| "Working Man" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Rush | |
| from the album Rush | |
| Released | March 1974 (1974-03) |
| Recorded | 1973 |
| Genre | Hard rock |
| Length |
|
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Rush |
| Audio sample | |
"Working Man" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush. In an interview on the Rolling Stone YouTube channel, bassist and lead vocalist Geddy Lee said that "Working Man" is his favorite song to play live. "Working Man" became a favourite among Rush fans; the guitar solo appeared on Guitar World magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos list.
Release and reception
Donna Halper, then a disc jockey and music director at WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio, is credited with getting Rush noticed in the United States by playing "Working Man" on the air. The song proved particularly popular in the working-class city. The response resulted in a record deal for the band, which gave her special thanks for her part in their early history and dedicated their first two albums to her.
Two versions of the song are available as downloadable tracks for the music video game series Rock Band. One is a cover based on the original recording, while the other is a previously unreleased master track with an alternate guitar solo. The alternate version proved so popular that the band released it on the iTunes Store, under the title "Working Man (Vault Edition)".
Cultural references
The song is featured in episodes of the television series, Fargo, My Name is Earl, That '70s Show, Supernatural, and American Dad!, the 2011 film Goon, and a 2014 Walmart television advertisement.
Major League Baseball player Pete Alonso of the New York Mets uses the song as his walk up song.
Personnel
- Geddy Lee – bass, lead vocals
- Alex Lifeson – guitar
- John Rutsey – drums
Notable covers
- Danielle Armstrong covered "Working Man" for the opening credits of Transporter: The Series. This version was arranged by Jamie Forsyth.
- Thirteenth season American Idol contestant Caleb Johnson performed this song during the Top 12 round, and was met with moderate reviews from the judges.
See also
References
- Rush Answers Your Twitter and Facebook Questions, archived from the original on 2021-12-14, retrieved 2019-09-29
- "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Rush Songs". Rolling Stone. 4 March 2015.
- The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos. Guitar World (accessed December 11, 2007).
- Soeder, John (15 April 2011). "After Donna Halper gave 'Working Man' a spin on WMMS, Rush's career took off". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012.
- MacLean, Chuck (9 July 2008). "Quincy woman still promoting Rush 34 years after discovering band". The Patriot Ledger. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012.
- DLC Week of July 8th. Rock Band Forum (accessed July 7, 2008).
- Thierry Attard's Double Feature
