Work

“This week we're talking about work. We're talkin' about golden parachutes, poison pills, golden handshakes. We're talking about workin' like a dog, work around the clock, workin' 9 to 5; talking about all the workin' stiffs who're workin' for a livin', who live to work, labor intensive, doin' odd jobs, married to their job, them employee of the month hard at work.”

Singers and Songs

  • The Bernadettes
    First, You've Got to Recognize God
  • T-Bone Walker
    Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)
  • Merle Haggard
    Workin' Man Blues
    “You can't say enough about Merle Haggard”
  • Jimmy Reed
    Big Boss Man
  • Sarah Vaughan
    Nice Work If You Can Get It
    “I had a boss so mean once, his time clock punched me.”
  • Jesse Winchester
    Payday
  • Lee Dorsey
    Gotta Find a Job
  • Six Jumping Jacks (Harry Reser and His Orchestra with Tom Stacks)
    The Coat and the Pants Do All the Work (and The Vest Gets All The Gravy)
  • Billy Butler and The Enchanters
    I Can't Work No Longer
  • Ray Charles
    I'll Do Anything But Work
  • Payday Blues
    Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
  • Honey Cone
    Want Ads
  • Adriana Caselotti
    Whistle While You Work
  • Detroit Junior
    Call My Job
  • Tom Waits
    I Can't Wait To Get Off Work (And See My Baby on Montgomery Avenue)
    “A song with a very long title”
  • Marva Whitney and The J.B.'s
    You Got to Have a Job (If You Don't Work, You Can't Eat)

Other People and Players

  • Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

    "He who cannot give anything away cannot feel anything either."

  • Robert Frost

    "By working faithfully 8 hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work 12 hours a day."

  • Charlie Chaplin
  • Jackie Coogan
  • Jimmy Carter
  • Thomas Edison
    “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
  • Dwight Eisenhower
    ”Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.”
  • Abe Lincoln
    (Log splitter)
  • Rod Stewart
    (Printer, Grave digger)
  • J Lo
    (Legal Assistant, Fly Girl)
  • Papa Doc Duvalier
    (Doctor)
  • Madonna
    (Dunkin' Doughnuts)
  • Jack Nicholson
    (Mail room clerk)
  • Walt Disney
  • Larry Morey
  • Frank Churchill
  • Cassandra Peterson
  • Berry Gordy
  • Miles Davis
  • Bud Johnson
  • Benny Green
  • Tony Scott
  • Jimmy Jones
  • Freddie Green
  • Billy Taylor
  • JC Heard
  • Jerry Butler
  • Garrett Mitten ?
  • Curtis Mayfield
  • The Impressions
  • Betty Hall Jones
  • Bobby Sax and the Blue Jeans
  • Holland-Dozier-Holland
  • Darlene Love
  • The Nightcats

Other Songs and Albums

  • Blue Monday
  • Hungry Eyes
  • Okie from Muskogee
  • Buddy Stay Off That Wine
  • Last Train to Hicksville
  • Small Change

Record Labels

  • Motown
  • Motown
  • Hotwax
  • Atlantic
  • Amy
  • Veejay
  • Divinity

Places

Books and Poems

  • I Hear America Singing - Walt Whitman

    (Bob reads)
    I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
    Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
    The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
    The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
    The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
    singing on the steamboat deck,
    The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
    The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or
    at noon intermission or at sundown,
    The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of
    the girl sewing or washing,
    Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
    The day what belongs to the day―at night the party of young fellows,
    robust, friendly,
    Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

  • The Blacksmith - Longfellow
    Bob recites

Movies and TV Shows

Least Popular Jobs

  • Poultry Processor
  • Sewing Machine Operator
  • Farm Laborer
  • Laundry Worker
  • Roofer
  • Recycling Plant Worker
  • Street Prostitute
    “I wonder which is worse, street prostitute or poultry processor?”

Jobs that Have Disappeared or Will Soon

  • Milkman
  • Travel Agent
  • Typesetter
  • Sewing Machine Operator
  • Elevator Operator
  • Telex Operator
  • Polaroid Plant Worker

Jobs Bob Mentions

  • Gambler
  • Cashier
  • Bartender
  • Taxi Driver
  • Taxidermist
  • Playwrite
  • Copy Editor
  • Skylark
  • Bookie
  • Police Officer
  • Judge
  • Fireman
  • Shaman
  • Weatherman
  • Mailman
  • Zoo Keeper
  • Manufacturer
  • Inventor
  • Gym Teacher
  • History Teacher
  • Janitor
  • Plumber
  • Baker
  • Manager
  • Painter
  • Tailor
  • Seamstress
  • Banker
  • Podiatrist
  • Concierge
  • Pharmacist
  • Apple Picker
  • Field Hand
  • Physicist

“I'm gonna get outta here and see if I can beat the traffic. You know what it's like when everybody gets off work.”