Working Class Man
"Working Class Man" is a song performed and made famous by Australian singer Jimmy Barnes. It was written by Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain. "Working Class Man" is generally considered Barnes' signature song as a solo artist. At the 1985 Countdown Music Awards, the song won Best Male Performance in a Video. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the "most Australian" songs of all time, "Working Class Man" was ranked number 3. In July of 2025, the song placed 56 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs, voted on by the public.
| "Working Class Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Jimmy Barnes | ||||
| from the album For the Working Class Man | ||||
| B-side | "Boys Cry Out For War" | |||
| Released | November 1985 (Australia) 1986 (US) | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | Mushroom Records, Geffen Records | |||
| Songwriter | Jonathan Cain | |||
| Producer | Jonathan Cain | |||
| Jimmy Barnes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Working Class Man" is a song performed and made famous by Australian singer Jimmy Barnes. It was written by Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain. "Working Class Man" is generally considered Barnes' signature song as a solo artist.[1]
At the 1985 Countdown Music Awards, the song won Best Male Performance in a Video.[2]
In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the "most Australian" songs of all time, "Working Class Man" was ranked number 3.[3] In July of 2025, the song placed 56 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs, voted on by the public.[4]
Details
[edit]The song was released in November 1985 as the second single from the 1985 album For the Working Class Man. The single spent 14 weeks in the Australian charts, entering at No. 21 and peaking at No. 5.[5] It also spent seven weeks on the New Zealand charts, peaking at No. 34.
It was later played over the credits of the 1986 Ron Howard film Gung Ho, where in some countries, including Australia, the film was released as Working Class Man. Barnes also performed "Working Class Man" at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Barnes has said of the song, "I went to America just after Bodyswerve and met Jonathan Cain, who was in The Babys and Journey. It means a lot to me. Most people thought it was written about me, but it was actually written about my audience-- staunch, honest people, who work and who care."[6] Barnes said that, due to the "great band" he had, the recording was done in about 5 takes. "It was fun to sing, so I was really pleased. I didn't realise how much of an impact it would have as an image centre for the next five years."[7]
The music video was filmed in Australia at the Port Kembla Steelworks in Wollongong, New South Wales, and in cane fields near Cairns in Queensland. The Director/DOP of the clip was Chris Frazer, and the Producer/2nd unit Camera was Mark Lovick.[8]
"Working Class Anthem"
[edit]At the 2003 Melbourne Comedy Festival, comedian Adam Hills performed a popular version of Australia's national anthem "Advance Australia Fair" to the tune of "Working Class Man" titled the "Working Class Anthem". He released it as a single the following year.
Hills performed the song for Barnes when he appeared as a guest on the television program Spicks and Specks.
Track listing
[edit]7" Single (K 9883)
- Side A "Working Class Man"
- Side B "No Second Prize" (Remix)
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1985/86) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 5 |
| United States (Billboard)[10] | 74 |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[11] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover versions
[edit]In 1993, Australian John Schumann covered the song on his album True Believers. In 2004, Australian singer-songwriter Shannon Noll recorded a cover of "Working Class Man". It was released as a B-side track for his second single Drive. Australian singer songwriter Martin Way covered the song acoustically in 2012 and fellow Australian Adam Brand and the Outlaws covered the song on the 2016 album Adam Brand and the Outlaws.
Lacy J. Dalton released a version in 1986 that reached number 16 in the US Country charts. Barnes said of this version, "She was managed by a guy who used to manage Split Enz, a Kiwi guy, who took the song to her. She did a great version, but it's got a real twang."[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Jimmy Barnes Media Man Australia". Mediaman.com.au. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- ^ "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
- ^ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Countdown #1 to #100 - Hottest 100 Australian Songs". triple j. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ^ The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Guinness, 1995, p879
- ^ a b Jeff Jenkins (2007). 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 303. ISBN 9781921332111.
- ^ Tracee Hutchison (1992). Your Name's On The Door. Sydney: ABC Enterprises. p. 86. ISBN 0-7333-0115-0.
- ^ HUMPHRIES, GLEN (28 October 2015). "An insider's tour of BlueScope Steel | photos". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 27. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
- ^ "Jimmy Barnes Chart History". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Man". Radioscope. Retrieved 7 December 2025. Type Working Class Man in the "Search:" field and press Enter.