Mix Tape Friday: Finest Worksongs

We have a long set this week to keep your toe tappin’ during the holiday weekend — and, in honor of Labor Day, it’s all about work.

R.E.M.: Finest Worksong

Elvis Costello: Welcome to the Working Week

Bruce Springsteen: Working on the Highway

Donna Summer: She Works Hard for the Money

The Members: Working Girl

Julian Cope: Five O'Clock World

Michael Jackson: Workin' Day and Night

DEVO: Working in the Coal Mine

King Missile: Take Stuff from Work

Johnny Paycheck: Take This Job and Shove It

Alex Chilton: Lost My Job

Cate Brothers: Union Man

Billy Bragg: There Is Power in a Union

Bob Dylan: Workingman's Blues #2

The Clash: Working and Waiting

The Replacements: God Damn Job *

eels: All in a Day's Work

Warren Zevon: The Factory

Patti Smith feat. Tom Verlaine + Richard Hell: Piss Factory

R.E.M.: Oddfellows Local 151

New Order: Working Overtime

Uncle Tupelo: Factory Belt

P.J. Harvey: Working for the Man

Ministry: Work for Love

NRBQ: Whistle While You Work

Nellie McKay: Work Song

Pernice Brothers: Working Girls (Sunlight Shines)

John Lennon: Working Class Hero

Randy Newman: Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)

Richard Thompson: Friday on My Mind

Loverboy: Working for the Weekend

Stan Ridgway: I Wanna Be a Boss

Detroit Cobras: Boss Lady

James Brown: The Boss

Elvis Presley: Big Boss Man

Snoop Dogg: Da Boss Would Like to See You

* UPDATE: Because I strive to keep Haahnster and Pistols at Dawn musically happy, I searched high and low, finally tracking down the 'Mats track ... God Damn!

Warren Zevon wins the prize for the best work crew: R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry — and Bob Dylan on harmonica — on "The Factory." How Dylan ended up playing on this track is included in the Zevon bio, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.

A very close second for best work crew: Patti Smith, of course, with Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell. My deep, loyal love for all things R.E.M. and Zevon edged out this hardworking, beyond-cool team.

The hardest-working man in rock 'n' roll, the late James Brown, also makes an appearance on Finest Worksongs.

This week marks the first hair band appearance on Mix Tape Fridays: Loverboy. This is one of the very few hair-band songs I like. Somewhere I have this on 45, stashed way back in a box with my Def Leppard “Photograph” and AC/DC “All Night Long” singles.

Have a great Labor Day weekend, kids! If you’re in the Atlanta area, look me up at the Decatur Book Festival.

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