Merle Haggard - 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





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Merle Haggard Workin' Man Blues Comments
  1. M.... C....

    Roy Nichols guitar solo is hotter than a urinary infection. This cat could PLAY.

  2. R.... R....

    I just done got up out my chair and started dancin' my working mans blues away!

  3. T.... ....

    This is GREAT!!!!

  4. T.... ....

    Who is that guitar player? Great tone.

  5. R.... C....

    I drink alot of beer that evening

  6. R.... C....

    this is country damm it

  7. b.... c....

    whenever im constipated i play this

  8. j.... ....

    the best guitar solo!

  9. j.... ....

    One of the best guitar solos I have ever heard!

  10. j.... s....

    never been on welfare!!cut a leg off before ill quit

  11. u.... ....

    Well, you know, having a family isn't an american invention.

  12. a.... ....

    I'm a network engineer and I know for a fact I don't have the right to relate to this song. All of you construction workers, laborers, military personnel and anyone who busts their ass day in and day out deserve this song. Cheers.

  13. L.... S....

    watch close how the band members are fucking scared to fuck up ! no smiles in that band ! just ask me why ? !!!! i love the song you will to once you find out the tention !!

  14. F.... R....

    actually I remember Roy playing a 57 strat, 5 days a week, on KERO tv ..Bakersfield..and playing awesome guitar lick!..I have never heard the sound of that 57 strat ..ever again..the new ones dont sound anything like that..

  15. B.... P....

    Holy shit i want that Telecaster..

  16. S.... G....

    i always liked this song.they play this at DollyWood.

  17. r.... ....

    Kinda looks like Eastwood! Play on Merle!

  18. J.... J....

    Austin City Limits1978

  19. b.... O....

    This is the ultimate song for friday night knowing you're going home to your # KIDS AND A WIFE... THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN DREAM

  20. t.... w....

    i grew up on this music these guys lived their music thats y theyre so good if u dont like it listen to your rap crap

  21. D.... S....

    Holy shit I want this show on cd!

  22. d.... ....

    Yep...!!

  23. d.... ....

    Man, if there is a male country singer with a fantastic voice, great tunes, great lyrics that I can just listen to all day long......it's the man.....Merle Haggard.....ya gotta love Merle......!!!!

  24. R.... B....

    Piano player @2:14 --- Awesome

  25. R.... S....

    I got ya. Click this. 0:00

  26. T.... ....

    is that ronnie millsap on bass fiddle ?

  27. 8.... ....

    I despise the cigarette in his right hand; however, I saw Merle, Bonnie, Tiny, and the Strangers at WWVA, Tower of Power, 50,000 Watts, Clear Voice of Wheeling West Virginia Jamboree in downtown Wheeling in 1977. Best song was Sioux City Sioux, and then the prison songs; Sing Me Back Home, As I Walk To The Chair, and the opposite song, Life in Prison, where the prisoner would rather die than live in prison.

  28. J.... D....

    What a talent

  29. K.... G....

    im 24 and still love rockin to some merle. dad brought me up on the good stuff

  30. E.... P....

    haha i know right!!!!!!

  31. m.... ....

    just type loop after youtube in the video address.

    youtubeloop . com

    it'll loop the video

  32. J.... C....

    That's some serious rhythm guitar at 2:22!

  33. E.... ....

    totally agreed.

  34. t.... n....

    ole merle is gonna be at the ohio state fair in june.gonna go see him,he puts on one hell of a show

  35. S.... ....

    Thumbs up for the piano player!

  36. a.... ....

    I'm trying to figure out how to put this on repeat.

  37. a.... ....

    Why fight or trash Merle Haggard? (don't answer) - Let's just enjoy him play out and if you don't like it listen/watch something else.

  38. D.... W....

    Oh yea thats what i'm talkin bout

  39. J.... J....

    Right you are HottStix1... Most musicians don't see a penny for all the time and practice they put into their craft. People like @LLMorse are clueless...

  40. J.... K....

    ahh you might be right. but have you ever played music? have you ever been on a tour? It's not as easy as it may seem. Lots of hard WORK and dedication goes in to being a good musician and performer. Its not for everyone. PLUS the way this man earns his money is entertaining a certain group of people. like working men, so for him to write a song to appeal to this group of people is a very good idea! It sells albums and tickets, which is how this working man (Mr. Haggard) makes his living.

  41. J.... B....

    Guitar Solo HEAVEN from 1:46

    Mister Roy Nichols!! That's how you play the blues, Bakersfield Style!

  42. d.... ....

    @LLMorse1 Actually merle was in and out of jail growing up and then got sentenced to hard time in San Quentin. He also grew up in the midwest(Oklahoma) during the Great Depression. His dad died when he was 9 so yeah i doubt he ever had to work at anything.

  43. K.... C....

    Merle is the man.

  44. G.... ....

    You dont have to BE what you sing about. You just have to be relatable to what your singing about. Look at Johnny Cash. Never went to prison. They still loved him. Respected him. Just like workers and Merle. Get off your high horse. The funny thing about working...NOBODY FUCKING WANTS TO WORK. Merle aint gonna do it if he doesnt have to, and you sure wouldnt either.

  45. n.... ....

    @SwampSurferPDX Roy Nichols

  46. a.... ....

    @LLMorse1 We have to remember that it's his job to make us not hate our lives so much.

  47. n.... ....

    @SwampSurferPDX I think that lead quitar is Roy Nichols.

  48. D.... M....

    Wish I could pick like the late Roy Nichols, pictured sitting down. WOW

  49. E.... E....

    @surfdude2000 God Bless Texas!

  50. T.... D....

    @LLMorse1
    Actually, he does know about working for a living. My mom was a friend of his when she was younger (In Bakersfield) bit of an alcoholic in his day but was still an average everyday man. he didnt grow up in wealth actually lived in a dumpy little apartment before he became famous.

  51. S.... ....

    who is that guy on the lead guitar? pretty smooth...

  52. J.... G....

    You guys should check out the Johnny cash show, best of DVD if you like this it was an awesome show alot of good performances, and Cash is the best musician of all time!!!! hey LL you don't know shit about well....SHIT stop bashin the man if he didn't know bout it he wouldn't be singin bout it he had a hard life and did prison time and he may be old but I bet he'd beat your ass...lol

  53. E.... A....

    @LLMorse1 Maybe you should do a little research into Merle's life before you post such comments. Tell us a little about your own "work" experience.

  54. T.... ....

    awesome solo. roy is so cool!!

  55. B.... ....

    "Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies, and a rough edge not heard on the more polished Nashville Sound recordings of the same era......" -- Wikipedia

  56. D.... C....

    I guess we have some whiners here, talking how a musician doesn't work. Hm. I beg to differ.

  57. J.... L....

    @footballmanagerable Aint nobody playing fucking basketball on here boy. THUMB THAT SHIT UP.

  58. B.... M....

    You don't have to dig ditches to be considered a working man. Anybody who gets his butt outta bed day after day and shows up, gets it done and wouldn't have it any other way is a working man in my book; regardless of what you do for a living!

  59. B.... M....

    You don't have to dig ditches to be considered a working man. Anybody who gets his ass outta bed day after day and shows up, gets it done and wouldn't have it any other way is a working man in my book; regardless of what you do for a living!

  60. K.... D....

    @LLMorse1 Ha... you know he was in prison? I'll bet he got plenty of working in there. He hasn't always been a musician though.

  61. J.... J....

    @FrankaDith >> RIP? Last I heard, Merle is still vertical...

  62. F.... N....

    @Avenger325 And anybody thinking you sing like that and play the guitar that well without workin at it is a damn fool thanks for the comeback he deserves all the praise he gets R.I.P Mr Haggard.

  63. H.... ....

    @LLMorse1 I guess you figure yourself to be a working man but unlike working men you do not have enough imagination to peel a banana skin my friend........Merle on the other hand has enough imagination to write about what he see and feels, so thank your lucky stars for hard working musicians like Merle..

  64. f.... ....

    Thumbs up if u searched this after playing NBA2K12 :)

  65. t.... ....

    the 5 dislikes are from 5 ppl on welfare!!!

  66. B.... ....

    Is that Roy Nichols sitting down playing guitar? Merle's a damn good guitar player himself, and hey has gotten better over the years.

  67. J.... J....

    @Avenger325 >> Austin City Limits1978

  68. T.... ....

    @LLMorse1 - Merles father worked for the railroad (laborer) before he died when Merle was 9. If you do some research. Merle has a personal understanding of what life is like for the working man being he is the son of one and knows hard times because his family lived it. Believe me as a mother of 4 married to a man who is a welder and roofer our children have a very good understanding of life in a blue collar family and the daily struggles that can go along with that just as Merle does.

  69. m.... ....

    Merle is a great country artist and part of our American heritage. I have worked in the country music industry most of my life as an audio engineer. These guys were great and hard working musicians. They were not handed a silver spoon like most artist today. They learned the ropes on their own. Most learned to play on their own. Then the years and years of playing in smoke filled bars.
    Those were the good old days. Takes a toll on your body and your mind. especially if you have a family.

  70. f.... ....

    I don't see why everyone is getting their panties twisted about him not being a "working man". He is singing this FOR the working man, and portraying himself as one to give the song feeling. If he wrote a song which described his admiration for working men, well that would just be gay.

  71. b.... ....

    @LLMorse1 I worked with Lynn Anderson. Her mother Liz wrote Fugitive plus a dozen other Haggard hits. They met Merle when he was doing time. They lived near the prison in which he was incarcerated. The prison sent guys out on work assignments in the community. Trust me, Merle knows quite well, what it means to bust a sweat on menial labor.

  72. J.... J....

    @LLMorse1 > Easy LL... We're all friends here...

  73. J.... T....

    2:46 wow jeff foxworthy is really good at the fiddle.

  74. m.... ....

    I've seen the Hag a few times, but when I was a kid, we saw him and the Strangers in Bakersfield, in the 60's. That sticks with me for ever, Even with the rock I've listened to all my life, I put the Hag is in the highest place of complete respect, because he is the real deal.

  75. S.... ....

    Elitist bastard. "Content owner has not made this available for mobile"

  76. B.... L....

    Just love the guy!

  77. V.... D....

    @jzamora50 Do you mean Ronnie Reno, son of banjo master Don Reno.

  78. a.... ....

    @jzamora50 Roy Nichols

  79. s.... ....

    Impressed with how he holds the cigarette!

  80. R.... D....

    Merle & the Strangers are just awesome in this video! Pure musical genius.

  81. D.... L....

    Time tested and time true!!!! Love it

  82. r.... ....

    The guy playing the piano reminds me of the one in the muppet show

  83. g.... ....

    Merle's one of voices that stand out from the rest....10 seconds into any of his songs and you know it's "Hag"....I Grew up playin' guitar in Bakersfield competing with him and Buck for gigs..(Tex' Barrel House, The Blackboard, The Lucky Spot, Pumpkin Center.. etc. etc.) But they Forced me to get serious about music & singing, ...unfortunately I left for the L.A. music scene in 1962 and played Rock and Roll because I thought country music was "lame"...just a dumb kid.

  84. P.... ....

    this reminds me an awful lot of the dead covering big river

  85. K.... S....

    There is a man that lives behind me, he turned 79 on the 23rd of June he use to play guitar with Merle, they lost touch, i'm sure they would like to get in touch again, my friends nickname is Possum, the reason i'm posting this is because they should meet up, im sure it would mean a lot to possum a phone call, email or even a visit would be great.if anyone knows a legit number or email please send me a message. Thanks

  86. J.... S....

    Wow, now that's working it!!!

  87. J.... S....

    Watch that piano!!!! He's working it!!!

  88. s.... ....

    I agree!

  89. a.... ....

    Redd Volkaert once told me that the hardest thing to get used to at first with Haggard is his lack of interest in proper timing.

    I was like "dude, you're playing with friggin' Haggard..."

    He's like - yep! :) LOL

  90. B.... M....

    That is one of the best lead rides I've ever heard Merle play!!! Very clean and articulate and tasty as well!!! Of course Roy burned the strings off of his Tele.

  91. j.... ....

    ISN'T THIS THE STEVIE RAY VAUGHN BAND, DOUBLE BOUBLE TROUBLE?


    O_o


    ROFL!


    PLAY IT MERLE, YOU DE MAN (SRV TOO!)!

  92. J.... J....

    @NoSteveNoPoint > You are so right!

  93. J.... J....

    @1963legion > Excellent

  94. b.... ....

    @surfdude2000
    Unndoubtedly many were. Projected images can be deceptive.
    Remember this was a sound honed in Bakersfield, California.

  95. O.... H....

    My grandpa opened for him in like the 60s they hung out a little

  96. M.... ....

    merle is about country and the love of it well i love my country in 1950 i served with the 101st airborne and was proud of my service i have seen men killed by morters rockets and gun fire but the crulest thing i ever saw was done by a doctor working in one of the largest hospitals in tulsa for more info please see ]msbones 1950 ]

  97. A.... R....

    Roy Nichols, the greatest.

  98. B.... D....

    You don't mess with The Hagg

  99. J.... J....

    @briandillon120 > 1985