On his return, Lewis entered Cornell University, joining the engineering program. While there, he made friends with Lance and Larry Hoppen, who later played with Orleans and King Harvest. Initially being an active student and a member of the fraternity Eta Lambda Nu, Lewis soon lost interest in college. He signed up with a band called Slippery Elm, and in December 1969, during his junior year, he dropped out of Cornell, moving back to the San Francisco area. His aim was to continue playing music, but along the way he also tried other fields of work including landscaping, carpentry and natural foods.
In 1971, Lewis joined the Bay Area band Clover. Around this time he took the name Huey Lewis. The Lewis is for his mother Magda Cregg's boyfriend, Beat Generation poet Lew(is) Welch, whom he considered his stepfather. Sean Hopper joined the band in 1972; other members of the band were John McFee, Alex Call, John Ciambotti, Mitch Howie, Mickey Shine and Marcus David. Lewis played harmonica with the band and only sang lead vocals on a few tunes. Clover's main rival band (which developed into a friendly rivalry) was Soundhole (Johnny Colla, Mario Cipollina, and Bill Gibson were band members).
In 1976, after playing in the Bay Area with limited success, Clover went to Los Angeles. They had their "big break" in a club there when their act was caught by Nick Lowe, who convinced Clover to travel to Britain with him. However, Clover was not successful in Britain, and the band arrived just as their folk-rock sound (known as pub rock in Britain) was being replaced by punk rock. They recorded two albums for the British Phonogram label; both albums produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, but neither were successful.
While Huey went on vacation, the rest of Clover backed Elvis Costello on his debut album My Aim is True. The band returned to California, McFee joined the Doobie Brothers, and Clover disbanded.
Huey Lewis played harmonica on Thin Lizzy's 1978 landmark album Live and Dangerous. That same year, Lewis was playing at Uncle Charlie's, a club in Corte Madera, California, doing the 'Monday Night Live' spot, along with future members of the News. After recording the song "Exo-Disco" (a disco version of the theme from the film Exodus), Huey landed a 'singles contract' from Phonogram Records, and Bob Brown became his manager. Huey Lewis and the American Express formed in 1979, with the same line-up as the News. The band played a few gigs (including an opening for Van Morrison), but on Brown's advice, they changed their name again. Huey Lewis and the News became their moniker.
After a failed self-titled debut in 1980, the band finally broke through to Top 40 success with the gold album Picture This (1982) riding to #13 on the Albums chart thanks to the Mutt Lange-penned "Do You Believe In Love" (#7), which became the band's first hit.
The band's third LP, the #1 Sports (1983), is one of the best-selling pop releases of all time. It has sold ten million copies in the US alone.[4] It was followed up by Fore! (1986), another #1 multi-platinum smash.
in 1995, Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker, Jr. over similarities between Parker's theme for the 1984 movie Ghostbusters and Lewis' own "I Want A New Drug". The case was settled out of court, with both parties agreeing to keep the settlement secret. Mr. Parker sued Mr. Lewis in 2001, alleging that Mr. Lewis violated the agreement in a "VH1- Behind the Music" Episode, when he stated that Mr. Parker paid some amount to settle the case.[5]
Lewis produced Nick Lowe's 1985 cover of "I Knew The Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)". Huey Lewis and the News provided backup vocals and played on the song. He and his bandmates also performed on USA for Africa's 1985 fund-raising single "We Are the World", and spent the remainder of the 1980s and early 1990s adding to an impressive string of 14 Top-20 Billboard Hot 100 hits and releasing two more hit albums: Small World (1988) #11 and Hard At Play (1991) #27. By the time the band released their critically-acclaimed album of cover songs Four Chords & Several Years Ago (1994) #55, their chosen lower profile and lack of promotion from new label Elektra saw their Top 40 appeal dip for good, yet they have endured as one of America's top drawing live acts[citation needed] and have continued to have the occasional hit on adult contemporary radio.
As well as singing lead vocals and playing harmonica with the band, Lewis also writes or co-writes many of the band's songs.
Huey Lewis has sung with Umphrey's McGee at several shows beginning with the 2005 Jammys and is featured on two tracks of their album Safety In Numbers.
The band, now in self-proclaimed semi-retirement, still plays 80+ U.S. dates a year, with an occasional European tour. The average fee for Huey Lewis & The News to play a private college-sized show is around US$200,000.
On February 13, 2007, Huey was interviewed on the podcast series "Stuck in the 80s," during which he revealed that the band has written several new songs that they plan to record next year, though he states that, given how much the industry has changed since their last album, he's unsure at this point how they will sell the new material.[6]
During a show at the California State Fair on August 21, 2007, Huey was named Sacramento's "Musician of the Year" by the fair's General Manager and presented with a gold statue of the California state bear.
