
For this week’s Thursday inspiration, Jim Adams asked us to use the prompt word “job,” or the above picture, or the song “Five O’Clock World,” by the Vogues. I went with above picture and the word “job,” but musically, the song that came to mind for me was “Get a Job” by the Silhouettes. It was released in November 1957 and reached the number one spot on the Billboard pop and R&B singles charts in February 1958.
This song was written by group member Richard Lewis, who, when he returned home to Philadelphia after serving in the U.S. army, didn’t have a job. His my mother said “You need to get a job, Richard,” and basically that’s where the song came from.
Interesting tidbit: the ’50s revivalists group, Sha-Na-Na, took its name from the “Sha na na na, sha na na na na” refrain in “Get a Job.” Sha-Na-Na covered the song and performed it at Woodstock in 1969.
Great choice Fandango. The woman of the house nags her man to find work, implying that he is both lazy and dishonest, despite this song being light-hearted, exuberant, and very danceable, with infectious vocal hooks, handclaps, a rocking saxophone solo and a general sense of fun. When this became a hit, demand was so high that extra pressings had to be made, and the group themselves helped deliver these records to the stores.
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Thanks, Jim. Yes, this was a massive hit, and apparently an unexpected one.
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Well, that was fun.
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cool song! ❤
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