen to say so....")
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:52 PM on December 1, 2024
A bit lower down the socio-economical line to what you asked for, but I hit the hive mind up for similar songs for service work and got a great list of suggestions, many of which fit your criteria more than mine.
posted by Jilder at 7:05 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Jilder at 7:05 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
Billy Joel's Allentown.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 7:25 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 7:25 PM on December 1, 2024
Lots of songs by pissed jeans are like this, singer is an insurance adjuster. Dream smotherer is a good example
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 7:28 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 7:28 PM on December 1, 2024
Another Day Another Dollar by Wynn Stewart
my favorite lines are the weekly/weakly play on words "The boss told me, I'd get paid weekly, and that's exactly how I'm paid"
posted by TimHare at 8:35 PM on December 1, 2024
my favorite lines are the weekly/weakly play on words "The boss told me, I'd get paid weekly, and that's exactly how I'm paid"
posted by TimHare at 8:35 PM on December 1, 2024
Career Opportunities - The Clash
posted by Archipelago at 8:40 PM on December 1, 2024
posted by Archipelago at 8:40 PM on December 1, 2024
Songs by XTC:
- Paper and Iron
- Day In, Day Out
- Making Plans for Nigel
- Earn Enough for Us
posted by RubyScarlet at 9:21 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
- Paper and Iron
- Day In, Day Out
- Making Plans for Nigel
- Earn Enough for Us
posted by RubyScarlet at 9:21 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
a must have: common people by pulp. the critique is indirect, but i think the scathing mockery of slumming inherently addresses the shite circumstances of the working poor.
posted by tamarack at 9:27 PM on December 1, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by tamarack at 9:27 PM on December 1, 2024 [4 favorites]
Dylan's Maggie's Farm might qualify.
I thought of The Good Life , sung by Tony Bennet and many others in the early 1960s. It's mostly a criticism of consuming and hedonism rather than of working, but it might fit here.
posted by JonJacky at 10:22 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
I thought of The Good Life , sung by Tony Bennet and many others in the early 1960s. It's mostly a criticism of consuming and hedonism rather than of working, but it might fit here.
posted by JonJacky at 10:22 PM on December 1, 2024 [1 favorite]
This is leftfield in terms of relating directly to your question but just in case anyone might appreciate it as much as I do, there’s a whole Stephen Schwartz musical called ‘Working’ based on the book by Studs Terkel. The book’s from 1974 and interviews workers in different fields.
posted by lokta at 4:15 AM on December 2, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by lokta at 4:15 AM on December 2, 2024 [2 favorites]
I think All This Time by Jonathan Coulton deals with this, obliquely. (Including the wonderful video).
There are definitely suitable songs by The National, but I can't think of any now. If I do I'll drop them in here.
posted by snarfois at 4:37 AM on December 2, 2024
There are definitely suitable songs by The National, but I can't think of any now. If I do I'll drop them in here.
posted by snarfois at 4:37 AM on December 2, 2024
Alan Price's soundtrack for O Lucky Man (1973) - both the album and the film have a very cynical view of "career" and "success".
posted by snarfois at 4:43 AM on December 2, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by snarfois at 4:43 AM on December 2, 2024 [2 favorites]
The Kinks - Shangri La
Ramones - It's Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)
posted by hydrophonic at 6:34 AM on December 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
Ramones - It's Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)
posted by hydrophonic at 6:34 AM on December 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
One more from the Kinks - "A Well-Respected Man"
posted by Rash at 7:51 AM on December 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 7:51 AM on December 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
there’s a whole Stephen Schwartz musical called ‘Working’ based on the book by Studs Terkel.
