Find a Job You Really Want In
Have you ever considered how often musicians reference various professions in their songs? From love and heartbreak to everyday life, songs have long encapsulated a wide array of themes and subjects, including the jobs people hold. Some professions, however, seem to resonate more with songwriters, capturing the essence of their experiences and observations.
To uncover which jobs dominate song lyrics, we analyzed data from the musiXmatch Dataset, an official collection of lyrics from the Million Song Dataset. We focused on one-word job titles, utilizing our extensive database of approximately 39,000 standardized job titles derived from over 6 million resumes to match these titles with the lyrics data.
Below is a quick overview of the top ten job titles that commonly appear in song lyrics.
Curious if your profession made the list? Read on to discover more!
1. Soldier
Count: 3,861
Related Song: The most frequently mentioned job in song lyrics is “soldier.” A poignant example is “Travelin’ Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks, a stirring ballad that resonates with themes of love and loss.
Relevant Lyric: “I cried / Never gonna hold the hand of another guy / Too young for him they told her / Waitin’ for the love of a travelin’ soldier.”
2. Cop
Count: 3,751
Related Song: Many songs referencing “cop” often feature colorful language. A notable mention is Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” which, while not directly using the term “cop,” captures the essence of law enforcement.
Relevant Lyric: “License, registration, I ain’t got none / But I got a clear conscience ’bout the things that I done / Mister state trooper, please don’t stop me.”
3. Doctor
Count: 3,179
Related Song: The archetype of the doctor often appears in songs as a metaphor for love and healing. A classic example is the Thompson Twins’ “Doctor, Doctor.”
Relevant Lyric: “Oh doctor, doctor, is this love I’m feeling? / Fever breathe your love on me / Take away my name / Fever lay your hands on me.”
4. Clown
Count: 2,521
Related Song: Clowns often symbolize the duality of joy and sorrow. A notable example can be found in Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” as performed by Frank Sinatra.
Relevant Lyric: “Isn’t it rich? / Isn’t it queer? / Losing my timing this late in my career / And where are the clowns? / Quick, send in the clowns.”
5. Cowboy
Count: 1,863
Related Song: The cowboy is a romantic figure in music, with countless songs dedicated to this lifestyle. A standout is “Life at the Outpost” by the Skatt Brothers.
Relevant Lyric: “Give your love to a cowboy man / He’s gonna love ya hard as he can can.”
6. Teacher
Count: 1,604
Related Song: While many songs celebrate teachers, others critique the educational system. A well-known example is Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2.”
Relevant Lyric: “We don’t need no education / We don’t need no thought control / No dark sarcasm in the classroom / Teachers leave them kids
Author
Ryan Morris was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog who tried to make the job process a little more entertaining for all those involved. He obtained his BA and Masters from Appalachian State University.
