Real Men

Joe Jackson

About Real Men

"Real Men" is a song by British singer-songwriter and musician Joe Jackson, released in 1982 as the lead single from his fifth studio album Night and Day. It was written by Jackson, and produced by Jackson and David Kershenbaum. "Real Men" reached No. 89 in the UK and No. 6 in Australia. A music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Steve Barron."Real Men" pointed obliquely to New York City's early 1980s gay culture. Speaking to Billboard in 1982, Jackson said of the song: "It's a song about the age old battle of the sexes. I think your average male has had his masculinity and supremacy threatened to the point where he's not sure what it is he's supposed to do. Intelligent, forward thinking, in the sexual arena, is being done by women. It's all about the way stereotypes have reversed, turned upside down and become meaningless." 


Year:
1988
4:35
1,908 
#2

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Take your mind back, I don't know when
Sometime when it always seemed
To be just us and them
Girls that wore pink
And boys that wore blue
Boys that always grew up better men
Than me and you

What's a man now, what's a man mean
Is he rough or is he rugged
Is he cultural and clean
Now it's all change, it's got to change more
Cause we think it's getting better
But nobody's really sure

And so it goes, go round again
But now and then we wonder who the real men are

See the nice boys, dancing in pairs
Golden earring golden tan
Blow-wave in the hair
Sure they're all straight, straight as a line
All the gays are macho
Can't you see their leather shine

You don't want to sound dumb, don't want to offend
So don't call me a fagot
Not unless you are a friend
Then if you're tall and handsome and strong
You can wear the uniform and I could play along

And so it goes, go round again
But now and then we wonder who the real men are

Time to get scared, time to change plan
Don't know how to treat a lady
Don't know how to be a man
Time to admit, what you call defeat
Cause there's women running past you now
And you just drag your feet

Man makes a gun, man goes to war
Man can kill and man can drink
And man can take a whore
Kill all the blacks, kill all the reds
And if there's war between the sexes
Then there'll be no people left

And so it goes, go round again
But now and then we wonder who the real men are

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Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson (born David Ian Jackson, 11 August 1954) is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001. He is probably best known for the 1979 hit song and first single "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", which still gets extensive US FM radio airplay; for his 1982 hit, "Steppin' Out"; and for his 1984 success with "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)". He was popular for his pop/rock and New Wave music early on before moving to more eclectic, though less commercially successful, pop/jazz/classical hybrids. more »

2 fans

Written by: JOE JACKSON

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Release Date
"Real Men" was released in 1982 as part of Joe Jackson's album "Night and Day".
Album's Success
"Night and Day" is Joe Jackson's most successful album, reaching number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Song Theme
"Real Men" confronts societal norms about masculinity and sexuality.
Commercial Success
The song did well commercially, reaching number 6 on the UK Singles Chart.
Music Video
The official music video for the song depicts Jackson as several different characters, each displaying a different aspect of manhood.
Cover Versions
"Real Men" has been covered by artists like Tori Amos and Joan as Police Woman, showing its lasting impact on the music industry.
Homosexuality Acknowledgement
"Real Men" is one of the early popular songs that openly discusses homosexuality.
Song Location Inspiration
Jackson wrote "Real Men" after he moved to New York City and was inspired by the city's diversity and vibrant gay scene.
Style
The song is a change in direction for Jackson, moving away from his earlier punk and jazz influence to a more synthesized pop ballad sound.
Social Commentary
"Real Men" is considered part of Jackson's pivot towards more complex social commentary in his songwriting.
Positive Critiques
Critics have praised the song for its progressive content and complex lyrics.
Enduring Popularity
Years after its initial release, "Real Men" continues to be one of Joe Jackson's best-known songs.

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