The Chicken Shop Days: Joe Cocker on Loop and the Struggle for Denim Glory

Imagine stepping into a local chicken shop not for the aroma of seasoned poultry, but for the labor that awaits behind the counter. This isn't the tale of a grand enterprise but a humble, family-run business nestled in a Melbourne suburb—let's refer to it as Clucky Chicken. Its charm may not scream 'glamour,' yet it offers a gritty entry into adulthood and employment.

The Unvarnished Shop Life

The job description at Clucky Chicken was fairly straightforward. Donning a plain apron instead of a branded uniform, tasks ranged from cleaning rotisserie rods caked in grease to serving the occasional patron. The true rite of passage, however, involved mopping up the oily residue off the tiles, an eternal dance with grease that signified the beginning of one's work journey.

Despite the grimy environment, the counterbalance was the financial independence it offered, a way to claim those coveted designer jeans or the latest edition of a favorite magazine. However, not all that glitters—or in this case, greases—is gold.

The Auditory Challenge

The relentless trials at Clucky Chicken weren't merely physical. No, it was the relentless auditory backdrop that tested the mental fortitude of our worker. The owner's boom box dictated the soundscape, a relentless loop of Joe Cocker's ballads intermingled with the likes of Lionel Richie and Phil Collins—a playlist that loomed over the kitchen, challenging one's threshold for nostalgia.

As the radio repeated the familiar chart-toppers, a growing aversion to the 'Power of Love' and 'Up Where We Belong' set in, transforming these hit songs into sonic water torture. The struggle lay not in the act of listening but in the imposed repetition, a uniquely psychological burden amidst the physically taxing chores.

Yet, every mop stroke on that greasy floor built resilience—a personal armor for facing a world where pop tunes infiltrate every public corner. Even today, a stroll through a supermarket could evoke a swift retreat should those melodies resurface over the speaker system.

music, employment, retail