Have you ever wondered if there are songs about building?
There’s no doubt that construction requires a lot of hard work as well as the right skills. When you’re working around the clock to complete a building project, music has proven to help increase productivity and cognitive performance. Meanwhile, construction also comes with a lot of noise which can be both disturbing and, frankly, boring to listen to.
Here are our top songs about the construction industry, that might help you cancel out the noise and enhance productivity during construction.
Top 5 songs about building
1. Build – The Housemartins
This romantic, slow-paced song reached number 15 on the UK charts in 1987. It also found fame in Brazil after it was featured in popular telenovela Bebê a Bordo.
2. Proud of the House we Built – Brooks and Dunn
“I’m proud of the house we built.
It’s stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It’s not a big place sittin’ up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.”
Building is a great metaphor for relationships, so it’s no surprise that many of the songs on our list are love songs! In this Brooks and Dunn song, a couple’s home is just one of the many things they built together over time.
3. Building Bridges – Brooks and Dunn, featuring Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill
We’re moving out of the realm of housebuilding with this new offering from Brooks and Dunn – no, this time we’re building bridges. Bringing together the lovers of the story, the bridge is a symbol of connection. That being said, there’s no sense that the songwriter really understands how complex bridge construction projects really are…
4. Buildings and Bridges – Ani DiFranco
“Buildings and bridges
are made to bend in the wind
to withstand the world,
that’s what it takes…”
One artist with a better understanding of the physics behind buildings is Ani DiFranco. Yes, buildings and bridges alike are designed to sway – though not necessarily just with the wind. While wind might be an issue for skyscrapers, it’s also important that buildings can sway their way through earthquakes while still being tough enough to survive floods and other forces of nature.
5. Under Construction – No Doubt
One of the deep cuts from No Doubt’s impressive rock catalogue, Under Construction uses the mess and noise of construction work as a metaphor for the singer’s mental health. Its message is ultimately hopeful – we’re all under construction. Things might be a bit messy right now, but just wait and see how good everything will look once the building work has finished!
3 Songs about construction workers
1. Hard Hat and a Hammer – Alan Jackson
We’re back to country music! This song about construction workers explains the struggle of construction workers on daily basis, the hazards they face, and how little they are compensated for it. The risks and safety measures in the construction industry and especially on-site are a must-know for every construction worker and site manager to ensure safety during and after construction. The music video is a tribute to the hardworking people who keep construction work moving.
2. If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song) – Pete Seeger
“And I’d hammer out danger
I’d hammer out a warning
I’d hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land.”
This song was adopted by the progressive movement in the late 1940s, in support of the common person, no matter their race or gender or religion. It was originally written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hayes, but became much better known after it was covered by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1962. It’s quite a simple song, but it shows how much someone can do for justice with just a single tool.
3. Working on the Highway – Bruce Springsteen
You didn’t think we were going to make it all the way through this article without mentioning The Boss, did you? This song is a joyful story of a young man who is, as you might guess, working on the highway. It’s hard, dirty work and it gives him plenty of time to think about the woman he left behind. But why is he working on the highway? Well, you’ll just have to give the song a listen to find out the twist in this tale.
3 Songs about architecture
1. Thru’ These Architect Eyes – David Bowie
This song relays the beauty of architecture, the creativity, and the satisfaction that comes with seeing your design come to life. This song featured on David Bowie’s 20th studio album, released in 1995. It features collaborations with Brian Eno, a composer who made his name with unique pieces combining electronica with classical components. The album had an intellectual streak running through it, which didn’t please critics at the time. However, this piece captures some of the feelings around modern architecture in the 90s. As the lyrics say, it was a golden age.
2. We Built This City – Starships
This song isn’t really a song about architecture, but the question of who builds what is at its very heart. The song’s writers Martin Page and Bernie Taupin have that the song is about the decline of clubs where artists could perform live – specifically in 1980s Los Angeles. With more and more corporations buying up land for high rises and offices, independent music venues were dying. Although it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, this song only reached number 12 in the UK Singles chart – but that didn’t stop it being certified platinum in 2020.
3. Architecture – Maisie Peters
This gentle song is a beautiful masterpiece and although it really isn’t a song about architecture itself, it is a beautiful representation of the love and creativity an architect puts into designing a building. Yes, we’re back to the metaphor of a building as love – a structure that you lovingly design and build up over time.
Songs about building – how the things we build inspire art
So, there are very few songs that really deal with the nitty-gritty of construction work. However, the many songs that reference building show us how much the symbols of construction live in our daily language. We build each other up, we tear each other down, just like a building, or a bridge, or a highway.
Then again, when you’re building in real life, you can’t afford to rely on poetry. Any construction worker knows that the romance disappears from construction the second a project gets delayed or runs over budget. Construction site management software like PlanRadar can help to build bridges of communication between sites and offices. To find out more, you can get in touch to book a personal consultation or try our platform free for 30 days.
