Real Men
Joe Jackson Lyrics
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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
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
"Real Men" is a social commentary condemning the traditional norms affiliated with masculinity. The first verse questions whether the idea of "boys who grow up to be better men" is a fact or a falsehood. Then it jumps into a discussion of how the definition of what it means to be a "man" has evolved over the years. The chorus suggests a cyclical representation of history as people continue to ponder what it means to be a real man. The second verse toys with the stereotypes of the dancing boy-band, commenting on how straight and gay cultures have adopted tropes of the other. The bridge encourages males to change their ways and avoid letting women pass them in society.
The third verse takes a hit on the destructive power that men hold, such as the manufacture of deadly weapons or the violence they inflict on women. The song closes with another chorus suggesting that despite continuous social progression, people still cannot seem to identify who the real men are.
Overall, the lyrics challenge traditional ideas of masculinity in society. It is a commentary on the evolution of masculinity, tying together traditional gender stereotypes and challenging them. It is a reminder that gender is not a fixed concept, but an ever-shifting social construct that needs reconsideration based on every new time.
Line by Line Meaning
Take your mind back, I don't know when
Looking back to some undefined time in the past
Sometime when it always seemed
A period where the world appeared
To be just us and them
When societies were strictly segregated
Girls that wore pink
Girls with certain feminine traits and clothes
And boys that wore blue
Boys with certain masculine traits and clothes
Boys that always grew up better men
The idea that a particular definition of 'manliness' should be upheld from one generation to the next
Than me and you
Leaving the singer and their peers feeling inferior
What's a man now, what's a man mean
Posing the question of what it means to be a man in the present day
Is he rough or is he rugged
Questioning the notion that a man should be tough, robust or even violent
Is he cultural and clean
The possibility that a man should be sophisticated and modernise rather than behave brutishly
Now it's all change, it's got to change more
The need for a revision of the male stereotypes
Cause we think it's getting better
A hope that times are changing for the better
But nobody's really sure
The uncertainty of this optimism
And so it goes, go round again
The iteration of a cycle where things don't really improve
But now and then we wonder who the real men are
Occasionally questioning the notion of what makes a 'real' man
See the nice boys, dancing in pairs
A reference to the gay culture and the idea of being outcasts from consolidated society
Golden earring golden tan
Distinct features that tie a person to a specific group as opposed to being unique to themselves
Blow-wave in the hair
Gay men having certain hairstyles.
Sure they're all straight, straight as a line
Gay men outwardly portraying themselves as straight
All the gays are macho
A stereotype that gay men are overly masculine
Can't you see their leather shine
References to the leather subculture within the gay community
You don't want to sound dumb, don't want to offend
Being careful about what is being said as to not appear ignorant or hurtful
So don't call me a fagot
A term that is considered degrading and offensive
Not unless you are a friend
People are entitled to call each other something endearing if they know each other well enough
Then if you're tall and handsome and strong
Traditional standards of attractiveness linking with masculinity
You can wear the uniform and I could play along
Submitting to imposed societal standards for fear of being left out
Time to get scared, time to change plan
The fear of being left behind by society's development
Don't know how to treat a lady
The genuine uncertainty about what behaviours towards women in a modern society would be the 'right' thing
Don't know how to be a man
The overall confusion and frustration of men trying to be more compassionate and understanding in light of recent social upheaval, without truly understanding what it entails
Time to admit, what you call defeat
Accepting that the historic men's power paradigm of domination and aggression is no longer sustainable or acceptable
Cause there's women running past you now
A change in social conventions removes men from their historically dominant position
And you just drag your feet
Men feeling as though their roles have changed without providing them with the appropriate new means to fit into society
Man makes a gun, man goes to war
The message of the song shifts to war and the absurdity of fighting among people for no reason.
Man can kill and man can drink
A comment on masculine norms surrounding violence and alcohol consumption
And man can take a whore
Men considering women prostitutes or disposable sexual objects
Kill all the blacks, kill all the reds
Horrible people and groups in society were singled out and demonized just for being different.
And if there's war between the sexes
If men and women are in conflict
Then there'll be no people left
The conclusion that all human beings will be annihilated if a war between the sexes breaks out.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOE JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind