The day-to-day life of an ordinary working man can sometimes be tough and, often, just plain tragic. Amazingly, there are tons of country songs about working hard that describe such hardships and struggles that some people face. Some of these workin’ songs even provide motivation to keep you going for the days when you just can’t wake up or to help you celebrate after a hard day’s work.
Whether you’re wound up here looking for inspiring country songs about the rewards of hard work or heartfelt country songs about blue-collar work to help you pull through until the weekend – worry not! We have put together a list of hustle tracks for you.
Even though you’re born into a fortune, at some point in time, life becomes all about the hustle. You will be putting your time and energy into something, and there will be no room for excuses. You’ve got to punch that clock.
So, without further ado, here are the best country songs about working hard.
1. Working Man Blues by Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard’s status as the champ of the working class ballads was further cemented with the release of this song that pays tribute to a core group of the country legend’s fans – the American blue-collar working men.
“Working Man Blues” finds Haggard in the shoes of a worker expressing pride in values like sacrifice and hard work despite its resulting fatigue.
2. 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton
In addition to being one of the upbeat country songs about putting in the hours, “9 to 5” boasts a more meaningful legacy for working women.
Dolly Parton actually wrote this nine-to-five music for the comedy film of the same title. It became an instant hit following its release in 1980 and even an anthem for office workers in the United States. It also earned Dolly Parton four Grammy Award nominations, which she earned awards for Best Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.
3. Self Made by Little Big Town
Here’s one of the country songs about working hard through tough times. It was co-written by Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook, which they said is a song that anyone working hard would relate to.
“Unless you’ve been handed everything on a silver platter. Most of us have had to work really, really hard to get where we are,” Kimberly Schlapman said about the song.
4. National Working Woman’s Holiday by Sammy Kershaw
This is absolutely one of the most inspiring country songs about the rewards of hard work, especially to the hardest-working women we’ve ever seen. In the song, Sammy Kershaw finds himself fuming about how his wife’s work has been treating her badly, frequently asking her to work overtime. Now, he’s proposing she takes a well-deserved break “for the National Working Woman’s Holiday.”
5. 40 Hour Week (For a Livin’) by Alabama
“40 Hour Week (For a Livin’)” is a salute to America’s blue-collar workers, who work hard every day in the factories, the fields, and city streets – and how these men and women work together to keep the country turning around. These are the waitresses, mechanics, and policemen, among others.
For You
This song quickly became an anthem for people all across America, and even climbed to No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
6. Beer on the Table by Josh Thompson
Here’s one of the country songs about the pride of a hard day’s work. Josh Thompson pays tribute to the work week in “Beer on the Table” and how “working hard all week puts the beer on the table.” It was released as the country singer’s debut country song.
7. Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses by Kathy Mattea
In “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” Kathy Mattea tells the story of a truck driver who was about to retire after thirty years of driving up and down the interstate. He will now be reaping his days of hard work and will be spending a good life with his wife.
8. Drinking Class by Lee Brice
Lee Brice pays tribute to the working-class folks who get up early and work hard every day. These men laugh, cry, love, and go hard when the going’s tough. While other people will push them back and knock them down — still, they get back up again and again.
9. Working Man’s Ph.D. by Aaron Tippin
Tippin fully understands the blue-collar life! The singer actually worked at an aluminum company while trying to build a music career. In this song, Tippin paid sincere tribute to all the hardworking folks putting in long hours to build the country and keep it running.
10. Hard Hat and a Hammer by Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson has long been the country’s patron saint of working people. He even gives praise to the blue-collar workers in “Hard Hat and a Hammer” for their endless hard work. The song also includes the sound of Jackson striking an anvil that was once owned by his father.
11. Amarillo By Morning by George Strait
This song propelled George Strait to stardom and has since become one of the genre’s most recognizable anthems. “Amarillo by Morning” tells the story of a rodeo cowboy and his life on the road – driving at night from San Antonio to a country fair in Amarillo. He details the struggles his job has caused him, including losing his wife, a few broken bones, and poverty. Still, he does not regret doing it.
12. Workin’ for a Livin’ by Garth Brooks (Feat. Huey Lewis)
Singer-songwriter Huey Lewis wrote this song, which was a semi-autobiographical one about the previous jobs he had before becoming a musician. Lewis wrote it while still working as a truck driver. It’s one of the best country songs about the grit and determination of hard work you’d ever hear.
13. Coal Miner’s Daughter Loretta Lynn
If you’re looking for powerful country songs about the sacrifices of hard work, you will surely love this one. What’s great about this iconic song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” is that it’s true to life, as written by Loretta Lynn. In the song, she recounts the daily life of her childhood, with her father working hard as a farmer to provide for their family and her mother working tirelessly on household chores.
14. Six Days on the Road by Sawyer Brown
Sawyer Brown kicked off a movement of truck-driving songs. When country music started mixing labor anthems and blue-collar tunes into the genre, men driving the big-rig were eventually put into the spotlight. We get to see a closer look at their struggles and story of hard work.
15. Shiftwork by Kenny Chesney Feat. George Strait
Talk about country songs about working hard for your dreams! Troy Jones wrote the song – about the tough life of working on shift – after signing a publishing deal. Jones used to work at a paper mill, where he worked shift work for two decades. He said he wanted to write something he knew inside and out.
So, what do you think about this list of country songs about working hard? We hope these tracks will help you get ready to put your all into something and have fun doing so.
