JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback Lyric Feedback Forum 2 BLUE COLLAR MAN...collab with Blake

This is a fairly upbeat little tune that Blake and I did. Thanks in advance for your time...

BLUE COLLAR MAN
© 2002 Blake Hill, BMI & Tony Gunter, BMI

1st verse
Scratchin out a living
In the hard red clay
Puts in a long day's work
Hoping to catch a break
He's doing all he knows
Doing all he can
It's a white collar world
He's a blue collar man

chorus
He's a blue collar man, caught in the middle
Trying to meet both ends
When the sun comes up each morning
It's time to start again
Prays a little each day
Asks God to lend a hand
Til then he'll keep on working
He's a blue collar man

2nd verse
Bought an old used tractor
Still won't sell his mules
In today's modern world
He's yesterday's fool
Ev'ry dollar comes hard
To his calloused hands
It's a white collar world
He's a blue collar man

chorus
He's a blue collar man, caught in the middle
Trying to meet both ends
When the sun comes up each morning
It's time to start again
Prays a little each day
Asks God to lend a hand
Til then he'll keep on working
He's a blue collar man

bridge
It might look like he don't have much
Don't need technology and such
Makes just what he needs
He's a man of simple means

chorus
He's a blue collar man, caught in the middle
Trying to meet both ends
When the sun comes up each morning
It's time to start again
Prays a little each day
Asks God to lend a hand
Til then he'll keep on working
He's a blue collar man


[This message has been edited by Perfectpitch (edited 08-01-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Perfectpitch (edited 08-01-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Perfectpitch (edited 08-01-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Perfectpitch (edited 08-04-2002).]

Tony and Blake,

Are these the same blue collared guys who're looking forward to the weekend in "Blood, Sweat and Beer(s)?"

BTO did a song many years back called "Blue Collar" which addressed the same theme as this, not that it's a repeat, just reminded me of it.

My biggest nit, and it's really more of a question needing opinions, is whether a farmer (am I right in assuming that's what this guy is?) is considered a blue-collar worker. I've always thought of blue-collar workers as more industrial (factory, assembly line, etc.). If I'm wrong, then this lyric cooks.

I like this line, but would make one change:

IN a white collar world,
He's a blue collar man.

The only thing that had me stumbling is the first four lines of the chorus. I read this lyric as a pretty bouncy, upbeat number (as you described at the top), but the meter and stresses in the first part of the chorus made that kind of difficult. Maybe those lines could be smoothed out some.

Really good writing, though, another fine collab.

Greg

This reads pretty smoothly all the way through. Greg's got a very good point about this guy being a farmer, though. Besides not being blue-collar in the strictest sense of the term, I think farming is too archaic an occupation to celebrate in a song like this. An ode to an assembly line worker would be better yet.

Nit-wise, I'd say "It's a white-collar world, BUT he's a blue-collar man" (Greg's suggestion is good too), and lines 6 and 7 of the chorus makes it seem like he's praying for his own death. What I mean is, you're saying he'll keep on working 'til God lends a hand, and since he'll probably work 'til the day he dies, then..... well, that's the conclusion I got out of it.

Really nice job here, guys. Fairly solid stuff. Good luck with it.

Anthony


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Hey Gregster; always appreciate your opinions and insights, thanks for making them and taking the time to stop in buddy.

Nice Job!
Reminds me of Brooks and Dunn's Hard Workin' Man...only better I like the reference to the farmer if that's what he is...coming from farm country in my humble opinion they are the true blue...blue collar men, with blue jeans and overalls to boot Good luck with this one..Cheers Trudi

Now I know you wrote this just because of my comments on your last collab

In my head melody, i wanted to get rid of "puts in" in v1,

and line 1 of v2 did not want to follow the pattern of line 1 of v2

ie

scratching out a living in the hard red clay

repeats melodically better as

chasing down the rows after that ole mule


and maybe an alternate for the first two lines of the bridge to smooth that technology bump

it might look like dirt poor's not much
sure doesn't look like he has enough

that's about it from here

ciao

Hello Greg,
Well, these guys are a little different tho both collars work awfully hard!! He is a farmer. The tune in the head supports the chorus but it might be stronger with a different look.Thanks for the look and the ideas too!
Tony

Hi Anthony,
Thanks for stopping in. This song is about a farmer.You are kidding about the farmer comments aren't you? They are the original blue collared workers IMO! As far as the celebrating part goes...everyone takes for granted where their meals come from. The farmers should be celebrated for the hours they put in for , sometimes, a very hard earned dollar. It all starts on a farm if it's fit to eat. Willie has Farm Aid each year to try and help them get a fighting chance in todays world. You came to the right place on line 6 and 7. That was the intention of those two lines. Thanks for the look and saying it was good,
Tony

Hello Trudi,
Thanks for the kind words specially the ones bout B&D's song!! I have a lot of respect for the farmers in this world.
Tony

