"Workin' Man Blues" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Merle Haggard and

The Strangers Strangers are people who are unknown to another person or group. Strangers or The Strangers may also refer to: History * Elizabethan Strangers or Strangers, a name applied to French and Belgian immigrants to Norwich, East Anglia, England, during ...

. It was released in May 1969 as the second single from the album '' A Portrait of Merle Haggard''. The song was released during his early peak and became one of several signature songs during his career.

Background

"Workin' Man 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 bit 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 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.

Chart performance

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

Cover versions and other songs

Jerry Lee Lewis included a cover on the 1970 album '' She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye''. Covered often by The New Riders of the Purple Sage starting in 1970. Lone Justice included a live cover on the 1983 'best of' album ''This World Is Not My Home''. Jon Wayne included a cover on the 1985 album ''Texas Funeral''.

Gary Morris Gary Gwyn Morris (born December 7, 1948) is an American singer and stage actor who charted a string of hits on the country music charts throughout the 1980s. Morris is known for the 1983 ballad "The Wind Beneath My Wings", although his credits ...

's cover was released in September 1990 as the first single from the album ''These Days''. Diamond Rio, along with guitarists Steve Wariner and Lee Roy Parnell, recorded a cover of the song in 1994, crediting themselves as Jed Zeppelin. This cover, included on a tribute album called '' Mama's Hungry Eyes: A Tribute to Merle Haggard'', charted at number 48 on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and a music video was made for it.

In popular culture

The song was featured in the '' Simpsons'' episode, " Lost Verizon" while Bart collects golf balls at a country club for money.

Sources

References

{{Authority control 1969 singles Merle Haggard songs Jerry Lee Lewis songs Ricky Van Shelton songs Gary Morris songs Diamond Rio songs Music videos directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions Songs written by Merle Haggard Song recordings produced by Ken Nelson (American record producer) Capitol Records singles 1969 songs