A Labor (Day) of Love

On September 3rd 2018, I had a 3-hour 4-7 afternoon on-air shift at WPKN. It was Labor Day, and before the show I put out a "hive mind" request on Facebook for recommenmdations on songs that would be, well, good to play on Labor Day, about Labor, as this holiday is particularly distant from its reason for being - it's almost completely only thought of the "summer is over, back to school/work" holiday. I got over 400 replies! When I got to the (old) WPKN Studios at the University of Bridgeport, the AC was not working, and boy did I complain. 🙄 I edited out of most of the whiny complaining part for today's show. 

Now it's September 7, 2026 (zoom!) and it's once again a Labor Day and a Monday, the day on which I now have a weekly two-hour "drive time" 7-9am morning show. I decided to resuscitate, as it were, the 2018 show and songs, with a tiny bit of updated VO and "rewind" sound effects. So I did, and here's what today's show sounded like, with a little "thank you" coda at the end. 

Minimum Wage – They Might Be Giants

 

Get a Job – The Silhouettes

Working in The Coal Mine – Lee Dorsey 

Big Boss Man – Jimmy Reed

Chain Gang – Sam Cooke 

Back On the Chain Gang – The Pretenders

 

9 to 5 – Dolly Parton

Car Wash – Rose Royce 

A Day in the Life of a Working Man – David Ruffin 

I've Been Working – Van Morison 

Bus Rider – Guess Who 

Working Too Hard – The Beat 

 

Millworker – Bette Midler 

Allentown – Billy Joel 

5 O’Clock World – The Vogues 

Matthew & Son – Cat Stevens

I Just Got My Pay – The Beach Boys 

Government Center – Jonathan Richman & The Rubinoos 

 

Manic Monday (extended version) – The Bangles 

Don't Worry About the Government (live) – Talking Heads 

The Good Thing – Talking Heads 

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now – The Smiths 

There Is Power in a Union – Billy Bragg

Take Stuff from Work – King Missile (feat. John S. Hall)

 

Workingman's Blues #2 – Bob Dylan 

VDT – Tom Juravich 

Sick Day – Fountains of Wayne 

It’s Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 world) – The Ramones

 

Career Opportunities – The Clash 

Clampdown – The Clash 

Shipbuilding – Robert Wyatt 

Unemployment – JJ Cale

Welcome to the Working Week – Elvis Costello

Thank you for all the song recommendations via Facebook! Mark Sagarin, Bill Holdship, Patrick Trettenero, Daniel Martin Baker, Marice Elizabeth, Larry Stockel, Jimmy Howland, Daniel Martin Baker, John S. Hall, Jeff Samet, David Belgrave, Jhh Lowengard, Darren DeVivo, Bruce Bernstein, Howard Wuelfing and Norm Wallerstein (RIP)

(Artwork pictured: "Workers on the Cathedral of Learning" by Harry W. Scheuch, born Elizabeth, NJ 1906, died Pittsburgh, PA 1978.)