The Chemical Worker's Song (Cover) by Seth Staton Watkins

The Chemical Worker's Song (Cover) by Seth Staton Watkins
MY LINKS: linktr.ee/Sethswatkinsmusic
Stream my latest single, a collab with Cullen Vance here: distrokid.com/hyperfollow/set...
The Chemical Workers’ Song (Process Man) is a song best known from the band Great Big Sea, and was originally written by the Teesside Fettlers, one of the premier English folk bands. The song condemns the harsh working conditions of the chemical workers in the 1960s and 1970s. It is another staple in a long list of folk songs that stand to represent and empower those who labor and toil away in harsh conditions that ought be made better.
If you want to sing along, here are the lyrics!
And it's go boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And every day you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
But you go
Well, a Process Man am I and I'm tellin' you no lie
I work and breathe among the fumes that trail across the sky
There's thunder all around me and there's poison in the air
There's a lousy smell that smacks of hell and dust all in me hair
And it's go boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And every day you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
But you go
Well, I've worked among the spinners, and I breathe the oily smoke
I've shovelled up the gypsum and it nigh on makes you choke
I've stood knee deep in cyanide, got sick with a caustic burn
Been workin' rough, I've seen enough to make your stomach turn
And it's go boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And every day you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
But you go
There's overtime and bonus opportunities galore
The young men like their money and they all come back for more
But soon you're knockin' on and you look older than you should
For every bob made on the job, you pay with flesh and blood
And it's go boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And every day you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
But you go
Well, a Process Man am I and I'm tellin' you no lie
I work and breathe among the fumes that trail across the sky
There's thunder all around me and there's poison in the air
There's a lousy smell that smacks of hell and dust all in me hair
And it's go boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And every day you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
And it's go boys, go
They'll time your every breath
And every day you're in this place
You're two days nearer death
But you go

[@insertmemenamehere3394]

I showed this to my grandpa and he was a Navy ship welder and I grew up on some of the horror stories that can happen. He always told me that OSHA is written in gallons of blood and years of health stolen from healthy men

[@sethstatonwatkins]

Sounds about right

[@HrLBolle]

"If ever a book was written in script as red as blood," it would be one dealing with the welfare and safety of members of the working class. The same applies to the books and protocols that deal with security in general.

[@Platinum1812]

OSHA mandated wet cutting of all concrete maybe a few years ago. Just the other day I passed a crew on a local road dry cutting. There's worse, but it's hard to see the best of us (the hardest working at least, which is practically the same thing) still being slowly damaged to get the job done for everyone else. We haven't come as far as many think yet.

[@tobiojo6469]

@@sethstatonwatkinsgreat song, it really describes how people still go to work despite the horrible conditions they face at their jobs.

[@sehfisch2350]

Osha Rules Fire codes aviation, naval, and civil engineering regulations roadway regulations ... Safety improvements are alway written in blood

[@NaraClanGaming]

I weld galvanized steel for a living. That line about being two days nearer death is no joke

[@leepilkington1700]

Bro, grind that shit off wherever you can. Poisonous crap. Sorry you have to deal with that.

[@NaraClanGaming]

@@leepilkington1700good looking out man! i knew the risks when i took the job though so Best i can do is be careful. Still, im damn proud to be a part of an industry that built this beautiful nation.

[@amorgan1019]

Same for a couple years when cigs started to have sweet taste and I had drink milk like water or I'd feel sick as a dog

[@KidKhamseen]

I work in pest control and every time I gotta dig deep I listen to this song. Rocking a respirator in 90 degree heat will change a man. Now my favorite folk singer has covered the song of my people. It makes me feel recognized in a way few things do. Thanks for doing this song man

[@paulwinzenried524]

I feel you man I think about this one every time I treat an attic in the blazing heat of summer

[@codymartinson9518]

I worked in pest control for a summer during college, and all our technicians were either young men or old men; nobody middle aged worked there, nobody made a career of it. And after the summer I had to throw away the safety glasses and the company pants, because the pants made my legs itch and the glasses my eyes burn. It's real, man.

[@joeschmo7957]

Find another line of work, man. And go organic. I tell people this one thing. The suffix -icide mean "to kill". God Bless you, brother.

[@doctorzed7706]

Mopp4 in 130 I feel your pain

[@pixelarrowproductions6308]

Amen. I work in bed bug exterm and it's not quite as intense that with the mask but you're working in 130-150 heat half the day

[@willtiffany5409]

I'm an Infantryman, and everytime we do chemical drills my squad plays this song. Thankfully we haven't had to actually use our gear in an environment that requires it, but let me tell you, training to fight in chemical gear, bounding and doing drills while sucking in air through a gas mask with sweat pouring down your face really sets a tone for the nature of the reality we'll face if the world pops off and people get stupid. This song, and your rendition specifically, captures the nature of it well. Bravo, top job.