Hello John,
Thanks for the time, comments and ideas for this one! We appreciate it!!
Tony

Hi ya Tony and Blake,
It looks really good. I do like some of John's comments, it might smooth it out some. I guess it all depends on the music though.
You two seem to work well together, keep it up!
Take Care
Ria

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http://angelfire.com/amiga/riassonglyrics

Tonster and Blakebro,

Looks mighty fine to me. Y`all are killin me! I have one with a similar hook, that I started about 6 months ago...and now I`ll have to wait 10 years until everybody forgets your last two hits. (Mine`s different enough, but haven`t had the brain strike up the right lines anyway!) I`ve always considered the farmer as the "ultimate blue collar man". Farmers don`t quit when the whistle blows, they go til the work`s done. Day in and day out. Nice idea to tip a hat to them in a lyric. No gripes here. Dano.

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www.angelfire.com/music3/danolyrics

Hey there Elizabeth, thanks for stopping in and giving this one a read too....most of the kudos should go to Mr Gunter on this one!

Howdy you two...

Another fine collab from two of the best in the business IMO. You won't get any 'beef' from me about how hard farmers work, having lived on a dairy farm for a long time. If it wasn't milking twice a day, then it was hay to be cut "if the rain cooperated", a tractor to be fixed (always), corn to be planted or picked or...any of the myriad of chores that simply would not wait. Thanks for a fine song. In the chorus, I just wanted it to say...he's a blue collar man, he's caught in the middle, just trying to meet both ends. Maybe it's just me...

However, my only real nit is that a farmer doesn't technically draw "pay". That doesn't seem to work for me, since a farmer only gets what he earns after he sells his crops or animals and that is different than getting wages that are paid to you by a boss.
Maybe...he's earned every break or he never gets a break, something like that might work better.

All the best on a very good one here.
Bobbie

Hi Ria,
Thanks for thinking this was a good one. I really enjoyed the co-writing!
Tony

Danoman!
Thanks for the nice things you wrote. Means a lot,
Tony

Thanks for the ideas Bobbie! Done been edited in there and it flows way better too!
Tony

Thanks Dan and Bobbie for the reads....AND for the GREAT suggestions on this one. Much appreciated!

Mightyfine Guys,
And after spending the last 10 years of my life as a farmer, I can identify.
One little thing stuck out. With all the real farmers that I knew (my farm was more akin to greenhouse farming) I only know for certain that one of them plowed her fields by walking behind a plowhorse. EVERYone else used a tractor. Nice visual, but even small, small farmers (at least where I was) couldn't plow enough land to make a living that way. (the one I knew, had another job on the side)And that was with selling most of the crop at farmer's markets which would double or even triple what the farmer would get selling to wholesalers (which most higher volume farms would have to do)
But that's was Washington. Guess I can't speak for the rest of the country.


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Harriet

Been lots of blue collar songs, over the years, just about a country staple, like truck driving. I'd say "Plowing row after row, behind that old mule" which is better than "chasing", but I agree with Harriet, no farmer uses mules anymore, at least none trying to make a living, they couldn't do it that way up against those that use machinery. I'd find a better example of a blue collar worker, perhaps a factory guy, or millhand. /Glen

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"The process of learning is often more important than what is being learned"
-----The Kat----

Coming soon. New site, new songs.
Glen King
http://www.hear.cd

Hi Harriet,
Good to see you round here!! Missed your smiling typefont! Thanks for the comments on this one. The farmers I am mostly thinking of here are small potatoes...my uncle is one of them. Just got his first tractor last year after 30 years of the other way! He and his boys have followed a mule for as long as I can remember. You are right about competing in the world market. The boys all worked nights at a local factory to help pay the bills and would help "Dad" most every day that wasn't raining. Thanks again Harriet and hurry back fulltime!!
Tony

Hi Glen!
Thanks for your time and comments on this one! There are some of them left and they mostly are just fighting to survive as a family farm. They share what equipment they do have between neighbors and do the best they can. Most that try to compete in the big market have moved up to tractors and advanced ways of doing the job. I could lose the mule line and it'd still cover the collars needed for this one! Thanks again,
Tony

B&T,

With so many edits I opted to read all them there replies before I decided to myself. Nice story and it is very solid. I imagine the tractor/mule lines have been changed. The do fit today's picture of the farmer and not selling the mules ties in nicely with the next two lines. On a personal note I'd like to mention that there are a couple of my relatives that still plow their tobacco fileds behind the mule. It almost seems to be an art of sorts, a comfortable way of life and way to keep in touch with their roots.

Way to go guys,
d

Well, I like it.

I like songs about farmers.
I like songs about blue collars workers.
I like songs about drinking beer.

Now, why do I like country music?

Fine job!

dawg

Evenin Dee and Dawg!
Thank you both for looking and liking!! I appreciate your time,
Tony