Merle Haggard – Workin’ Man Blues: Lyrics and Music Video

Workin’ Man Blues Lyrics

It’s a big job just gettin’ by with nine kids and a wife
I been a workin’ man dang near all my life
I’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I’ll drink my beer in a tavern,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

I keep my nose on the grindstone, i work hard every day
Might get a little tired on the weekend, after i draw my pay
But i’ll go back workin, come monday morning i’m right back with the crew
I’ll drink a little beer that evening,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like me
I ain’t never been on welfare, that’s one place i won’t be
Cause i’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Sometimes i think about leaving, do a little bummin around
I wanna throw my bills out the window catch a train to another town
But i go back working i gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoes
Yeah drink a little beer in a tavern,
Cry a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like me
I ain’t never been on welfare, that’s one place i won’t be
Cause i’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues
Yeah drink a little beer in a tavern,
Cry a little bit of these working man blues

Introduction to hobo bill

The hobo was a subject that the late and great jimmie rogers
Sang of many times during his great career
And the freight train served a faithful means of travel for the migrant worker
Or for the fella out of work or some ole boy
That just wanted to live off the fat of our great land
And of course at this time the fat was kind a scarce
Because during the period of jimmie rodger’s greatest popularity
Our great nation’s economy was at all time low
And it was known as the depression days
During this time it wasn’t unusual to see 50 or 75 hobos
Jump from a moving freight train as it neared the edge of a city
This was dangerous but it was done to keep from being caught by the train bulls
That worked the great freight yards during this era
A lot of the hobos were respectable men and rode the rods
Because it provided a dependable means of travel which they could afford
And some of them made their destinations and some of them died along the tracks
And their friends and family never knew what happened to ’em
And i would imagine maybe that hobo bill was one of them