Working on the Highway Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Friday night, pay night, guys fresh out of work
Talking 'bout the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt
Some heading home to their families, some are looking to get hurt
Some going down to Stovall wearing trouble on their shirts
I work for the county out on 95
All day I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by
In my head, I keep a picture of a pretty little miss
Someday, mister, I'm gonna lead a better life than this
[Chorus]
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long, I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
[Verse 2]
I met her at a dance down at the union hall
She was standing with her brothers, back up against the wall
Sometimes we'd go walking down the union tracks
One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back, so I'm
[Chorus]
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
Friday night, pay night, guys fresh out of work
Talking 'bout the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt
Some heading home to their families, some are looking to get hurt
Some going down to Stovall wearing trouble on their shirts
I work for the county out on 95
All day I hold a red flag and watch the traffic pass me by
In my head, I keep a picture of a pretty little miss
Someday, mister, I'm gonna lead a better life than this
[Chorus]
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long, I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
[Verse 2]
I met her at a dance down at the union hall
She was standing with her brothers, back up against the wall
Sometimes we'd go walking down the union tracks
One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back, so I'm
[Chorus]
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
[Bridge]
I saved up my money and I put it all away
I went to see her daddy, but we didn't have much to say
"Son, can't you see that she's just a little girl?
She don't know nothing about this cruel, cruel world"
[Verse 3]
We left down to Florida, we got along all right
One day her brothers came and got her and they took me in a black-and-white
The prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day
And the judge got mad and he put me straight away
I wake up every morning to the work bell clang
Me and the warden go swinging on the Charlotte County road gang
[Chorus]
I'm working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
[Outro]
Ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-hoo-hoo
All right, c'mon
I saved up my money and I put it all away
I went to see her daddy, but we didn't have much to say
"Son, can't you see that she's just a little girl?
She don't know nothing about this cruel, cruel world"
[Verse 3]
We left down to Florida, we got along all right
One day her brothers came and got her and they took me in a black-and-white
The prosecutor kept the promise that he made on that day
And the judge got mad and he put me straight away
I wake up every morning to the work bell clang
Me and the warden go swinging on the Charlotte County road gang
[Chorus]
I'm working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
Working on the highway, laying down the blacktop
Working on the highway, all day long I don't stop
Working on the highway, blasting through the bedrock
Working on the highway, working on the highway
[Outro]
Ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-hoo-hoo
All right, c'mon
About
Genius Annotation
In this deceptively upbeat rockabilly number, the Boss plays a guy who starts out laying blacktop as a highway worker and winds up doing the same job on a prison chain gang. His situation goes from bad to worse—all because he skips town with a (presumably underage) girl and runs afoul of her father and brothers. Bruce keeps it lighthearted, but it’s very much in keeping with this album’s dark views of the American dream.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 2.Cover Me
- 4.Working on the Highway
- 6.I’m on Fire
- 7.No Surrender
- 8.Bobby Jean
- 10.Glory Days
- 12.My Hometown
Credits
Produced By
Written By
Recording Engineer
Mixed At
Mixing Engineer
Drums
Recorded At
The Power Station
Release Date
June 4, 1984
Working on the Highway Covers
Working on the Highway Live Performances
Tags
Comments