| Workin' for a Livin' | |
| Cover: | Workin'_for_a_Livin'_-_Huey_Lewis_and_the_News.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Huey Lewis and the News |
| Album: | Picture This |
| Released: | 23 July 1982[1] |
| Recorded: | 1981 |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Length: | 2:36 |
| Label: | Chrysalis |
| Producer: | Huey Lewis and the News Bob Brown |
| Prev Title: | Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do |
| Prev Year: | 1982 |
| Next Title: | Heart and Soul |
| Next Year: | 1983 |
| Workin' for a Livin' | |
| Cover: | Garth Brooks - Workin' for a Livin'.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Garth Brooks and Huey Lewis |
| Album: | The Ultimate Hits |
| Released: | December 17, 2007 |
| Recorded: | 2007 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 2:44 |
| Label: | Big Machine, Pearl |
| Producer: | Allen Reynolds |
| Chronology: | Garth Brooks |
| Prev Title: | More Than a Memory |
| Prev Year: | 2007 |
| Next Title: | Midnight Sun |
| Next Year: | 2008 |
"Workin' for a Livin'" is a single by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1982. Included on their 1982 album Picture This, the song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, and number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. A live version appears as a B-side to the single "The Heart of Rock & Roll".[2]
According to Huey Lewis, the song was a semi-autobiographical one about past jobs he had before he became a musician.[3] Lewis had written it during his time as a truck driver. "I wrote it when I was actually working," Lewis said. "I thought about all of the jobs which just sort of popped out." Some of the jobs listed in the song (busboy and bartender) were also jobs Lewis had before becoming a musician. For decades after its release, Huey & the band used the song to close their live shows.
The song was used in the 1988 film Big starring Tom Hanks.[4]
The 1992 Fox sitcom Rachel Gunn, R.N. used a version of the song sung by lead actress Christine Ebersole as its opening theme.[5]
In 2007, Lewis recorded the song as a duet with country music singer Garth Brooks. This duet version is included on Brooks' 2007 album, The Ultimate Hits, and was released as a single. It is Lewis' first appearance on the Hot Country Songs chart, where the single reached the top 20.