The project first began in 1979 as a solo project for Joanne McDuffy, backup vocalist for singer and producer Rick James, whom she had supported on several tours. James developed tracks with McDuffy and session vocalists the Water Sisters, creating the "Mary Jane Girls" sound. Motown offered James a contract for what it believed was the girl group he wanted to produce; not wanting to lose the deal, James lied and told Motown that the Mary Jane Girls were a group and not McDuffy's solo project. Rick got whoever he could to provide photographs to Motown. McDuffy continued to sing lead and background with the Water Sisters for all Mary Jane Girl recordings and the band sang for the group with McDuffy on tour. It is commonly believed, though not confirmed, that the group was so named due to Rick James' affinity for marijuana; a common alternate term for the substance is "Mary Jane."
Their self-titled debut album, Mary Jane Girls was released in 1983, reaching #56 on the Billboard 200, and #6 in the Top Hip-Hop/R&B charts. The album's four singles, "Candy Man", "All Night Long", "Boys" and "Jealousy" all charted. In 1985, their sophomore effort, Only Four You, was released; the single "In My House" became the group's biggest single, reaching #7 on the Billboard 200. Shortly before the release of the album, Bailey left the group and was replaced by Marine.
The only song recorded by the Mary Jane Girls not composed by Rick James was "Walk Like a Man". A cover version of the famous song by The Four Seasons featured on the soundtrack for the film A Fine Mess, this turned out to be the Mary Jane Girls' last single, reaching #41 on the Billboard 2000. In the meantime, Rick James had a falling out with Motown, eventually resulting in the dissolution of the Mary Jane Girls in 1987.
Walk Like A Man
Mary Jane Girls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk like a man
Oh, how she tried to cut you down to size
By telling dirty lies to your friend
But your own father said, "Give her up, don't bother"
You better walk like a man, talk like a man
Walk like a man, my son
No woman's worth, crawling on the earth
So walk like a man, my son
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Bye, baby, I don't mean maybe
Gonna get along somehow
Soon you'll be cryin' on account of all your lyin'
Forget, just look who's laughin' now
Why don't you walk like a man fast as he can
Walk like a man from you
He'll tell the world, forget about it, girl
And walk like a man from you
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Walk, walk
Why don't you walk like a man fast as he can
Walk like a man from you
He'll tell the world, forget about it, girl
And walk like a man from you
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Walk, walk, walk, walk
"Walk Like A Man" by Mary Jane Girls is about a young man who is betrayed by a woman he had been with. The woman spreads rumors and lies about him to his friends and acquaintances, trying to belittle him and make him feel small. However, his father tells him to stand up for himself and to walk like a man. The young man is reminded that he doesn't need to crawl or grovel for any woman, and that he should conduct himself with dignity and self-respect.
The song is a powerful message for those who may feel discouraged or down in the face of others trying to bring them down. Through the lyrics, the song encourages everyone to stand tall and not be weighed down by negativity. Everything about the song, from the melody to the lyrics and vocal performance, exudes strength and resilience.
One unique aspect of "Walk Like A Man" is that it was written by two legendary musicians: James Brown and Lloyd Price. Additionally, the song was produced by Rick James, who was famous for creating a sound that was heavily influenced by funk and soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Vocalization to set the mood
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Encouraging the listener to walk with confidence
Oh, how she tried to cut you down to size
Referencing past attempts to diminish the listener's self-confidence
By telling dirty lies to your friend
The specific actions taken by the person to bring the listener down
But your own father said, "Give her up, don't bother"
The advice given to the listener to move on from the person causing harm
The world isn't coming to an end
A reminder that there are bigger things happening in the world to put things into perspective
You better walk like a man, talk like a man
Reinforcing the idea that the listener should carry themselves with strength and dignity
Walk like a man, my son
Further emphasizing the message to walk with confidence
No woman's worth, crawling on the earth
Advising the listener to have self-respect and not lower themselves for anyone
So walk like a man, my son
Once again, pushing the listener to walk with strength
Bye, baby, I don't mean maybe
Addressing the person causing harm and informing them that the listener will move on
Gonna get along somehow
Confidently stating that the listener will be okay without the harmful person
Soon you'll be cryin' on account of all your lyin'
Predicting that the harmful person will eventually realize their mistakes and feel regret
Forget, just look who's laughin' now
An expression of victory and triumph over the person causing harm
Why don't you walk like a man fast as he can
Challenging the person causing harm to match the confidence and strength of the listener
Walk like a man from you
Encouraging the person causing harm to distance themselves
He'll tell the world, forget about it, girl
Predicting that other people will also tell the person causing harm to move on
And walk like a man from you
Finalizing the message for the person causing harm to leave the listener alone
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Repeating the call to walk with confidence
Walk, walk, walk, walk
Continuing the encouragement to walk with strength
Walk, walk
Finalizing the message to walk confidently
Contributed by Madelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.