Huey has also recorded a duet version of "Workin' For A Livin'" with Garth Brooks, which was included in Brooks' 3-Disc set The Ultimate Hits, in late-2007.
Huey Lewis's real name is "Hugh Cregg"
Workin' for a Livin'
Huey Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be working here forever, at least until I die
Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't
I'm supposed to get a raise week, you know damn well I won't
Workin' for a livin' (workin')
Workin' for a livin' (workin')
Workin' for a livin', livin' and workin'
Hey I'm not complaining 'cause I really need the work
We're hitting up my buddy's got me feeling like a jerk
Car payment, insurance, alimony, rent
I get a check on Friday, but it's all ready spent
Workin' for a livin' (workin')
I'm workin' for a livin' (workin')
I'm workin' for a livin', livin' and workin'
I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'.
Ahh, workin' for a livin'
Ahh, taking what they giving
Ahh, workin' for a livin'
Ahh ahh
Bus boy, bartender, ladies of the night
Grease monkey, ex-junky, winner of the fight
Walking on the streets its really all the same
Nascar, rock star any other day
Workin' for a livin' (workin')
I'm workin' for a livin' (workin')
I'm workin' for a livin', livin' and workin'
I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'.
Workin' for a livin', livin' and workin'
The lyrics of Huey Lewis's song Workin' for a Livin' express an overall theme of the struggles and hardships of the working class, and the daily grind that comes with working to make ends meet. He sings about the monotonous nature of labor, with some days passing by quickly while others seem to drag on endlessly. The feeling of being trapped in a job is evident, as he says he will be working there until he dies, leaving no room for career advancement.
With a sense of resignation, Lewis sings about being "dammed if you do, dammed if you don't," feeling the expectation of receiving a raise at work, despite knowing deep down it is unlikely to happen. Despite feeling like he's caught in a cycle of work and expenditure, he is also grateful for having a job and the security it provides, even if it means putting up with the daily grind.
In the final verse, Lewis describes various occupations, highlighting the fact that regardless of one's job, the struggle of working for a living remains the same. The reference to women who work as a "ladies of the night" and those in blue-collar jobs such as "grease monkey" and "ex-junky" further emphasizes this point, as the struggle of making ends meet transcends gender, race, and occupation.
Overall, the song is a relatable anthem for those who have experienced the challenging realities of working for a living.
Line by Line Meaning
Somedays won't end ever and somedays pass on by,
Some days feel endless while others fly by.
I'll be working here forever, at least until I die
I'll be working this job forever or until I die.
Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't
I'm stuck in a situation where I can't win.
I'm supposed to get a raise week, you know damn well I won't
Even though a raise is promised, I know I won't receive it.
Hey I'm not complaining 'cause I really need the work
I'm not complaining because I need the job to survive.
We're hitting up my buddy's got me feeling like a jerk
My friends mooch off of me and make me feel foolish.
Car payment, insurance, alimony, rent
I have plenty of bills to pay every month.
I get a check on Friday, but it's all ready spent
Even though I get paid, it's already allocated to bills.
Bus boy, bartender, ladies of the night
All sorts of people work to make a living.
Grease monkey, ex-junky, winner of the fight
Many different types of people try to make ends meet.
Walking on the streets its really all the same
All people hustle for money regardless of their job or status.
Nascar, rock star any other day
Even famous people work hard for their money.
Workin' for a livin' (workin')
I'm working to make a living.
I'm workin' for a livin' (workin')
I'm working hard every day to survive.
I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'.
I'm accepting what I can get because I need to work to make a living.
Workin' for a livin', livin' and workin'
I'm working hard to make a living and sustain my life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILL GIBSON, CHRISTOPHER JOHN HAYES, HUEY LEWIS, JOHN VICTOR COLLA, MARIO CIPOLLINA, SEAN THOMAS HOPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidcataldo1222
one of the things I like best about Huey Lewis and the News is they always look like they're having fun
@charlesberndt8230
their still alive lol
@grattanwalsh8704
Amen
@mooogg
👍
@traveler11
Correct I agree with you and that's great, I love that!!!! 😊
@adamdorgant9454
Agreed!!!!
@marialeavitt2605
Huey Lewis and the news was, is still one of the Best Bands to emerge!! Their various instruments, Harmonica, Saxophone, that blast the sound in your face !! Love Huey Lewis and the news!!
@jeffreygadson
Can't forget the Hammond Organ
@fretbuzz59
"Best Bands" unnecessarily--incorrectly, in fact--capitalized. Same with "Harmonica" and "Saxophone." But part of the band's name--"the news"--not capitalized. Twice. SMH.
@davidthompson9958
Lived in Bay area long enough to see The News several times. Always a great time!