Can't Help Lovin' that Man of Mine
Kern/Hammerstein Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh listen, sister
I love my mister man and I can't tell you why
There ain't no reason why I should love that man
It must be somethin' that the angels done plan

Fish gotta swim
Birds gotta fly
I gotta love one man till I die
Can't help lovin' that man of mine

Tell me he's lazy
Tell me he's slow
Tell me I'm crazy, maybe, I know
Can't help lovin' that man of mine

When he goes away
That's a rainy day
But when he comes back that day is fine
The sun will shine

He can come home as late as can be




Home without him ain't no home to me
Can't help lovin' that man of mine

Overall Meaning

In Kern/Hammerstein's song "Can't Help Lovin' that Man of Mine," the singer sings to her sister about her love for her, perhaps, troublesome man. She confesses that she loves him without knowing why she should, and that maybe it was predestined by the angels. She then compares her love to fundamental laws of nature, saying that just as fish must swim and birds must fly, she must love him until the end of her life.


The singer continues by inviting her sister to criticize her lover, stating that she knows he's lazy and slow, and that she may be crazy for loving him. In the end, she declares that her love for him is unconditional and that she can't help but love him despite his perceived shortcomings. She longs for him when he's not around, and his presence brings sunshine into her life.


"Can't Help Lovin' that Man of Mine" was first featured in the 1927 musical "Showboat," which was based on a novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The musical was revolutionary for its time as it combined several musical styles, including operetta, jazz, and blues, and addressed serious social issues, such as racial discrimination.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh listen, sister
Hey, sister, listen up


I love my mister man and I can't tell you why
I don't have a logical explanation but I just love my man


There ain't no reason why I should love that man
There's no logical reason why I should be in love with that man


It must be somethin' that the angels done plan
It could be a divine plan, something out of my control and preordained by higher powers


Fish gotta swim
Fish have to swim since it's part of their nature


Birds gotta fly
It's natural and instinctual for birds to fly


I gotta love one man till I die
I feel compelled to love the same man for my entire lifetime


Can't help lovin' that man of mine
I just can't stop loving my man


Tell me he's lazy
Try to convince me he's lazy


Tell me he's slow
Try to convince me he's slow


Tell me I'm crazy, maybe, I know
You might call me crazy, but I'm aware of that possibility


Can't help lovin' that man of mine
Still, I can't help but love him


When he goes away
When he's not around


That's a rainy day
I feel down and sad when he's gone


But when he comes back that day is fine
When he's back, everything becomes great again


The sun will shine
Life looks brighter and happier when he's around


He can come home as late as can be
No matter how late he comes home


Home without him ain't no home to me
My home is not complete without him in it


Can't help lovin' that man of mine
Still, I can't help but love him




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jerome Kern, Oscar Ii Hammerstein

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@sleepy9082

Lyrics

Oh listen, sister
I love my mister man
And I can't tell you why
There ain't no reason why I should love that man

It must be something that the angels did plan

The chimney's smoking
The roof is leaking in
But he don't seem to care
He can be happy with just a sip of gin
I even love him when his kisses got gin

Fish got to swim, birds got to fly
I got to love one man 'til I die
Can't help loving that man of mine

Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow
Tell me I'm crazy (maybe I know)
Can't help loving that man of mine

When he goes away that's a rainy day
And when he comes back that day is fine
The sun will shine

He can come home as late as can be
Home without him ain't no home to me
Can't help loving that man of mine



@frenchfries427

Oh, listen, sista
I love my mista man
And I can't tell you why
There ain't no reason
For me to love that man
It must be something
That the angels done play
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly
I gotta love one man 'til I die
Can't help loving that man of mine
Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow
Tell me I'm crazy, maybe, I know
Can't help loving that man of mine
When he goes away
That's a rainy day
But when he comes back
That day is fine
The sun will shine
He can come home
As late as can be
Home without him
Ain't no home to me
Can't help loving that man of mine



All comments from YouTube:

@mariaddis9341

I'm 46 and we sang this in Show Choir at my high school! I can still jingle a tune in the shower and in the car.

@pharaohkt81

My grandmother sang this to my grandfather in his final days. Such a sad love story. Grammy Kitty is a champ. She couldnt help it. Loved my papa.

@jennsmiles3633

I am a home health aid. And my client used to sing this and she learned how to fly this morning.flay high and rest easy

@sfden50

Ella OWNS any song she does - The BEST

@davidallen2518

Ella's voice makes you forget about life's problems.

@teresariestenberg8848

A true classic. Written by a musical theatre legend and sung by a legend.

@pamtebelman2321

Was just thinking about the similarities between Jewish music and African-American music, and the beauty of the minor and major chords complimenting each other. This song exemplifies that powerful beauty.

@labuenavida2572

Silky-smooth as only Ms. Ella's sound is. Uniquely blessed.

@shanedeleon5376

That high note... her pitch was always sensational, but that was outstanding. She sang that one like a french horn.

@leoseries

Showboat is my favourite musical. I have seen many performances and heard many versions of this song but I have never heard the word "DAT" in the lyrics.

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