...in 1982, "Out Of Work" by Gary (U.S.) Bonds was still on the charts. I never heard it on the radio, outside of "American Top 40," however. While some listeners could relate to the subject matter, I'm not sure why they'd want to buy a record that reminds them of it. A lot of people get the flu, as well, but it doesn't mean they want to hear a song about vomiting.
And yet, after looking it up, I see that "Out Of Work" was a bigger hit than I thought it was. Apparently, a lot of listeners liked the feel of the tune. Something about the feel of the chorus reminds me a bit of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart," so maybe the sound, rather than the lyrics, was the tune's key ingredient.
