Working Man

Rush released their self-titled debut album on their own label, Moon Records, in 1974. A DJ named Donna Halper at WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio, listened to the last track, "Working Man," and put it on the air, giving the band liftoff. It fit her criteria for three reasons: 1) Cleveland was a working town, and the lyrics were very relatable to their audience. 2) WMMS was an album-oriented rock station, so they looked for songs that other stations weren't playing. 3) Running 7:07, the song gave plenty of time for the DJ to take a bathroom or smoke break. Immediately, the radio station received calls from people asking when the new Led Zeppelin album was coming out; they were surprised to learn that the vocalist was not Robert Plant, but Geddy Lee, lead singer for a new band called Rush. Thanks to the airplay, the album picked up steam in Cleveland and got the attention of Mercury Records, which signed the band and re-released the album with their promotional might behind it. With the backing of a major label, Rush soon became one of the most popular rock bands in the US and Canada.

This was one of the few popular Rush songs not co-written by Neil Peart, who hadn't joined the group yet (John Rutsey was their drummer). Like most songs on their debut album, "Working Man" was written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.

This song tells the story of a typical working man, stuck his routine of putting in his hours, coming home, then doing it all over again the next day. He has greater ambitions, but doesn't seem to have the will to act on them: It seems to me I could live my life A lot better than I think I am Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson never had 9-5s like this guy, but they did put in the work, playing any gig they could get after forming the band while they were still in high school.