Well here I am on my dinner break today, enjoying and collating your songs about work; it’s not a hard task at all.
If you have an Earworm you’d like to share, please send an .mp3, .m4a or a link to earworm@tincanland.com, together with a few words about why you’ve chosen it. Next week’s theme will be telephones.
Many thanks to all contributors.
Maddy Prior & June Tabor – Doffin’ Mistress – AliM: This cheeky song seems to have originated in the Belfast textile mills and has been covered by Anne Briggs, Martin Carthy and many others. Apparently the Doffing Mistress oversaw the factory girls in the spinning sheds as they changed (doffed) the bobbins, ready to be sent to the weavers.
Mary Coughlan – Nice Work if You Can Get It – severin: From her “Mary Coughlan Sings Billie Holiday” album. I think I actually prefer this version to Billie’s or Ella’s. Mentions some actual jobs in passing.
Broken Family Band – Wherever You Go – shoegazer: “Wherever you go, there you are, When you come back, you are what you do …”
Aloe Blacc – I Need A Dollar – AliM: “I had a job but the boss man let me go / He said / I’m sorry but I won’t be needing your help no more / I said / Please mister boss man I need this job more than you know / But he gave me my last paycheck and he sent me on out the door…”
Buck 65 – Craftmanship – tincanman: A job well done, a thing well made, an earworm well…um, sent. Buck (Nova Scotian Richard Terfry) details the correct deportment for a professional shoe shine boy.
Toots Hibbert – Maggie’s Farm – Ravi Raman: As much a shoehorn as my other worm this week. But there’s a farm boss in this. Standout track of the Reggae tribute album to Dylan- Is It Rolling Bob?
Lana del Rey – Bartender – glassarfemptee: From her sweary album, Lana del Rey can’t keep her hands off her bartender. I like the bits where she stutters.
UFO – Doctor, Doctor – Ravi Raman: A bit of classic rock/ prog rock or whatever else the term is. From their Phenomenon album (reissue). All the Doctor themed songs I have are non medical in nature btw.
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Pieces Of A Man – tincanman: People, particularly men, derive much of their identity and self-worth from their vocation. Take away a man’s job, and he falls apart.
Bob Dylan – House Carpenter – severin: The choice between a reliable House Carpenter (and your baby) and some chap who has returned from the sea and wants you to run off with him. What to do? From the official bootleg “Another Self Portrait”. Usual cavalier disregard for the remit …
Steven Wilson – The Watchmaker – Alfiehisself: A story. Fancy having to think of jobs at the weekend … my fault for not getting on with it … Considered Genesis Get ‘em out by Friday but couldn’t decide what their profession was.
Lou Reed – Don’t Talk To Me About Work – Maggie B: I missed the deadline last week, so I’ve got two now, with amusing videos. The first shows that even Lou Reed wasn’t immune from silly videos in the ’80’s …
Lee Dorsey – Working In The Coal Mine – Maggie B: And second is Lee Dorsey; Does anyone recognize the young man who walks into the record shop?
The 'Spill 
Worms are boxed. Love the Lana Del Rey track this week.
I also liked the Lana del Rey, along with Broken Family Band and Maddy/June. I do like the UFO song but, silly though it sounds, I can never forget how ‘orrible some of their album covers were!. Anyway, I would definitely say classic or just hard rock but not prog.
The Mary Coughlan version is excellent. Love the lee Dorsey, Steven Wilson and Aloe Blacc.
Going to relisten Buck 65 now.
enjoyed the very smooth guitar and singing on the reggae Maggie’s Farm then some bloke sounding almost like Bob himself – only to see it was indeed Bob. Lee Dorsey was grand too with a very Tube intro from young Jools. And UFO, not heard in a long while
Me too! I hadn’t listened to UFO in yoinks, as the technical term is.