How to Beat the Workin'-for-the-Man Blues

If you, like me, have to work on President's Day, you may find it easy to get the "Workin' for the Man" blues. But as someone who was recently unemployed, I can tell you from experience it's a helluva lot better than not working.

Another remedy for "Workin' for the Man" is "Walkin' Down The Line," the 1963 Bob Dylan toe-tappin' ode to hard travelin' that was a hit for several other artists in the 60s and 70s but was never released by Dylan himself until the first Bootleg Series in 1991.

Dylan didn't seem to have much use for the song (he probably wrote it in about 15 seconds), but it became pure gold in the hands of many others, particularly the little-known gospel-soul-folk duo Joe & Eddie. The following clip from 1966 is one of the most exuberant performances ever caught on tape. So excited are Joe & Eddie about walking down the line that even when they walk off the line, they can't stop walkin'. Nor should they.

YouTube: Joe & Eddie, "Walkin' Down the Line," 1966 TV Special


If that doesn't chase the punch-the-clock blues away, check out this version by a young and fetching Linda Ronstadt. This clip succeeds on its own country-rock merits, but what throws it into the stratosphere is the sight of Rob "Meathead" Reiner on bass, looking like he just walked off the All in the Family set.

YouTube: Linda Ronstadt, "Walkin' Down the Line," 1969 TV Special


For your toe-tappin', blues-beatin' President's Day pleasure, the original Bob Dylan version plus a spirited 1987 rehearsal take with the Grateful Dead:

Bob Dylan, "Walkin' Down the Line," The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3
Bob Dylan & the Grateful Dead, "Walkin' Down the Line," 1987 San Rafael tour rehearsals