Rush - Working Man - Meaning of the song
Rush released their self-titled debut album on their own label, Moon Records, in 1974. A DJ named Donna Halper at WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio, listened to the last track, "Working Man," and put it on the air, giving the band liftoff. It fit her criteria for three reasons:
1) Cleveland was a working town, and the lyrics were very relatable to their audience.
2) WMMS was an album-oriented rock station, so they looked for songs that other stations weren't playing.
3) Running 7:07, the song gave plenty of time for the DJ to take a bathroom or smoke break.
Immediately, the radio station received calls from people asking when the new Led Zeppelin album was coming out; they were surprised to learn that the vocalist was not Robert Plant, but Geddy Lee, lead singer for a new band called Rush. Thanks to the airplay, the album picked up steam in Cleveland and got the attention of Mercury Records, which signed the band and re-released the album with their promotional might behind it. With the backing of a major label, Rush soon became one of the most popular rock bands in the US and Canada.
Working man - Lyrics
I get up at seven, yeah
And I go to work at nine
I got no time for livin'
Yes, I'm workin' all the time
It seems to me
I could live my life
A lot better than I think I am
I guess that's why they call me
They call me the working man
They call me the working man
I guess that's what I am
I get home at five o'clock
And I take myself out a nice, cold beer
Always seem to be wonderin'
Why there's nothin' goin' down here
Well, they call me the working man
I guess that's what I am
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