McDaniel

Now when I was a little boy,
At the age of five,
I had somethin' in my pocket,
Keep a lot of folks alive.

Now I'm a man,
Made twenty-one,
You know baby,
We can have a lot of fun.

I'm a man,
I spell m-a-n...man.

All you pretty women,
Stand in line,
I can make love to you baby,
In an hour's time.

I'm a man,
I spell m-a-n...man.

I goin' back down,
To kansas to
Bring back the second cousin,
Little john the conqueroo.

I'm a man,
I spell m-a-n...man.

The line I shoot,
Will never miss,
The way I make love to 'em,
They can't resist.

I'm a man,
I spell m-a-n...man.

Overall Meaning

The Sonics's song "I'm A Man" is a classic example of the kind of rock music that dominated the American airwaves in the 1960s. The song is simple, raw, and explicitly sexual, and it reflects the rebellious spirit of a generation that was testing the limits of social norms and conventions. The lyrics are sung in a deep, guttural voice, and they tell the story of a young man who has grown up to become a powerful and confident adult.

The first few lines of the song establish the singer's precociousness: "Now when I was a little boy, / At the age of five, / I had somethin' in my pocket, / Keep a lot of folks alive." It's unclear what exactly he had in his pocket, but the implication is that it was something important or valuable. The next verse reveals that he is now a man who is "Made twenty-one," and he's eager to enjoy his newfound freedom and power. He declares, "You know baby, / We can have a lot of fun" and boasts that he can seduce any woman he desires.

Line by Line Meaning

Now when I was a little boy,
When I was young

At the age of five,
At the young age of five

I had somethin' in my pocket,
I had something valuable in my pocket

Keep a lot of folks alive.
That could keep a lot of people alive

Now I'm a man,
Now that I'm grown up

Made twenty-one,
And have reached the age of 21

You know baby,
Hey, sweetheart,

We can have a lot of fun.
We can have a really great time together

I'm a man,
I'm a grown man,

I spell m-a-n...man.
Who spells M-A-N, man

All you pretty women,
Hey, all you attractive ladies,