Workin' Man's Blues

Infobox Single
Name = Workin' Man's Blues


Artist = Merle Haggard
from Album = A Portrait of Merle Haggard
Released = July 1969 (U.S.)
Format = 7"
Recorded = May 16, 1969
Genre = Country
Length = 2:33
Label = Capitol Records 2503
Writer = Merle Haggard
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "Hungry Eyes"
(1968)
This single = "Workin' Man's Blues"
(1969)
Next single = "Okie from Muskogee"
(1969)

"Workin' Man's Blues" is an American country music song performed by its writer, Merle Haggard. Released in 1969, the song was released during his early peak and became one of several signature songs during his career.

Background

"Workin' Man's Blues" is Haggard's tribute to a core group of his fans: The American blue-collared working man. Backed by a strong electric guitar beat that typified Haggard's signature Bakersfield Sound, he fills the role of one of those workers expressing pride in values such as hard work and sacrifice, despite the resulting fatigue and the stress of raising a large family. He admits to relaxing during the off-working hours ("I drink my beer in a tavern, sing a little of these workin' man's blues".") and vows that as a result of keeping his values, he will never need to go on welfare ("... cause I'll be working, long as my two hands are fit to use".").

"Workin' Man's Blues" was a track on Haggard's 1969 album "A Portrait of Merle Haggard". Music critic Mark Deming noted that the song was among three of Haggard's finest songs to appear on the album; "Silver Wings" and "Hungry Eyes" were the other two. "(M)ost country artists would be happy to cut three tunes this strong during the course of their career, let alone as part of one of six albums Hag would release in 1969," wrote Deming. [ [http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3ifoxq8gldje] Deming, Mark, "A Portrait of Merle Haggard" at Allmusic]

Session Personnel: Guitar: James Burton, Lewis Talley. Bass: Chuck Berghofer. Drums: Jim Gordon.

Chart performance

"Workin' Man's Blues" was released in July 1969, and reached No. 1 on the "Billboard magazine" Hot Country Singles chart.

Cover versions

A cover was released by Ricky Van Shelton on his 1987 debut album "Wild-Eyed Dream".

In 1994, country music band Diamond Rio, along with guitarists Steve Wariner and Lee Roy Parnell, recorded a cover of the song, crediting themselves to Jed Zeppelin. This cover, included on a tribute album called "Mama's Hungry Eyes",was not officially released to radio, although it peaked at #48 on the "Billboard" country charts, and a music video was made for it.

ources

References

ee also

*Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.

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