Real Men
Joe Jackson
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
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
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
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".
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Album's Success"Night and Day" is Joe Jackson's most successful album, reaching number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
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Song Theme"Real Men" confronts societal norms about masculinity and sexuality.
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Commercial SuccessThe song did well commercially, reaching number 6 on the UK Singles Chart.
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Music VideoThe official music video for the song depicts Jackson as several different characters, each displaying a different aspect of manhood.
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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.
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Homosexuality Acknowledgement"Real Men" is one of the early popular songs that openly discusses homosexuality.
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Song Location InspirationJackson wrote "Real Men" after he moved to New York City and was inspired by the city's diversity and vibrant gay scene.
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StyleThe song is a change in direction for Jackson, moving away from his earlier punk and jazz influence to a more synthesized pop ballad sound.
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Social Commentary"Real Men" is considered part of Jackson's pivot towards more complex social commentary in his songwriting.
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Positive CritiquesCritics have praised the song for its progressive content and complex lyrics.
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Enduring PopularityYears after its initial release, "Real Men" continues to be one of Joe Jackson's best-known songs.
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Citation
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"Real Men Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/7694773/Joe+Jackson/Real+Men>.
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