Working in a Coal Mine

The loud beat thumps relentlessly. It is like a never-ending headache changing only with a mood, an arrangement, or a performer. The message of the song, in and of itself, is clear, but performers can change a song’s meaning without as much as the alteration of a single lyric. In 1966, Lee Dorsey released a song entitled, “Working in a Coal Mine.” Allen Toussaint wrote the lyrics and music. (Wikipedia-Working in a Coal Mine) The release of the song came at a time when America coal miners were enduring tremendous hardship in the coalmines of West Virginia. While it was not the intent of the songwriter to indicate any allegiance with the plight of coalminers, it found home with many of them. Some would eventually classify this as an anthem for the coalminer’s cause. The song sprouted branches in other musical genres where R&B roots ran deep. Specifically, these were Rock and Roll, and Country. The 1980’s ‘New Wave’ group, ‘Devo,’ (which stands for De-evolution) and the female Country duo, ‘The Judds’ created two of the most memorable performances to date. While genre most certainly plays a part in each presentation, gender, or a lack of, plays an equal role. On the one hand, ‘New Wave’ seeks androgyny; on the other, female country artists are not afraid to be seductively feminine. The presentations of ‘Working in a Coal Mine’ by both Devo and the Judd’s clearly demonstrate gender-influenced presentations of this classic R&B hit.

“We’ll I’ve been working in a coal mine going down and down. Working in a coal mine going down and down; oops my body slipped down.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRjgv62Ayc) With machine precision, Devo begins a rendition that expresses what would be extremely typical of the ‘New Wave’ i...

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...e one hand, androgyny can strip meaning and leave one with the impression the satirical. On the other hand, traditional femininity can promote, in the mind of a listener, especially a male listener, double entendre, perhaps never imagined in the mind of the original author.

The presentations of ‘Working in a Coal Mine’ by both Devo and the Judd’s demonstrate gender-influence upon the presentation of this classic R&B hit. While each altered the song very little in substance, (many of the harmonies and fills remained intact from the original) the unique approach by each produced altogether different outcomes. This demonstrates the message of a song may be clear, but performers can modify meaning without a single lyric revision. For some, this may be a new avenue of exploration, for others just another relentless beat grinding down into a never-ending headache.