I’m driving late at night time; a traditional rock station performs alongside within the background. On comes Jimmy Barnes with Working Class Man. It by no means occurred to me to take a look at a bit of music by means of the demographic lens. This beloved Australian rock anthem is affected by demographic references that beg to be explored by your native Stats Man… Earlier than we begin you would possibly want a refresher on the tune on YouTube or Spotify.
Listed below are the lyrics.
Let’s begin with the artist himself. Born in Scotland in 1956, Jimmy Barnes migrated to Australia in 1962. That made him a part of the European migration wave of the 1950s and 1960s. Jimmy was one of many well-known Ten Pound Poms. That is what the hundreds of thousands of British migrants who emigrated to Australia between 1945 to 1972 had been known as as the ocean voyage price ten kilos. It was largely the low and unskilled laboring class that got here to Australia in quest of higher employment alternatives (and certain hotter climate) in these days.
As we speak our migration consumption has modified from Western to Japanese nations. Our migration system relies on {qualifications} and abilities slightly than race or ethnicity. We’re not taking in vital numbers of Europeans anymore for 3 causes. Firstly, there aren’t all that many younger Europeans left. Secondly, since tertiary schooling is usually free in Europe, they do not see why they need to pay an arm and a leg for an Australian uni diploma. Thirdly, the occupations that Australia wants probably the most align superbly with what Asian nations have to supply (suppose Indian IT professionals or Filipino care staff).
Let’s soar to the tune. The primary line “Working exhausting to make a residing” instantly characterizes the Working Class Man. Why a working-class man slightly than a working-class lady? Nicely, within the 1980s ladies had been a lot much less prone to take part within the workforce than they’re immediately. The remainder of the textual content tells us that his exhausting work is a matter of character as a lot because the circumstances demanding such exhausting work.
Who might be stunned that our nationwide obsession with homeownership will get talked about in our favourite rock anthem? Our Working Class Man is anxious with “Bringing shelter from the rain”. The chart beneath would possibly learn a bit humorous because the distinction between Census years is not at all times the identical. The fast fall of the homeownership fee was most certainly to do with a in another way phrased census questions throughout the 1970s. In actuality, homeownership has steadily declined since its peak in 1966. Our working-class protagonist in 1985 has seen 20 years of falling homeownership charges and must work just a bit more durable yearly to make sure he can put a roof over his head.
The lyrics inform of a proud and hard-working man who holds on to employment in a declining trade. We’re unsure about his job however be taught that he has “blue denim in his veins” and is a “metal city disciple”. That seems like a producing employee to me. Jimmy Barnes launched the tune in 1985 when the height of Australian manufacturing was already 20 years previously. No surprise there’s a melancholic tone to this pub rock anthem.
The Working Class Man “believes in god and Elvis”. That makes him like most of his contemporaries. Solely 13 p.c of the inhabitants in 1986 claimed to haven’t any non secular affiliation – immediately that determine is strictly thrice as excessive (39 p.c). Demographically talking this reference didn’t age effectively.
The tune’s lyrics are intentionally ambiguous relating to geography. A 1980s man who “did his time in Vietnam” and is “nonetheless mad at Uncle Sam” may have lived in Australia or the US. The legendary music video that includes burning cane fields painted an iconic image of a really Australian working-class man although. In fashionable stay variations of the tune the “midwestern sky” is usually changed by “Australian sky”. In both case, the sentiment of surviving in a steadily declining sector regardless of working extraordinarily exhausting would have resonated with Australian and American audiences alike, as US manufacturing adopted an analogous trajectory.
The Working Class Man “loves a bit lady” that “sometime he’ll make his spouse”. No ambiguity about his emotions. This lady is “the one love of his life” and we are able to safely ignore all divorce statistics (particularly since Jimmy has been fortunately married for the final 42 years himself). Marriage was about twice as frequent in 1985 than immediately.
Working Class Man is an excellent anthem of Australia’s previous. The demographic variables the tune refers to have shifted considerably over the past 4 a long time. No surprise folks declare that they can not acknowledge their nation anymore. The underlying spirit of the tune nevertheless continues to be alive regardless of the erosion of the Australian middle-class and the continued transition of Australia right into a information economic system.
Good music can act like a time capsule, serving to us to view the previous by means of up to date eyes slightly than hindsight. Extra importantly we are able to really feel immediately how a lot of the feelings of the Working Class Man nonetheless ring true immediately – everybody will really feel this reality in another way after all.
If you already know of different songs that you just need to obtain the demographic therapy, be certain that to touch upon this story or on my social media channels (see beneath). I might be completely happy to make this the beginning of a sequence.
Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher is a co-founder of The Demographics Group. His columns, media commentary and public talking give attention to present socio-demographic traits and the way these affect Australia. Observe Simon on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn for every day knowledge insights in brief format.
