Hard Hat and a Hammer
Encyclopedia
"Hard Hat and a Hammer" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country
artist Alan Jackson
. It is the second single to his sixteenth studio album, Freight Train
, which was released on March 30, 2010.
workers in general for their hard work.
's "Chicken Fried
" and Alabama
's "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')
," but saying that it " ultimately falls short of the down-home charm of the former and the narrative connection of the latter. Still, Jackson makes this an easy, enjoyable listen[.]" Wade Jessen of Billboard
, in his review of the album, referred to the song as a "blue-collar tribute[…]which could be a giant radio hit, given the current economic woes in the heartland." The 9513 reviewer Karlie Justus gave the single a thumbs-up, saying that "Jackson routinely succeeds with spot-on renderings of those aforementioned demographics without succumbing to simply sucking up." Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B+ rating. He said that it features "a delightful fiddle, rhythmic hammer sounds and typical Keith Stegall production" Coyne also adds that "while it sits precariously on the edge of simply being ear candy, it still works as an unpretentious tribute that is fun and always topically relevant."
, workers from the Bayou La Batre, Alabama
shipyard, and railroad workers from TRR Railroad in Mobile, Alabama
. It was also filmed at paper mills, foundries, taxi stands, Nashville’s Fire Station #16 and Bar-B-Cutie and more than a dozen other locations. It premiered on June 18, 2010.
Hot Country Songs
chart for the week of May 1, 2010.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
. It is the second single to his sixteenth studio album, Freight Train
Freight Train (album)
Upon its release, Freight Train received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 10 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...
, which was released on March 30, 2010.
Content
"Hard Hat and a Hammer" is a song which praises blue collarBlue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
workers in general for their hard work.
Reception
Kyle Ward of Roughstock gave the song three-and-a-half stars out of five, comparing its theme to Zac Brown BandZac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
's "Chicken Fried
Chicken Fried
"Chicken Fried" is the title of a song which has been recorded by two different bands. The first version was recorded in 2003 by the Zac Brown Band, whose frontman Zac Brown wrote it, for the 2005 album Home Grown. A second version was then released in 2006 by The Lost Trailers, whose version was...
" and Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
's "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')
40 Hour Week (For a Livin')
"40 Hour Week " is the title of a song written by Dave Loggins, Don Schlitz and Lisa Silver, and recorded the American country music band Alabama. Originally released as a single in April 1985, the song was the title track to Alabama's sixth album....
," but saying that it " ultimately falls short of the down-home charm of the former and the narrative connection of the latter. Still, Jackson makes this an easy, enjoyable listen[.]" Wade Jessen of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, in his review of the album, referred to the song as a "blue-collar tribute[…]which could be a giant radio hit, given the current economic woes in the heartland." The 9513 reviewer Karlie Justus gave the single a thumbs-up, saying that "Jackson routinely succeeds with spot-on renderings of those aforementioned demographics without succumbing to simply sucking up." Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B+ rating. He said that it features "a delightful fiddle, rhythmic hammer sounds and typical Keith Stegall production" Coyne also adds that "while it sits precariously on the edge of simply being ear candy, it still works as an unpretentious tribute that is fun and always topically relevant."
Music video
The music video was directed by Theresa Wingert. The video features miners from Stilhouse mining in Benham, KentuckyBenham, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 599 people, 248 households, and 181 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,519.2 people per square mile . There were 288 housing units at an average density of 730.4 per square mile...
, workers from the Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Bayou La Batre is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area. At the 2000 census, the population was 2,313. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 2,725....
shipyard, and railroad workers from TRR Railroad in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. It was also filmed at paper mills, foundries, taxi stands, Nashville’s Fire Station #16 and Bar-B-Cutie and more than a dozen other locations. It premiered on June 18, 2010.
Chart performance
"Hard Hat and a Hammer" debuted at number 57 on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart for the week of May 1, 2010.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 7 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 99 |