[Hidden Gems] A Collection of Songs About Part-Time Jobs: Music That Resonates with Working People
Did you know there are surprisingly many songs themed around part-time jobs? From student days and life as a freeter, to various happenings at work and workplace relationships—these songs turn our everyday lives into music with lyrics anyone can relate to and melodies that resonate with the heart.
This time, we’re introducing tracks packed with memories of part-time work and jobs, sung from a variety of perspectives.
You’re sure to find a song that overlaps with your own experiences!
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- [J-Pop] A Collection of Unrequited Love Songs That Stay Close to Your Heart
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- [Motivation Injection] Songs to listen to on days when you don't want to go to work
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- I Don’t Want to Work!! Songs to Listen to When You’re Fed Up with Your Job
- Classic songs about school clubs. Recommended popular tracks.
- A hidden gem known only to those in the know. A great J-pop/Japanese song.
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Hidden Gems: A Collection of Songs About Part-Time Jobs — Music That Resonates with Working People (11–20)
I quit my part-time job.Miyauchi
This is a song by Miyauchi, expressing the resolve to say goodbye to a familiar part-time job life, driven by a passion for rap.
The joy of being able to make a living through music and the exhilaration of stepping onto the stage are conveyed directly in down-to-earth words.
The track is included on the mixtape “The Mixtape 2,” slated for release in January 2025.
The anecdote about rewriting the lyrics multiple times also conveys the dedication poured into this work.
It vividly captures the hopeful feeling of taking a new step toward a dream, and by the end, it’s sure to give you the courage to believe in your future and take on new challenges.
Part-time jobresu
Days spent working while chased by rent and utilities, carrying a vague anxiety about the future.
This moving track sung by Resu turns that frustrating reality into song.
Over a conversational rap and alternative sound, it lays bare the lethargy toward work and the inner cry of “What do I want to become?”—so honestly that it hurts in the most relatable way.
Resu handled the lyrics and most of the production herself, and the song was released in January 2025.
As with works like “Ai Sashite,” where she sharply captures subtle shades of emotion, her signature realism hits home here.
Listening to this track, when you’re worn out by daily work and feel your dreams slipping away, you’ll feel a gentle push reminding you: you’re not alone.
Hourly Wage Up-Up SongYuuyami ni izanai shi shikkoku no tenshi-tachi
This is a song by Yuuyami ni Izayoi Shi Shikkoku no Tenshi-tachi, originally created as a campaign song for the job listing service “Baitoru.” It feels like those casual chats with coworkers—like, “If my hourly wage goes up, I could buy that!”—have been turned straight into music, and the humor-filled worldview is irresistible.
Channeling the honest hopes shared by everyone who works into a loud but somehow pop-tinged sound, this track grabs listeners by the heart.
First included on the mini-album “Shichiseikatsu” released in July 2022, it was later re-recorded for the best-of album “10th Anniversary: Yuuyami ni Izayoi Shi Shikkoku no Tenshi-tachi,” making it one of their signature songs.
Listen to it on your way home after a tiring shift, and you might just feel the energy to take on tomorrow!
Hourly wage: ¥850Kamereo
Just from the title, I thought it might be another song parodying part-time jobs, but it actually takes a very positive view of things—finding connections with others and being helpful to someone even in small parts of everyday life within part-time work.
It’s a very uplifting song that inspires the motivation to work.
Get a job, damn it!gurūpu damashii
Rather than a song, it’s all spoken lines.
Sure, for someone mooching off their parents and lazing around at home, it might work as a scolding song.
But for freeters or part-timers who are working hard, it could be a bit hurtful.
We are part-time workersPAN
Despite having made their CD debut, this is PAN’s breakthrough work that comically and poppily portrays the reality of not being able to escape a life of part-time jobs.
Even now, they say, “We’re still working part-time,” but instead of sounding whiny, it’s a feel-good piece with the spirit of working happily and laughing it off.
[Hidden Gems] A Collection of Songs About Part-Time Jobs: Music That Resonates with Working People (21–30)
Song of the Part-Time Workerkakashi
The lyrics contrast the time before starting a part-time job with the time after, and despite being a folk song, they rhyme and are rhythmic, showcasing a keen sense for word choice.
It’s a song that portrays, in a down-to-earth way, the everyday life that struggling students and broke part-timers all experience.