[@kennerfreak7]

Why can I picture this being a bad ass music video or an epic montage ina movie?

[@patrickcrippen9158]

I understand this. We have to get in full MOPP for our crew drills for my MOS listening to the alarms sound as were rushing to dawn gear and prepare for the airbattle runs the nerves.

[@quantumblur_3145]

@@kennerfreak7 because the military has made heavy investments in media that glorifies something that's a nightmare.

[@HrLBolle]

I'm afraid of the days the Yellow hued clouds rise again like they did during the war to end all wars

[@yannicklindelauf5271]

I work in a factory where we make gas for industry and fast food and bars and such it is dangerous and very dirty work but 1 of my colleagues found this song and when we get visitors we blast this song so loud the speakers almost blow and we sing it with all together as an inside joke it makes the job more fun 😊👍

[@SV-fm5or]

This was my crews anthem, we were contractors and had maintenance contracts with several refineries, mills, chemical plants you name it. One day a crew mate, a guy named Norton and myself were lowered into an underground acid vat to tear out a scaffold we had built several days prior for the interior of the tank to be inspected. It was in one of the higher maintained processes at the plant and as such there were probably 50 odd people standing around on standby for emergency. Murphy’s Law, there was a freak accident and the acid suddenly began back flowing into the tank. It started as a trickle and we didn’t even notice it until we could hear ourselves splashing in deeper water. At that point we were almost done, then someone began shouting down at us that the meters were sounding alarms and to get out. We didn’t even know how bad it was until they turned on the firehose and hit us with it the moment we exited the vat. The nearest safety shower was only a hundred feet or so away, but they didn’t even bother. I never felt any acid get inside my suit, but the amount of people who were frantically cutting my suit off, I swear I was more worried about getting an artery sliced open. We did everything right, OSHA guidelines and all, but unfortunately shit happens. Come to find out, a valve that has just been replaced a few days prior, had failed for absolutely no known reason. I’ll never forget that day.

[@derPetunientopf]

Shhiiitt, i dont wish that on anyone. Did you or you mate get hurt or were you completly lucky?

[@douglassmalls6934]

Still have scars from nitric acid. Didn't happen in a confined space but just like you people started scrambling. They ripped off my suit and clothes and hosed me down naked. Ended up getting minor burns on my arms and not much else.

[@voran6711]

JESUS CHRIST. Are you ok? Were you injured at all?

[@sweaterboy2609]

How does a valve in an acid line fail? sounds like a control valve failed to me, and if that valve didn't have a turnbuckle or a physical way of locking it out then it shouldn't have been used as a lockout point. I would think that on a system as hazardous as acid there would be manual block valves used no? Sure an operator didn't just screw up and try to save his license?

[@silverseth7]

You're one of those "Seen enough to make your stomach turn" guys

[@marionlark]

I'm not a chemical worker, but the chorus hits different as a healthcare worker these past few years.

[@timviall3480]

UAMTF 452-2 ICU JACOBI NY, at the start. I feel you

[@marionlark]

@@timviall3480 Oof. Respect. I've been just in private doctor's offices throughout and that alone feels like it's gonna tip me over most days. I can't imagine the shit you've seen, hope you're taking care.

[@timviall3480]

@@marionlark if your struggling I would highly recommend the Netflix special "How to change your mind." Those treatment modalities can help brother. The work you do is valuable when people cannot see the doctor bad things happen.

[@marionlark]

@@timviall3480 Thank you so much my friend, I needed to hear that today. I'll look into that show. You be safe and take care of yourself too.

[@olibob203]

Factory work is rough, I worked in a place that made steel drums in the uk , there was a semi constant smoke in the bay, around certain machines there where different mists, and if you had to repair the machine you got covered with substances that looked alien and could cause genetic defects. Most factorys are the same.

[@christianandreygel1060]

I work in mining. When I go out on site, the smell of the chemicals in the refining process, the smog I see and chimneys huffing out constantly. The sky above has a haze different from clouds. Working in tunnels and around the mills, the dust and ammonia is something you have to get used to. The noise you stop even hearing after a while. This song reminds me off all that

[@chkpik]

Reminds me of the steel rolling mills I visit. I blow scale dust boogers for a day after site visits.

[@MoxieLaBouche]

The less-horrific parts of this song has always reminded me of working as a picker in the Amazon warehouse.