I actually was in a production of Working in high school - I don't think any of the songs would fit what the OP is looking for. The lyrics are here if anyone wants to check though.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:20 AM on December 2, 2024
I actually was in a production of Working in high school - I don't think any of the songs would fit what the OP is looking for. The lyrics are here if anyone wants to check though.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:20 AM on December 2, 2024
Model Worker by Magazine
Smithers-Jones by the Jam
posted by perhapses at 9:05 AM on December 2, 2024
Smithers-Jones by the Jam
posted by perhapses at 9:05 AM on December 2, 2024
The Minutemen’s “This Ain’t No Picnic”, Saccharine Trust’s “Mad at the Co.”, “At My Job” by the Dead Kennedys — and a million other punk songs.
posted by macdara at 11:46 AM on December 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by macdara at 11:46 AM on December 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
Working for the Rat Race, The Specials
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 3:05 PM on December 2, 2024
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 3:05 PM on December 2, 2024
Black Flag - "Clocked In"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCAT7TNVBZY
posted by john m at 3:27 PM on December 2, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCAT7TNVBZY
posted by john m at 3:27 PM on December 2, 2024
Somehow Harry’s House/Centerpiece by Joni Mitchell hasn’t come up yet, which is a shame, because it has exactly the same feel as Mad Men, to me, at least.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:47 PM on December 2, 2024
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:47 PM on December 2, 2024
You're definitely looking for an obscure tune called "A Good Job With Prospects" by an obscurer UK 60s group called "The Actress".
I used to be able to get google to play this on youtube, but no longer. Fortunately for me I cut an AUD CD with gems like this some 20+ years ago. It's just a matter of finding it.
What is still available is "Government Center" by a pre-kiddie-tune Modern Lovers/Jonathan Richman. Available here.
Finally there's a song I heard 30 years ago on Carleton University's unmatched radio station CKCU that was probably called "Working Are Ya?" or "Found Myself a Job". Probably by an Ontario band. I can't find anything else on it, and chatgpt just echoes back my query with flowery language to suggest it's been hard at work. That's what happens when generative AI scans works by lazy high schoolers.
This Springsteen chap put out a series of albums some 45-50 years ago on the pain of blue collar lidw that might have something for you. Although the songs on Nebraska suggest it's even worse when you can't even find your way into the 9-5 routine.
posted by morspin at 12:03 AM on December 3, 2024 [1 favorite]
I used to be able to get google to play this on youtube, but no longer. Fortunately for me I cut an AUD CD with gems like this some 20+ years ago. It's just a matter of finding it.
What is still available is "Government Center" by a pre-kiddie-tune Modern Lovers/Jonathan Richman. Available here.
Finally there's a song I heard 30 years ago on Carleton University's unmatched radio station CKCU that was probably called "Working Are Ya?" or "Found Myself a Job". Probably by an Ontario band. I can't find anything else on it, and chatgpt just echoes back my query with flowery language to suggest it's been hard at work. That's what happens when generative AI scans works by lazy high schoolers.
This Springsteen chap put out a series of albums some 45-50 years ago on the pain of blue collar lidw that might have something for you. Although the songs on Nebraska suggest it's even worse when you can't even find your way into the 9-5 routine.
posted by morspin at 12:03 AM on December 3, 2024 [1 favorite]
Step Right Up - Tom Waits
Poorboy Blues - Warsawpack - "Anthem for the Mcjob generation. Protest rock for fans of hippie jazz hip hop fusion that critiques Western consumerism and neo-colonialism."
posted by abhardcastle at 6:17 AM on December 3, 2024 [2 favorites]
Poorboy Blues - Warsawpack - "Anthem for the Mcjob generation. Protest rock for fans of hippie jazz hip hop fusion that critiques Western consumerism and neo-colonialism."
posted by abhardcastle at 6:17 AM on December 3, 2024 [2 favorites]
"Keeping up with the Joneses" — Little Feat
"Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" — Traffic
posted by fogovonslack at 5:40 AM on December 4, 2024
"Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" — Traffic
posted by fogovonslack at 5:40 AM on December 4, 2024
Caught Low by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. It's a song about suburban ennui.
posted by carnival_night_zone at 9:12 AM on December 4, 2024
posted by carnival_night_zone at 9:12 AM on December 4, 2024
I found "A Good Job With Prospects": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbQHAhH9CvM
posted by morspin at 9:09 PM on December 15, 2024
posted by morspin at 9:09 PM on December 15, 2024
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