Labor Day Weekend 2009; Songs for the Work'in Man and Woman

September 5, 1:11 PMDC Country Music ExaminerSteve Stegman

For centuries, country music has given voice to the working men and women who have kept the wheels turning in the farms, mines, factories, job sites, roads, stores, schools, homes, hospitals and offices of America. The folk music of the Scottish and Irish immigrants of Appalachia, the blues and hollers from African American slaves in the South, the Spanish influence on the southwest border and the Acadian, Cajun and Caribbean music of Louisiana have all blended to create an irresistible gumbo of tune, rhythm and verse.

After the Civil War, the country was expanding and large industries like steel, coal, timber and the railroads sparked the growth of the labor movement. There were several violent strikes resulting in scores if not hundreds of deaths during this period. As a means of reconciliation and as a way to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold”, Labor Day was first originated by unions in New York in 1882. By 1900 all fifty states were observing Labor Day on the first Monday after September 1 as a National Holiday.

While gaining traction in its infancy in the labor movement, Labor Day now honors the talent and sacrifice of workers at large with festivals, parades, speeches and informal gatherings around pools, clubs, parks and backyard barbecues.

Here are some of the songs that continue to resonate deeply with the American worker:

1. 1924: “Casey Jones”. The Skillet Lickers. One of the very first Appalachian string bands to put music to record, The Skillet Lickers registered the first of many versions of this folk ballad about the engineer who never ran behind schedule. A true story, Casey Jones’s obsession with speed eventually caught up with him when he lost control and collided with another freight train on a foggy night on April 30, 1900 in Vaughan, Mississippi. The tune was reprised and rearranged as "Freight Train Boogie" by the Delmore Brothers in 1946.

2. 1930 – Muleskinner Blues, Jimmy Rodgers. In terms of sheer influence; Jimmy Rodgers belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of early country singers. Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins and other country and rock and roll Hall of Famers all point to Jimmy Rodgers as a major inspiration. Hear Merle Haggard's version from the late 1960's.

3. 1930 – “Buddy Won’t You Roll Down the Line,”Uncle Dave Macon. Born in 1870, the “Dixie Dew Drop” was considered by some observers to be one of the very few country artists with the talent, stage presence and longevity to have bridged the gap between the unrecorded folk music of the 19^th century and the birth of commercial country music. Macon was one of the first performers to be broadcast on live radio on WSM from the Grand ‘Ol Opry in 1925. Uncle Dave performed regularly until shortly before his death in 1952.

4. 1936 – “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” - Robert Johnson. Like most others during the Great Depression, African Americans had to take whatever job they could get. Hear Robert Johnson, otherwise known as the King of the Delta Blues, work’in his way back to his girl, Ida Belle, “on that Gulfport Island Road”.

5. 1941 – “Pastures of Plenty” – Woody Guthrie. This tune was inspired by Guthrie’s friendship with author, John Steinbeck and Steinbeck’s American classic; “The Grapes of Wrath”. In this bleak dust bowl ballad, Guthrie depicts the plight of migrant farm workers who “come with the dust and are gone with the wind”.

6. 1947 – “Dark as a Dungeon” – Merle Travis. Travis is the father of the Travis finger picking style which later influenced Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley’s first lead guitarst) and others. As such, it can be argued that Merle Travis had as much to do with the birth of rock ‘n roll as any other single figure. Travis’s father was a coal miner in Muhlenberg County, Ky. and many of his songs like “Dark as a Dungeon” and “Sixteen Tons” have long been considered classics.

7. 1955 – “Get Rhythm” - Johnny Cash. This is an up tempo song about a “shoe shine boy who never gets low down” and an uplifting tale about making the best out of any circumstance, however humble. This tune is not your typical Johnny Cash ballad and as a result, showcases an obscure side of the highly talented “Man in Black”.

8. 1968 – “Witchita Lineman” - Jimmy Webb. This is Glen Campbell’s version of the Jimmy Webb classic. While driving on a deserted highway in northern Oklahoma, Webb spotted a solitary lineman working high on a transmission cable and the idea for the lyric was born. This song is a good example of the use of strings and a synthesizer, normally used in pop and easy listening styles, to fine effect. Producer Al DeLory’s studio work, Campbell’s vocal and six string bass and Webb’s writing coalesced into a memorable crossover hit that was nominated for several Grammy Awards; winning for Best Engineering Recording in 1969.

9. 1969 – “Work’in Man Blues” - Merle Haggard. One of Haggard’s signature songs, this tune remains a live standard in country bars and honky tonks and is widely regarded as the anthem of the American blue collar worker.

10. 1980 –“9-5” - Dolly Parton - A major crossover hit, this song was number one on the pop charts and was the theme song to the hit film starring Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. The song won two Grammy Awards; Country Song of the Year and Female Country Vocal of the Year. Due to the quality and longevity of her work as a composer, performer and businessperson, Dolly Parton has become a living American icon. The film, “9 – 5” has been adapted for the stage and is now a Broadway musical.

11. 1993 - "Hard Work’in Man" – Brooks and Dunn. This hard charging contemporary country tune is the title track from one of most popular duos in recent country music memory. Recently, B & D have made a decision to disband and are working their last tour.

Country music has a long history of honoring the dignity of work and the labor of Americans from all walks of life. What better way to celebrate Labor Day, 2009 than with a soundtrack of songs that are as reliable and enduring as the workers they honor.