[@CIorox_BIeach]

I've never heard anything describe a job so perfectly. I worked in a rendering plant up until just a couple of months ago, now drive for them. This song nailed every. Single. Thing. 20° hotter than outside by the cooker and boilers, front freezes in the winter, scrubbers can't keep up with the half burnt, atomized grease in the air, everything is wet, sodium hydroxide - aka, caustic, hydrogen sulfide and poorly maintained seam lines everywhere to keep you on your toes, greasy dust, and a smell that'll knock you out. Everyone from general laborer to general manager finds themselves shoveling everything from solidified grease, to actively burning meat/bone meal. Sometimes you work a month without a day off, and you're just running the whole damn day. And yeah, we keep coming back for the overtime. I've got a couple of frostbite scars, a steam burn, and several caustic burns from that job. 😅

[@viviancripps4229]

The drum used in this is like the worker's heartbeat as they work there longer and longer their heartbeat slowly starts to to become abnormal and at the end of the song stop all together as if the worker died do the chemicals that they were constantly working with or in.

[@SGAlover12345]

I work 12 hour shifts in a factory and feel like this the moment i set foot inside that building.

[@professorgrimm4602]

My mother worked in a factory for years. It's really hard work.

[@2thomask]

Ive had to clean sludge from the bottom of an oil taker cargo hold and this hits hard

[@kidnappedJack]

I worked with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) from 18 to 24 as a kitchen deep cleaner. I often used boiling water to mix my caustic crystals, so i knew it would still be hot when i climbed in the extract. I can only imagine what it has done to my lungs as i never used a mask. I got used to it while most kitchen staff i worked near would be coughing and have to leave the room.

[@GhostRider659]

I work in a Chemlab We take all your standard safety measures, but every now and then I‘ll take a look at our storage or hear a story and can‘t help but think of this song

[@isaiahbasaldua924]

worker's of the world unite the dawn is approaching. Work should not be at the cost of our lives. Solidarity with the class that builds the world upon their backs .Together we can strive for better pay and better working conditions.

[@OneInTheMosh]

Amen. We'll take back what's ours.

[@user-ne7pr9jv6i]

True, that's true, brother!

[@maxhalsted5381]

Nice slogan.

[@ContractDelivery]

"You have nothing to lose but your chains"- Marx

[@maxhalsted5381]

@@ContractDelivery "chains" how many taken off in chains in Stalins gulags? How many millions died. Marxist dogma has is responsible for much death and suffering it cannot be ignored or calculated

[@chkpik]

Damn man this is chilling. I work in the steel industry and every time I visit the mills you blow slag boogers for a day or two.

[@michellepollock5198]

Unfortunately this song fits the masonry industry. They have just fairly recently started making it a requirement that companies give their workers respirators and other protective gear. My husband has been in this work field for about 20 years. It is truly fitting for him.

[@arche2460]

I have been DREAMING of this cover for MONTHS!! Follow this song up with The Idiot and you won't regret it! I legit teared up a little bit. It's like the grizzled old chemical worker that's been working in the factory for decades vs the Young Blood worker who started working just a few years ago, hoping it would be temporary and help him get a better life than what he was escaping and is starting to lose that naive spark of youth. Or listen to The Idiot then this song for the storyline of "Hopeful and Optimistic worker takes on a factory job hoping to have a better life turns into grizzled old chemical worker that's become jaded over years of hard work and terrible conditions for very little recognition and pay." Absolutely haunting, I cannot overstate how much I love Seth and how amazing I find his music. Can't wait to show my mom in the morning- she's a huge fan too!

[@jasminedragon9717]

Actually he already did the idiot. It was p good

[@johanoskarsson8209]

HOLY COW, I NEVER dared hope that you'd do this one! I love this song!

[@rew4640]

35 minutes away from going underground to dodge rocks and breathe dust! Great song, very well sung! It will help me get through one more night.

[@mrsing7465]

If you ever worked in a chemical plant, you feel this song.

[@TheArmyScoutSniper]

Ironically when I first heard your cover on TT I thought the song was about wildland firefighters. The chorus works so well for them

[@brendanwendt5886]

Thank you for pronouncing "spinners" right, for some reason a lot of people mess that up. In context it clearly refers to the polymer spinners which threw off all kinds of carcinogens into the air.

[@asmaran9262]

River Driver would be a fantastic addition to this. Also by Great Big Sea with a lovely tune

[@atraxuswraithe6031]

Agreed. That is a fantastic song.

