Take This Job and Shove It
Johnny Paycheck · 1977
27 min · 10 tracks · country music
A rebellious anthem fueled by gritty vocals and honky-tonk melodies that resonate with blue-collar frustration.
Top tracks — play these first
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Take This Job and Shove It Start here — The title track serves as a rallying cry for disillusioned workers, combining sharp lyrics with an infectious melody that resonates deeply with its audience.
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From Cotton to Satin (From Birmingham to Manhattan) — This song highlights the journey of moving from traditional roots to urban life, showcasing Paycheck's storytelling prowess and connection to American working-class struggles.
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Barstool Mountain — With its vivid imagery and relatable themes of heartache and escapism, this track encapsulates the emotional landscape of blue-collar life in America.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album captures blue-collar sentiments through solid songwriting and traditional country arrangements.
What we noticed
- Several tracks feature traditional honky-tonk instrumentation, including steel guitar and piano, which reinforce the country music style.
- The album maintains a consistent mid-tempo pace, with only a few slower ballads that provide contrast without disrupting flow.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- quick bursts of rebellion
- working-class frustration anthems
- concise storytelling with resolution
- sing-along moments with friends
Maybe skip if you
- slow-paced reflective experiences
- long, sprawling compositions
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — This album solidified Paycheck's reputation with its iconic anthem of working-class discontent.
- Career context
- By the time 'Take This Job and Shove It' was released in January 1977, Johnny Paycheck had already established himself as a prominent figure in country music. This album followed his successful hit single of the same name, which became a defining moment in his career, solidifying his reputation as a voice for the working class.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Merle Haggard· David Allan Coe· Waylon Jennings
Tracklist
- 1 Take This Job and Shove It Start here 2:35
- 2 From Cotton to Satin (From Birmingham to Manhattan) 3:05
- 3 The Spirits of St. Louis 3:03
- 4 The 4" F" Blues 2:37
- 5 Barstool Mountain 2:50
- 6 Georgia in a Jug 2:41
- 7 The Fool Strikes Again 2:28
- 8 The Man From Bowling Green 2:49
- 9 When I Had a Home to Go To 2:14
- 10 Colorado Kool-Aid 3:35
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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