Walmart shows its support for the American "working man" by using a song from a Canadian band as the background music to its "Made In America" commercial.
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 workin' man.They call me the workin' man.
I guess that's what I am.So I get home at five o'clock,
And I take myself out a nice, cold beer.
Always seem to be wond'rin'
Why there's nothin' goin' down here.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 workin' man.
And what an inspiring song it is: working a dead-end nine-to-five and lamenting your miserable life. I suppose that's a pretty common sentiment. But the country's biggest private employer rubbing your face in it while playing a song from a Canadian band doesn't really scream "Supporting The American Workers! U!S!A!", does it?
I’ve always hated that whole “love how much you are a slave to your work” strain in American popular culture.
At least with Rush, or with BTO, you know there’s some tongue in cheek, some acknowledgement that this nose to the grindstone crap isn’t really what anybody should want.
The worst is modern country and western, where there’s no irony at all. Not going to cite any examples, because I can’t be bothered, but I know I’ve heard a number of redneck-pop songs that are like “my job sucks, it wears me out and takes all my time, and I’m damned proud of it.”
for half a second, i was thinking Huey Lewis’ “Workin For A Livin” might be a good American workin song. but then i remembered the words:
Somedays won’t end ever and somedays pass on by,
I’ll be working here forever, at least until I die.
Dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t
I’m supposed to get a raise week, you know damn well I won’t.
ouch.
modern country music is just fucked up and stupid all around