[@photofreak56]

This feels very accurate as someone working in an underfunded and understaffed title I school. Admin has been trying to bust our union. They won't hire new teachers or raise our wages. We've had seven different outbreaks of covid and RSV but can't wear masks at work because admin will send you home.

[@Teddyclaws]

A sobering reminder that modern workplace health and safety standards were truly written in blood; the blood of workers who died from the dangerous conditions they worked in.

[@arjunramakanth4370]

Your voice is incredibly relaxing and beautiful. Have you ever considered doing a rendition of Boston Rose? I find it to be a really soothing song and think you could do a great rendition of it

[@coral4826]

This song is so haunting. Amazing job.

[@djgaming5107]

yeah. it really puts into perspective the world we live in

[@drgreen8030]

It’s funny I discovered and fell in love with this song only yesterday, and now it’s being covered by my favorite cover artist

[@Nomadswift]

I play this on my phone when my post office supervisor tells me I don’t get my weekly day-off and I’m getting an extra 2 hours on another route (this is almost daily). I’m tempted to write a postal worker version.

[@hungrymusicwolf]

Every single time I hear this song elsewhere I have to return here to listen to your version again. It's by far the best version. It just hits all the right nuance of let's go attitude and the morbidity.

[@canadatrap9217]

This song is what I listened to daily at least once when working at the waste mangment plant that place was thundersly fuming with the a fine gas of glass in the air and smells that could kill a man of higher birth abound. Not to mention the risk of everything being a genuine bio hazard that even the smallest of nicks coukd cause a host of infections

[@inmech]

I work at a marina during my high school and college summers. I work with a ton of harsh chemicals and gasoline with no protection whatsoever. So much so that people will say how bad the bugs are while one hasn't come near me all day. Whenever that heavy duty degreaser makes me choke I think of this song.

[@Yogasefski]

My brother has been working in a marina for the past 5 years. When we were younger, he redid the bottom paint on his 18 foot fishing boat. He was blue when he was done. From foot to hair follicle, eyes to ass crack. He was only wearing a bathing suit. I strongly believe that he’s a walking EPA disaster site.

[@Official_Masquerade]

I'm from Philippines and yet, I watched, liked and played your songs all the time! So great to see and listen to you again! 🙂

[@turdburglar187]

I’m in the Chemical workers union and didn’t know this even existed lol great job!

[@nicomontanez33]

Chemical Operator here, this gave me so much pride thank you

[@johnjacksie8534]

How's it Possible to never to have heard this Singer B4 he's fucking BRILLIANT. 💯🇮🇪👍🙌🙌🙌👏

[@jnihill4514]

Oh, man. I LOVE David Coffin's version of this song, and now you do one too! You two should totally collaborate.

[@MrJeffers378]

Your voice graces these lyrics so stunningly; is there any chance we could get you to sing The Old Dun Cow for us? I'd love to hear it from you

[@RileyRacing11]

I think this song also fits us truck drivers. 4K drivers a year die in wrecks. Around 14 a day I think it was last stated!?

[@sethstatonwatkins]

Horrible

[@aidansaltman1202]

Such an amazing cover, been loving all the stuff you put out, would you consider doing a cover of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon lightfoot you're honestly the only singer I can think of who would do it justice

[@sethstatonwatkins]

On my list!

[@Zak_How]

I sang this song as loud as i could the whole way home to stay warm tonight. I almost know all the lyrics

[@cgltrey]

I love this song Can’t believe you actually covered it

[@neonfalcon8864]

As a farmer i can relate too this every day especially cause we do stuff mainly the old ways

[@Galiuros]

This song was featured on KXCI 91.3 in Tucson

[@Rrss369]

Seth’s version or by another artist?

[@Galiuros]

@@Rrss369 Seth's. This video.

[@adamk8376]

There's overtime and bonus opportunities galore The young men like their money and they all come back for more But soon you're knocking on and you look older than you should For every bob made on the job, you pay with flesh and blood When lyrics hit a little to close to home as a healthcare worker currently lol

[@reichenkeller7538]

YES

[@samsoneffect]

A buddy of mine arranged this for his Grade 12 (senior) music class, and I got to sing the lead for it in choir. The goddamn nostalgia, man.

[@shelbykrueger4825]

As a resident of Trona, California, USA, this song speaks to me

[@pennychenery7456]

Love this song! One of the other players in my D&D group wrote an alternative set of lyrics to fit the quest we were going on.

[@damienolsen8637]

What were the lyrics? I’m interested to share that with my group:)

[@americaforer1776]

Both my grandfathers work for us steel in Pittsburgh and My great uncle was welder for the construction of u.s. steel headquarters and my great grandfathers work for the railroads and the rest worked in coal mines

[@nickmaynard5856]

Could you do a cover of Northwest Passage?

