John Allan: January 2026

This year marks ten years since I retired, downed tools, clocked off, called it a day, what ever you want to call it. I gave over forty years of hard graft to both the public and private sectors in two continents.

From golf club greenkeeper, musical instrument salesman, musician (p/t), registered nurse, staff development nurse, acting nurse manager to rural and anaesthetic nurse.

I did my fair share. I put in the hours. I’ve done my bit.

I really admire those people who can turn their passion into an occupation. The nearest I got was gigging in a band, supplemented with handouts from the government for a short while.

I’m afraid I was a work to live rather than a live to work sort of guy.

How did this work thing come about ? I thought I’d get a bit of help from some recording artists from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

You have just left school and your parents start to nag you.

Get A Job (The Silhouettes). You take on some manual work. It feels like 16 Tons (Tennessee Ernie Ford) or that your working on the Chain Gang (Sam Cooke).

Working in this Five O’Clock World (The Vogues) is like Working In A Coal Mine (Lee Dorsey).

We Can Work It Out (Beatles/Stevie Wonder)

Soon you become the Working Man (Rush), a Working Class Hero (John Lennon) even.

It’s Dirty Work (Steely Dan), Hard Work (John Handy) so much Work To Do (The Isley Brothers/Average White Band) but you’re Taking Care of Business (Bachman-Turner Overdrive).

You want to tell them to Take This Job And Shove It (Johnny Paycheck), but you keep at it Nine to Five (Dolly Parton).

Then it’s all over.
Time to do the things you want to do but you’re knackered. You’re spent. You muster up the energy one more time for the Old Folks Boogie (Little Feat).