Also songs used when people needed to work in rhythm. Many are familiar folk songs. Like
--sea chanteys where the lead singer's solo line would get everyone set, and then they'd all sing (and therefore exhale) when they put out their effort pulling on a line.
-- field hollers that were used to keep lines hoeing a field up with each other. (And field hollers, speeded up and with some rhythm and some guitar added, might have been one of the origins of the blues, and thus of most American popular music since 1920)
-- capstan chanteys that kept people pretty much walking in the same rhythm while they turned giant cranks.
Very often work songs were subversive, making fun of the boss, complaining about the conditions, and sometimes carrying instructions for prison breaks, union organizing, or the Underground Railroad.
--sea chanteys where the lead singer's solo line would get everyone set, and then they'd all sing (and therefore exhale) when they put out their effort pulling on a line.
-- field hollers that were used to keep lines hoeing a field up with each other. (And field hollers, speeded up and with some rhythm and some guitar added, might have been one of the origins of the blues, and thus of most American popular music since 1920)
-- capstan chanteys that kept people pretty much walking in the same rhythm while they turned giant cranks.
Very often work songs were subversive, making fun of the boss, complaining about the conditions, and sometimes carrying instructions for prison breaks, union organizing, or the Underground Railroad.
Work songs examples:
Sea chantey,
Leader (while the end man belays, and everyone walks up the line and gets a grip): Reuben was no sailor ...
Crew (Singing while they pull the line back): Ranzo, boys ranzo!
(later in the song it turns out Reuben is now the captain ...)
Field holler ...
Leader: (while the crew picks up their hammers, stretches, and gets ready to swing): When Israel was in Egypt land ...
Crew (hitting on the drills on let, peop, and go): LET MY PEOPLE GO!
Capstan chantey, used to turn the winch to move the locks on the canal ...
Leader (while crew breathe and get set): I got a mule, her name is Sal ...
Crew (Walking forward, pushing on the capstan bars): FIFTEEN MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL!
Sea chantey,
Leader (while the end man belays, and everyone walks up the line and gets a grip): Reuben was no sailor ...
Crew (Singing while they pull the line back): Ranzo, boys ranzo!
(later in the song it turns out Reuben is now the captain ...)
Field holler ...
Leader: (while the crew picks up their hammers, stretches, and gets ready to swing): When Israel was in Egypt land ...
Crew (hitting on the drills on let, peop, and go): LET MY PEOPLE GO!
Capstan chantey, used to turn the winch to move the locks on the canal ...
Leader (while crew breathe and get set): I got a mule, her name is Sal ...
Crew (Walking forward, pushing on the capstan bars): FIFTEEN MILES ON THE ERIE CANAL!
by old lang guy July 14, 2008
Get the Work Songsmug. by Yostiemonster February 2, 2006
Get the working for the Mousemug. You had sex with the new girl?
"Ya butt she wasn't very good. I had to teach her what to do. Kinda like your wife, haha."
You really are a piece of work.
"Ya butt she wasn't very good. I had to teach her what to do. Kinda like your wife, haha."
You really are a piece of work.
by Zenagin October 21, 2015
Get the piece of workmug. by He's the boxman September 21, 2006
Get the corner workmug. When you whack off so hard that when you are finished you feel like you just worked out, and possibly sweating.
by rossie July 8, 2007
Get the Work offmug. singlehandedly, the stupidest phrase i have ever heard. it is not funny when used to a student and it is not funny when used to a coworker. you are not witty, you are a dumbass.
first off, there is no way that you can in any way compare working hard to hardly working. how can you confuse the two? you can't.
second off, if you have in some way found a way to a management position and use this phrase, someone in your office is going to send you a big bag of poop.
thirdly, it is not a pick up line. a pick up line is, "hey baby, do you have any black in you? you want some?" this does not compare.
first off, there is no way that you can in any way compare working hard to hardly working. how can you confuse the two? you can't.
second off, if you have in some way found a way to a management position and use this phrase, someone in your office is going to send you a big bag of poop.
thirdly, it is not a pick up line. a pick up line is, "hey baby, do you have any black in you? you want some?" this does not compare.
by shizzfuzz May 17, 2010
Get the working hard or hardly workingmug. by Sexy lady of B-Town June 11, 2008
Get the going to workmug.