BLUE COLLAR - ‘Hard Working’ Man - Captain Beefheart (Ry Cooder recalls)

 Something tole me Don wasn’t singing about no workin’ class schtick down the factory!

Blue Collar, Hard Workin' Man NSFW ORIGINAL lyrics, Captain Beefheart, Ry Cooder, Jack Nitzsche

 . . . . and now you know!

Barry Stock

the poster say?

"It also marked the first time in years that Ry Cooder (who was a band member when they recorded 'safe as milk' back in 1967 - t.t.) had worked with Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart. 

'He was living in the Mojave desert', reminisced Cooder. 'Nitzsche said: 'I need someone who can sing like Howlin' Wolf to do 'Hard Workin' Man'.' I said: 'I know just the guy!’. 

I hadn't seen him in years, I called him up, and man, it took me an age to persuade him just to come down to the studio. And when he got there, he read the lyrics and said: 'I won't do it!' It came down to me locking him in the studio and telling him I wouldn't let him out until he had sung it! I can still remember his face as he was banging on the sound control room window, screaming to be let out! 

I thought: 'I've finally got revenge on all he put me through during 'Safe As Milk’!’"

Swing that hammer . . . . 

START THE WORKING WEEK with a DOOZIE! The Title Song from Blue Collar - Captain Beefheart '"Hard Workin' Man"'

 

“That’s exactly what the company wants - to keep you on their line. They’ll do anything to keep you on their line. They pit the lifers against the new boys, the old against the young, the black against the white - EVERYBODY to keep us in our place.”

— Smokey James, Blue Collar (1978)