Let's get this out of the way right off that bat: Bruce Springsteen himself has already devised the perfect Labor Day playlist, and you can hear it if you listen to the latest episode of "My Home To Yours" on SiriusXM (or take in Jay Lustig's masterful encapsulation on NJarts.net).
But Bruce did sell his own work a little short on his latest DJ stint -- let's face it, the entire playlist could have been made up of songs Springsteen himself has written or performed about work and its outsize role in our lives. We're talking about an entire oeuvre full of factory workers ("Factory"), construction workers ("The River"), crane operators ("Tucson Train"), shoe salesmen ("Highway 29"), rendering plant, er, renderers ("Straight Time"), firefighters ("Into the Fire"), mechanics ("The Promised Land"), auto workers ("Johnny 99"), flagmen ("Working on the Highway"), car wash attendants ("Downbound Train"), bartenders ("I'll Work For Your Love"), dock workers ("Night"), and, yes, supermarket cashiers ("Queen of the Supermarket"). They've been laid off ("Jack of All Trades"), arrested ("Darlington County"), and screwed over ("Pay Me My Money Down"). But they still find ways to blow off steam at the end of a tough week, be it by "Racing in the Street," going "Out in the Street," or just "Working on a Dream." Whew!
So here's our playlist of Bruce Springsteen work songs tailor-made for your Labor Day. Enjoy your day off thinking about all the workers who came before you, and the ones that we've met courtesy of Mr. Springsteen. (What songs would you add? Let us know in the comments.)