Jerry Lee Lewis

Songwriter: Merle Haggard

Producer: Jerry Kennedy

It's a big job just getting by with nine kids and a wife
Jerry Lee's been a workin' man dang near all his life
And I'll keep working long as these two hands are fit to use
I'll drink my beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of them working man blues, yeah

Well, I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every day
I might get a little drunk on the weekend after I draw my pay
I'll go back working long as these two hands are fit to use
I'll drink my whiskey at evening
Sing a little bit of them working man blues

Sometimes I think about leaving, I do a little bumming around
I wanna throw my bills out the window catch a train to another town
I go back working, I gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoes
And I drink my whiskey in a tavern
Cry a little bit of them a working man blues

I drink a little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of them a working man blues

Yeah, drink my beer in a tavern
Cry a little bit of them a working man blues

Jerry Lee Lewis was a leading figure in the popularization of rock & roll during the 1950s. He was first signed to Sun Records in 1956 where he was labelmates with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and other early rock artists. Of those musicians, however, he was the only piano player and combined with his heavy-handed playing style, sexually suggestive lyrics, and provocative stage antics he came to epitomize the rebelliousness of the genre.

He rose to international fame for his 1957 versions of the songs “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On.”

Lewis' popularity rapidly tumbled, however, when in 1958, when at the age of 22, he married his 13-year-old cousin. Though this scandal continued to tarnish his image, Lewis never retired from music. As of October 2015, he continues to perform live.

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