In 1957 while still in high school, Tillotson was making records and performing on stage; as a student at the University of Florida, he had his own musical variety show on regional television. Following graduation in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, he signed with Cadence Records and moved to New York City to pursue his music career. In 1960, he recorded his first hit, a composition entitled "Poetry in Motion" (written by Anthony/Kaufman), that went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and #1 on the UK Singles Chart.
A "crossover" artist, several of Tillotson's songs were successful on both the country music charts and pop charts. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for another of his own compositions, "It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin," and also for the song "Heartaches by the Number," nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965. He also appeared in the 1963 film "Just for Fun" and sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy "Gidget".
In a career spanning more than 40 years, Tillotson has recorded 26 singles that made it onto Billboard's charts, and performed at venues across the United States and other places around the globe.
He was featured in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield, Jack E. Leonard, Phyllis Diller, Brian Donlevy and Jordan Christopher & the Wild Ones. This film was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46).
Well I'm Your Man
Johnny Tillotson Lyrics
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Looking for a love that's true
A boy to kiss and hold your hand
Oh believe me girl, well I'm your man
Well I'm your man
Tight blue jeans that fit so snug
You're the girl I wanna hug
Oh believe me girl, well I'm your man
Well I'm your man
Well, everything you say and do
Suits me to a T
And I'd be very set for life
You'd go steady with me
Well rocking queen, my heart's a-whirl
Won't you be my steady girl
No one loves you like I can
And believe me girl, well I'm your man
Well I'm your man
Well, now everything you say and do
Suits me to a T
And I'd be very set for life
You'd go steady with me
Well rocking queen, my heart's a-whirl
Won't you be my steady girl
No one loves you like I can
And believe me girl, well I'm your man
Well I'm your man
Well I'm your man
Well... (fade)
The song, "Well I'm Your Man" by Johnny Tillotson, is a love song about a man who is offering himself to be the partner of a girl he admires. The song starts with a description of the girl, with her blue eyes and a desire for true love that the man is willing to provide. The lyrics talk about the physical attraction between the two, as the man is captivated by her tight blue jeans and wants to hug her. The man believes that they are meant to be together because everything the girl does or says suits him perfectly.
The song then transitions into a plea for the girl to reciprocate his feelings and be his steady girl. He promises that he loves her more than anyone else can and would be the perfect partner for her. The song repeats its chorus and ends as a fade-out.
Overall, the song seems to encapsulate the feelings of young love, with the man professing his love in a sweet and sincere manner. The song also conveys the feeling of infatuation bordering on obsession, as the man believes that they are meant to be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Rocking queen with eyes of blue
Addressing a girl with blue eyes and calling her a queen.
Looking for a love that's true
The girl is looking for genuine love.
A boy to kiss and hold your hand
The girl is looking for someone to kiss and hold her hand.
Oh believe me girl, well I'm your man
The singer is expressing his readiness to be the girl's man.
Well I'm your man
Reiterating that he's the man the girl is looking for.
Tight blue jeans that fit so snug
Describing the girl's attire, blue jeans that fit tightly.
You're the girl I wanna hug
The singer expresses his desire to hug the girl.
And I'm the boy who thinks you're grand
The singer is expressing his admiration for the girl.
Oh believe me girl, well I'm your man
The singer is again reiterating that he's the man the girl is looking for.
Well I'm your man
Repeating that he's the girl's man.
Everything you say and do, suits me to a T
The singer is saying that he understands the girl and enjoys everything that she does.
And I'd be very set for life, you'd go steady with me
The singer is saying that if the girl agrees to be with him, he'd be content for life.
Well rocking queen, my heart's a-whirl
Addressing the girl again, the singer says his heart is filled with joy.
Won't you be my steady girl
Asking the girl to commit to being with him.
No one loves you like I can
The singer is implying that he can love the girl like nobody else.
And believe me girl, well I'm your man
Reiterating once again that he's the man the girl is looking for.
Well I'm your man
Using the line for the last time to emphasize that he's the girl's man.
Well...
Fade out.
Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lateforbreakfast
If I had heard this back in 58 I would have bought it, rock-n-roll at its best.
CatsPjamas1
@musicmandon1 Johnny is one of my favorites. "Poetry in Motion" is what made me a fan, one of the best records of 1960.
shatinterry
Enjoy this JT song..thanks for sharing..!!
musicmandon1
Not bad for a first effort, but his later stuff was clearly better--"Poetry in Motion," "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin," etc. I'm a blind guy, and still the imagery in "Poetry in Motion," gets me. I rarely wish I could see, but that's one thing I'd wish to see. Rozann Barr--not so much! I've always said if I got my sight, some joker would bring me a pic of Rozann and say it was my wife! Like that would work-with or without sight i can ID my wife in a lineup.
CatsPjamas1
@azw596 You're welcome! The A-side, "Dreamy Eyes" is even better, I'll try and post it in my next update.
CatsPjamas1
@shatinterry You're welcome, Terry!