| "Working Class Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byJimmy Barnes | ||||
| from the albumFor the Working Class Man | ||||
| B-side | "Boys Cry Out For War" | |||
| Released | November 1985 (Australia) 1986 (US) | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records,Geffen Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jonathan Cain | |||
| Producer(s) | Jonathan Cain | |||
| Jimmy Barnes singles chronology | ||||
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"Working Class Man" is a song performed and made famous by Australian singerJimmy Barnes. It was written byJourney keyboardistJonathan Cain. "Working Class Man" is generally considered Barnes'signature song as a solo artist.[1]
At the1985 Countdown Music Awards, the song won Best Male Performance in a Video.[2]
In January 2018, as part ofTriple M's "Ozzest 100", the "most Australian" songs of all time, "Working Class Man" was ranked number 3.[3]
The song was released in November 1985 as the second single from the 1985 albumFor the Working Class Man. The single spent 14 weeks in the Australian charts, entering at No. 21 and peaking at No. 5.[4] It also spent seven weeks on the New Zealand charts, peaking at No. 34.
It was later played over the credits of the 1986Ron Howard filmGung Ho, where in some countries, including Australia, the film was released asWorking Class Man. Barnes also performed "Working Class Man" at the closing ceremony of the2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Barnes has said of the song, "I went to America just afterBodyswerve and metJonathan Cain, who was inThe Babys andJourney. It means a lot to me. Most people thought it was written about me, but it was actually written about my audience-- staunch, honest people, who work and who care."[5] Barnes said that, due to the "great band" he had, the recording was done in about 5 takes. "It was fun to sing, so I was really pleased. I didn't realise how much of an impact it would have as an image centre for the next five years."[6]
The music video was filmed in Australia at thePort Kembla Steelworks in Wollongong, New South Wales, and in cane fields near Cairns in Queensland. The Director/DOP of the clip was Chris Frazer, and the Producer/2nd unit Camera was Mark Lovick.[7]
At the 2003Melbourne Comedy Festival, comedianAdam Hills performed a popular version of Australia'snational anthem "Advance Australia Fair" to the tune of "Working Class Man" titled the "Working Class Anthem". He released it as a single the following year.
Hills performed the song for Barnes when he appeared as a guest on the television programSpicks and Specks.
7" Single (K 9883)
| Chart (1985/86) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 5 |
In 1993, AustralianJohn Schumann covered the song on his albumTrue Believers.In 2004, Australian singer-songwriterShannon Noll recorded a cover of "Working Class Man". It was released as a B-side track for his second singleDrive.Australian singer songwriter Martin Way covered the song acoustically in 2012 and fellow AustralianAdam Brand and the Outlaws covered the song on the 2016 albumAdam Brand and the Outlaws.
Lacy J. Dalton released a version in 1986 that reached number 16 in theUS Country charts. Barnes said of this version, "She was managed by a guy who used to manageSplit Enz, a Kiwi guy, who took the song to her. She did a great version, but it's got a real twang."[5]