Family Man
Daryl & John Oates Hall Lyrics


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She had sulky smile
She took her standard pose as she presented herself
She had sultry eyes
She made it perfectly plain that she was his for a price

But he said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite
He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
If you push me too far I just might

She wore hurt surprise
As she rechecked her make up to protect herself
Dropped her price and pride
She made it totally clear that she was his for a night

But he said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite
He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
If you push me too far I just might

She gave him her look
It would have worked on any other man around
He looked her up and down
She knew he couldn't decide if he should hold his ground

But he said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite
He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
If you push me too far I just might

She turned, tossed her head
Unlike her opening move, her final exit line
He waited much too long
But by the time he got his courage up she was gone

And he screamed, leave me alone, I'm a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite
He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
If you push me too far I just might

He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
And I don't think I want you tonight
He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
If you push me too far I just might

He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite
He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
If you push me too far I just might





He said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
Don't leave me alone 'cause I got to go hungry

Overall Meaning

"Family Man" is a song that delves into the dilemma of adultery from the perspective of a married man. The storyline follows a man resisting the temptations of a sultry woman who offers herself in exchange for money. The man, however, stands by his values and refuses to betray his family. He emphasizes this by mentioning how his bark is much worse than his bite, meaning he is more committed to his wife and the life they share than the fleeting pleasure offered by a one-night stand. The woman receives the message and leaves, leaving the man alone to battle his hunger and dissatisfaction.


The song's lyrics highlight the challenges that people face when confronted with the prospect of infidelity, and the lengths they are willing to go to remain loyal to their significant others. The lyrics reveal how the man is aware of his weaknesses and that he has the will to overcome his desires. Additionally, the lyrics portray how much the man values his family and the commitment he has towards them.


Line by Line Meaning

She had sulky smile
The woman had an unhappy expression on her face


She took her standard pose as she presented herself
She stood in a way she thought was attractive while trying to sell herself


She had sultry eyes
Her eyes were full of seduction and desire


She made it perfectly plain that she was his for a price
She made it clear that she was willing to have sex with him in exchange for money


But he said, leave me alone, I'm a family man
The man said he wasn't interested because he was married with children


And my bark is much worse than my bite
He was warning her that he could become violent if she pushed him too far


She wore hurt surprise
She was surprised and upset that he rejected her offer


As she rechecked her make up to protect herself
She checked herself in the mirror to make sure she still looked good


Dropped her price and pride
She lowered her asking price and her self-respect


She made it totally clear that she was his for a night
She let him know that she was willing to have sex with him for a lower price


She gave him her look
She gave him a seductive and tempting look


It would have worked on any other man around
Her look would have convinced most other men to have sex with her


He looked her up and down
He examined her body in a sexual way


She knew he couldn't decide if he should hold his ground
She realized he was tempted but unsure if he should resist


She turned, tossed her head
She quickly turned away and gestured dismissively with her head


Unlike her opening move, her final exit line
She left with a different attitude than when she approached him


But by the time he got his courage up she was gone
He waited too long to make a decision and missed his chance


And he screamed, leave me alone, I'm a family man
He shouted at her to go away because he was already committed to his family


And I don't think I want you tonight
He decided he didn't want to cheat on his wife with her


Don't leave me alone 'cause I got to go hungry
He didn't want her to leave because he was feeling sexually frustrated




Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID BROUGH PERT-MORRIS, EDDIE FENN, MAGGIE REILLY, MICHAEL GORDON OLDFIELD, MIKE FRY, TIMOTHY KJELL CROSS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@edkeaton1085

Any song from "Hall and Oates" from the 80's will always be a classic to me. They have a lot of heart and soul. Awesome group!

@markgoodwin7442

Love these guys so does my pop who is 74

@edkeaton1085

Mark Goodwin Right on! I have been a big fan of Hall & Oates since the eighties, bro!

@tracyconner1497

Ed Keaton same šŸ˜‹

@ozzyhoang3499

@@edkeaton1085 I have 30 favorite bands of the '80s, but since the '90s up till now 2022..... I have none, big 0 band to like....Music is dead!

@alexandermakrianis

Yes sir, you are right on the money! 1980s Hall and Oats is the best!

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@rodneycox5798

One of the most underated Hall and Oates songs EVER

@nexxxus7498

GE Smith kills it on the lead guitar. He is so underrated!!! He is one of the greatest guitarist out there. He doesnā€™t get his due because he was mostly a studio player. The guy is absolutelyšŸ”„šŸ”„šŸ”„!!!

@micway71

He was getting it!! You know he could probably hang with just about anyone plucking! Nice sound too!

@lauramayfield5410

He was with the house band for SNL back in the day xo

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