Have you ever wanted to tell your boss to walk four feet off of a two-foot ledge? Have you been in a relationship where all you can think about is finding a way to chew off the chains to escape the ball and chain? Trust me, there are plenty of songs that address workplace frustration, relationship frustration, friendship frustration, all of the above.
With that in mind… let me share, and we’ll all have some fun in the process.
QUEEN
Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…)
Apparently this was “dedicated to” Queen’s former manager, Norman Sheffield. Guess there aren’t too many nice feelings between the band and this guy, eh?
BLOTTO
Bud Is After Us
Another case of a manager / band dispute, Blotto incorporated the manager’s answering machine message into this song. For years, it was only available on the band’s debut LP, as there was a legal issue that prevented the song from ever appearing on any anthology or greatest hits packages.
THE RECORDS
Starry Eyes
Another big eff ewe to a band manager; in this case, the band’s vitriol turned into their only hit. Ironic, eh?
THE GREG KIHN BAND
The Breakup Song
Again… band breaks up, writes one last song before they go… the song becomes a Top 40 hit and the band gets back together. Sounds like a pop music version of “chicken,” doesn’t it?
LYNDA CARTER
You’re Moving Out Today
This was a minor hit by songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, and I believe Bette Midler also recorded a version of this “kick the boyfriend out” song. So why did I put this song on the K-Chuck Radio playlist? Okay, do I have to explain that it’s the hottest TV star of the 1970’s, Lynda Carter, singing this?
JOHNNY PAYCHECK
Take This Job and Shove It
How many of us wanted to play this song on our last day of that dead-end retail / cashier / custodial less-than-minimum-wage job?
BLOTTO
I Quit
Here’s another Blotto song, and this actually got released as a 45 by Attic Records in Canada. Of all the songs that should have been released as singles… they picked THIS ONE? Those two-bit fat-head jerks…
JbDUBS
I Hate My Job
Your move, Beyonce…
ORAN “JUICE” JONES
The Rain
Listen, for all you women who kept singing “To the left, to the left, everything you own is in a box to the left,” we men had a great response. It was to put this record on, and expose our five minutes of “you without me is like corn flakes without the milk.”
ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS
Love Went Mad
And if you’re wondering where I got today’s headline for the K-Chuck Radio broadcast… it came from the lyrics of this awesome Elvis Costello song.
But even after all this, you don’t need to worry. I won’t break up with you, and I’ll always take my work seriously – there’ll be a new blog post tomorrow, and the next day and the next. Kisses!
Chuck The Writer 
My single favorite work line is: “Every single meeting with his so-called superior is a humiliating kick in the crotch.” Synchronicity II- the Police. Been there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLmjjyxhoMY
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If nothing else, Vanz Kant Danz belongs in this collection! The ultimate song by John Fogerty dedicated to record company exec Saul Zaentz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjpAYfCFmJ4
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Bud actually appeared on the band’s debut EP, which I own. There’s an album with the same name that DOESN’T include Bud. From the discography on http://www.blotto.net/
Hello! My Name Is Blotto. What’s Yours?
Blotto Records, 001. 12″ vinyl EP, 1980.
I Wanna Be a Lifeguard, (We Are) The Nowtones,
Stop! In the Name of Love, Bud…Is After Us.
Hello! My Name Is Blotto. What’s Yours?
Attic Records (Canada), LAT 1165. 12″ vinyl LP, 1983.
When the Second Feature Starts, Occupational Hazard,
She’s Got a Big Boyfriend, Metal Head, It’s Not You,
I Wanna Be a Lifeguard, (We Are) The Nowtones,
My Baby’s the Star of a Driver’s Ed Movie, I Quit.
(this is the same title and same cover as Blotto’s first EP,
yet the tracklist is different)
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