© 2026 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Own a business? Expand your reach and grow your audience by becoming an underwriter on NHPR.

The Long, Hard History of the Work Song

Men and women have long made music to accompany their labor. Musician Ted Gioia says that work songs are more than a musical genre, they're a transformational tool.

"It made the work less arduous, it made the hours roll by," Gioia says. "It allowed them to have some sort of mastery over their work conditions which were often very demeaning ones."

Ted Gioia, author of the new book Work Songs, shares some of his favorites with us.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.