Work

Album: Versatile (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Many can relate to this song's hook: "All I do is work."

    Even rock stars feel this way sometimes, which is what inspired Pop Evil frontman Leigh Kakaty to write the lyric. When the band was working on their sixth album, Versatile, it got to be a slog. "We got caught up in the flow, like this is work and we've got to show up to work," he told Songfacts. "And I'm like, 'I don't show up to work.' This is the dream job because it's fun. We show up to the studio, we don't show up to work."
  • Kakaty calls this the "most versatile, experimental" Pop Evil song to date. He credit's the track's producer, Kevin Hissink, for encouraging him to change his delivery on the song, which Kakaty feels is spoken word.
  • All the people I know are stuck on my phone

    With phones appended to our bodies, it's hard to relax, making every moment feel like "work." Leigh Kakaty explained to Loudwire: "With technology infused in our lives, human communication and social media are at an all-time high. It's almost impossible to completely shut down and rest your mind. This song embodies the angst and the emotions of just wanting to be left alone for a minute. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that can relate to 'Work' even more so now than ever."
  • The animated video takes place in a meatpacking plant, where identical workers are making the sausage. In the end, one goes rogue and puts an end to it. The video was animated by Juan Dahik and Malachi Staples.
  • When Leigh Kakaty first wrote "Work," he didn't intend it to be a Pop Evil song at all. Rather, he penned the tune as a way to get some of his friends who aren't as into rock to listen to heavier music. "I figured if we could have some of that language that they understand and smother it with guitars, which everyone loves, maybe they'd be more open to hear the voices of us singing more rock and metal music," he explained.

    When it became clear that Kakaty's friends and family loved the song, he shared it with his Pop Evil band mates. "The band, they were, like, 'Wow, this is awesome. We don't have anything like this in our live show, what if we could just give it a go?'" he recalled. "As it started to take shape and the band added their two cents, it was just obvious that it felt, like, 'Wow, this is a special song.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.