Wilder was one-half of the Greenwich Village folk group Matthew & Peter in the 1970s. In 1978 he moved to Los Angeles and sang for television commercials and backup for Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler.
Wilder's first album, I Don't Speak the Language (1983), reached number 49 on the Billboard chart, fueled by "Break My Stride", which reached number 5 on the singles chart. His second album, Bouncin' Off the Walls (1984), was a commercial failure.
Wilder continued his career as a songwriter and producer. His work includes producing the No Doubt's multi-platinum album Tragic Kingdom (1995). He lent his singing voice to the character of Ling and was nominated for an Academy Award for Original Music Score (along with David Zippel and Jerry Goldsmith) for his work on the Disney film Mulan (1998).
On Broadway, Wilder has once again paired with Zippel to provide the music and lyrics for Princesses, a musical comedy update of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel A Little Princess. The production opened on Broadway in November 2006.
I'll Make a Man out of You
Matthew Wilder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To defeat the Huns
Did they send me daughters
When I asked for sons?
You're the saddest bunch
I ever met
But you can bet
Before we're through
out of you
Tranquil as a forest
But on fire within
Once you find your center
you are sure to win
You're a spineless, pale
pathetic lot
And you haven't got a clue
Somehow I'll make a man
out of you
I'm never gonna catch
my breath
Say good-bye to those
who knew me
Boy, was I a fool in school
for cutting gym
This guy's got 'em
scared to death
Hope he doesn't see
right through me
Now I really wish that I
knew how to swim
(Be a man)
We must be swift as
the coursing river
(Be a man)
With all the force
of a great typhoon
(Be a man)
With all the strength
of a raging fire
Mysterious as the
dark side of the moon
Time is racing toward us
till the Huns arrive
Heed my every order
and you might survive
You're unsuited for
the rage of war
So pack up, go home
you're through
How could I make a man
out of you?
(Be a man)
We must be swift as
the coursing river
(Be a man)
With all the force
of a great typhoon
(Be a man)
With all the strength
of a raging fire
Mysterious as the
dark side of the moon
(Be a man)
We must be swift as
the Coursing river
(Be a man)
With all the force
of a great typhoon
(Be a man)
With all the strength
of a raging fire
Mysterious as the
dark side of the moon
The song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” by Matthew Wilder, from the Disney movie Mulan, is a motivational and empowering anthem that captures the spirit of perseverance, determination, and self-discipline. The lyrics directly address the soldiers as they prepare for an inevitable war with the Huns, with the objective of molding them into real men who can face and defeat the enemy. The opening lines, “Let's get down to business, to defeat the Huns, Did they send me daughters, When I asked for sons?” sets the tone of the song as an urgent call to action, and highlights the societal expectations of masculinity and patriarchal values that underpin the narrative of the film.
The first verse portrays the soldiers as weak and inefficient, with the line “You're the saddest bunch I ever met, But you can bet, Before we're through, Mister, I'll make a man out of you” accentuating their shortcomings. The second verse encourages the soldiers to discover their inner strength by overcoming their fears and self-doubt, with the lines “Tranquil as a forest, But on fire within, Once you find your center you are sure to win, You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot, And you haven't got a clue, Somehow I'll make a man out of you”. The chorus, “We must be swift as the coursing river, With all the force of a great typhoon, With all the strength of a raging fire, Mysterious as the dark side of the moon”, is a powerful confirmation of the message that the soldiers can achieve anything if they believe in themselves, and have the courage to follow through.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's get down to business
Let's focus on the task at hand
To defeat the Huns
Our goal is to win the battle against our enemies
Did they send me daughters
When I asked for sons?
I expected stronger, braver soldiers and now I doubt your abilities
You're the saddest bunch
I ever met
You appear weak, disheartened, and not ready for war
But you can bet
Before we're through
Mister, I'll make a man
out of you
I am confident that I can train you to become strong, fearless warriors
Tranquil as a forest
But on fire within
Although you may seem calm on the surface, you need to ignite your inner strength and determination
Once you find your center
you are sure to win
When you discover your inner peace and purpose, you will become victorious
You're a spineless, pale
pathetic lot
You lack courage and strength, and appear weak and helpless
And you haven't got a clue
Somehow I'll make a man
out of you
You don't know how to fight and lead, but I am determined to train you and turn you into brave warriors
I'm never gonna catch
my breath
I am exhausted and overwhelmed by the task at hand
Say good-bye to those
who knew me
I must leave behind my former self, my weaknesses, and my past relationships to become a strong leader
Boy, was I a fool in school
for cutting gym
I regret not being physically fit and well-prepared for this challenge in the past
This guy's got 'em
scared to death
Hope he doesn't see
right through me
I am intimidated by my enemy and fear being exposed as a weak leader
Now I really wish that I
knew how to swim
I wish I had more skills and training to prepare myself for this battle
(Be a man)
We must be swift as
the coursing river
We need to be quick, agile and focused to win this battle
(Be a man)
With all the force
of a great typhoon
We need to have great strength, power and determination to defeat our enemy
(Be a man)
With all the strength
of a raging fire
We need to have intense passion, energy, and courage to prevail
Mysterious as the
dark side of the moon
Our tactics and strategies must be hard to predict and out of sight, like the shadowed side of the moon
Time is racing toward us
till the Huns arrive
We don't have much time left to prepare, the enemy is coming soon
Heed my every order
and you might survive
Listen to my instructions and you may make it out alive
You're unsuited for
the rage of war
You are ill-equipped for the brutality and violence of battle
So pack up, go home
you're through
You should leave and give up, as you are not ready for the fight
How could I make a man
out of you?
I question my ability to train and transform you into strong fighters
Contributed by Kennedy L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ovens867
ESG scores can't buy everything I guess!
Morgan Ragland
What do you mean?
Ovens867
@Morgan Raglandeven tho this song "hits all the checkboxes", it was still too cringe to make it into the movie.