[@Rrss369]

Wonderful!!!

[@ryanarnone5089]

Second, love this song!

[@allthingswithragnar3171]

Perfect i love your voice and covers

[@simoncorey9828]

Amazing

[@rdwd4811]

Awesome.

[@ZelosDraconis]

I love this song and your voice matches it well! Thank you for the great video!

[@alizaellner3696]

An excellent selection and a rousing rendition. Bravo!

[@ibraheemtheninja]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE A LONG TIME! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[@sethmerrill9705]

So glad you covered this song. Thank you.

[@zombossgaming810]

I love this song and it's the first time hearing it

[@sarmbaker3945]

i loved that

[@VikingrBerserker]

Wonderful cover! Great job as always, Seth.

[@JustPlainRex]

Every video i listen too is fantastic

[@persianprince6213]

Absolutly awesome rendition with this Seth! No doubt about it! 👍

[@alexmath1579]

YES! SUCH AN UNDERRATED SONG!

[@nathanjones6005]

Wow, your covers keep getting better and better.

[@calebh7486]

I didn’t think you were going to do this one but I love it so damn much

[@anthemhub]

Great job covering this one! One of my favourite Great Big Sea songs

[@vetchb.s.c.1612]

I've been wondering when you would cover this one. We'll done sir!

[@dogtherevenger9541]

Great song.

[@Mikesman1000]

Reminds me of my time on the garbage truck for 14 hours... yeah. :)

[@stealthpanther]

Brilliant cover!

[@codybriggs1993]

Absolutely love this song!!! Seth is like 90% of the music I listen to!!

[@Despicable2019]

My brothers and I are all army. (2 of us vets, 1 still active). Between a tank crewman, infantry, and a small arms/artillery repairman I feel this song represents the 3 of us pretty well. We still get called “mama’s dirty boys” by our parents every once in a while.

[@gg_wolfy1773]

I've been listening to and loving your music for some time now, and I just wanted to say how much I truly love how you do this stuff compared to others. I've never been inspired really by much but listening to your art whenever I feel down or just want some background noise.. I get this sense of inspiration that I hardly ever feel. I'm trying my hardest to be like you. I'm learning to play some of the instruments in that Rambling Rover song so I can maybe have the same effect on others too, you're music helped me through a lot of the hard times and I hope to give back in any way, shape or form. Thank you for everything that you do💚🤍🧡

[@Lauren007E]

Damn this is a great song, I'm glad I found it through this cover.

[@karienastander]

I gasped! Yay! Beautiful!

[@KarelRode]

There is a much deeper meaning in this song....

[@totallynotalpharius2283]

I can’t remember how I found this song years ago but damn I’m glad I did Fantastic cover

[@theemries4766]

Noice. Love it!

[@joeamerican3947]

Favorite song, I've worked doing NDT, on and around oil refineries and chemical pants.

[@TheClynesta]

Great cover! Would you consider doing “The Ferryland Sealer” also by Great Big Sea but originated by Silly Wizard?

[@Onetruepossum]

I just started working frac and this song came to mind during the H2S class I had to take lol

[@letsgobrandontrump2024]

Now you know the Chernobyl cleaners were bumping this on their shifts

[@crim1186]

You definitely make the best version

[@chandleramason3536]

Would you ever consider some of David Kincaid’s civil war songs?

[@houdiniairsoft157]

I second this.

[@trincywalker7497]

Wow fish slap in face right off. Love the tune but the voice puts me in mind of stormy night in a pub listening. Thanks for another song i cant stop listening like (rose tattoo) .

[@disconnected7737]

oh that sounds good

[@Thesinnerwithagun117]

Me every time I enter the Boys bathroom

[@kennerfreak7]

Please put this on Spotify!!!!!!!!!!

[@sethstatonwatkins]

Soon!

[@camannwordsmith]

Fantastic cover!

[@sethstatonwatkins]

Thanks!

[@jaxon5925]

Legit just saw this on TikTok. I had to look it up

[@DireWolf505]

Good version.

[@RuneNorse]

Fantastic cover! I have been working on a song from a Norwegian LARP that I have loved singing for years, but I never knew they used the melody from this song! It is like discovering the song all over again ❤️. Lyrics are different since it entails what happens in the LARP, but now I need to make a cover of this, the original as well 😁.

[@linus4740]

Oh yeeees

[@jordanmcmorris5248]

Yes bois

[@michaelarnold6603]

FINALLY!!! YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS THANK YOU!!!