Workin' Man Blues

Song composer(s)

Haggard, Merle

Grateful Dead Recordings

Not recorded by the Dead

Dead Related Recordings

No Dead related recordings entered

Other Recordings

Single : Merle Haggard (1969)
Songs I'll Always Sing : Merle Haggard (1976)
Killer - The Mercury Years, Vol. 2 (1969-1972) : Jerry Lee Lewis (1989)
Capitol Collectors Series : Merle Haggard (1990)
Mama's Hungry Eyes - A Tribute To Merle Haggard : Various Artists (1994)
Greatest Hits, Vol. One : Merle Haggard (1994)
Killer Country : Jerry Lee Lewis (1995)

Performance History

Played only in New Riders Of The Purple Sage sets in 1970/71 Dead shows which were structured as follows; Acoustic Dead set, NRPS set, Electric Dead set.

Notes

Written by Haggard in an attempt to produce a song that would have the same impact as Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, a song that the 'ordinary working man could relate to.'

According to Haggard it took 30 minutes to write whilst on the tour bus near Tuscon.

Number one in the country charts in August 1969.