Workin' for a Livin'

"Workin' for a Livin'"
"Workin' for a Livin'"
Single by Garth Brooks and Huey Lewis
from the album The Ultimate Hits
Released	December 17, 2007
Recorded	2007
Genre	Country
Length	2:44
Label	Big Machine, Pearl
Songwriter(s)	Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes
Producer(s)	Allen Reynolds
Garth Brooks singles chronology

"Workin' for a Livin'"
"Workin' for a Livin'"
Single by Huey Lewis and the News
from the album Picture This
Released	23 July 1982
Recorded	1981
Genre	Rock
Length	2:36
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes
Producer(s)	Huey Lewis and the News; Bob Brown
Huey Lewis and the News singles chronology

"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]

History

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.^[3] "I wrote it when I was actually working," Lewis said. "I thought about all of the jobs which just sort of popped out."^[3] Some of the jobs listed in the song (busboy and bartender) were also jobs Lewis had before becoming a musician.^[3] 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]

Later version

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.

Charts

Huey Lewis and the News version

Chart (1982)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100^[6]	41
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[7]	20

Garth Brooks & Huey Lewis version

Chart (2007–2008)	Peak position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)^[8]	15
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[9]	19

References

^ "Huey Lewis And The News - Working For A Livin'".
^ "ultratop.be - Huey Lewis And The News - The Heart Of Rock & Roll". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Exclusive Interview with Huey Lewis by Steve Wosahla, Song Hits Magazine, July 1984
^ Bierly, Mandi. "Huey Lewis' favorite music in films". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
^ (10 July 1992). Rachel Gunn, R.N., Entertainment Weekly
^ "Huey Lewis The News Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Huey Lewis The News Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
^ "Garth Brooks Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Garth Brooks Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

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[1] "Huey Lewis And The News - Working For A Livin'".

[bside-2] "ultratop.be - Huey Lewis And The News - The Heart Of Rock & Roll". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2009-03-20.

[SongHits-3] Exclusive Interview with Huey Lewis by Steve Wosahla, Song Hits Magazine, July 1984

[4] Bierly, Mandi. "Huey Lewis' favorite music in films". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 September 2022.

[title_song-5] (10 July 1992). Rachel Gunn, R.N., Entertainment Weekly

[sc_Billboardhot100_Huey_Lewis_The_News-6] "Huey Lewis The News Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_Huey_Lewis_The_News-7] "Huey Lewis The News Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.

[sc_Billboardbubbling100_Garth_Brooks-8] "Garth Brooks Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Garth_Brooks-9] "Garth Brooks Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

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v t e Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis Johnny Colla Bill Gibson Sean Hopper John Pierce Stef Burns James Harrah Marvin McFadden Rob Sudduth Johnnie Bamont Mario Cipollina Chris Hayes Ron Stallings
Studio albums	Huey Lewis and the News Picture This Sports Fore! Small World Hard at Play Four Chords & Several Years Ago Plan B Soulsville Weather
Live albums	Live at 25
Compilations	The Heart of Rock & Roll – The Best of Huey Lewis and The News Time Flies... The Best of Huey Lewis & the News Greatest Hits & Videos
Singles	"Do You Believe in Love" "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do" "Workin' for a Livin'" "Heart and Soul" "I Want a New Drug" "The Heart of Rock & Roll" "If This Is It" "Walking on a Thin Line" "The Power of Love" "Stuck with You" "Hip to Be Square" "Jacob's Ladder" "I Know What I Like" "Doing It All for My Baby" "Perfect World" "Give Me the Keys (And I'll Drive You Crazy)" "Couple Days Off" "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" "(She's) Some Kind of Wonderful" "But It's Alright" "Little Bitty Pretty One"
Related articles	Discography Songs The Heart of Rock and Roll (musical) Clover
Category

v t e Garth Brooks singles
Garth Brooks	"Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" "If Tomorrow Never Comes" "Not Counting You" "The Dance"
No Fences	"Friends in Low Places" "Unanswered Prayers" "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" "The Thunder Rolls" "Wild Horses" (released in 2000)
Ropin' the Wind	"Rodeo" "Shameless" "What She's Doing Now" "Papa Loved Mama" "The River"
The Chase	"We Shall Be Free" "Somewhere Other Than the Night" "Learning to Live Again" "That Summer"
In Pieces	"Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" "American Honky-Tonk Bar Association" "Standing Outside the Fire" "One Night a Day" "Callin' Baton Rouge" "The Red Strokes"
Fresh Horses	"She's Every Woman" "The Fever" "The Beaches of Cheyenne" "The Change" "It's Midnight Cinderella" "That Ol' Wind"
Sevens	"Longneck Bottle" "She's Gonna Make It" "Two Piña Coladas" "You Move Me" "Do What You Gotta Do" (released in 2000)
The Limited Series	"To Make You Feel My Love"
Double Live	"It's Your Song"
Scarecrow	"When You Come Back to Me Again" (released in 2000) "Wrapped Up in You" "Squeeze Me In" (with Trisha Yearwood) "Thicker Than Blood" "Why Ain't I Running"
The Lost Sessions	"Good Ride Cowboy" "Love Will Always Win"
The Ultimate Hits	"More Than a Memory" "Workin' for a Livin'" (with Huey Lewis)
Man Against Machine	"People Loving People" "Mom"
Gunslinger	"Baby, Let's Lay Down and Dance" "Ask Me How I Know"
Fun	"All Day Long" "Stronger Than Me" "Dive Bar" (with Blake Shelton) "Shallow" "That's What Cowboys Do"
Guest singles	"Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy" (with Chris LeDoux; uncredited) "In Another's Eyes" (with Trisha Yearwood) "Burnin the Roadhouse Down" (with Steve Wariner) "Where Your Road Leads" (with Trisha Yearwood) "Katie Wants a Fast One" (with Steve Wariner)
Other songs	"Hard Luck Woman" "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy"