Kamen was first brought to the public's attention in 1984 when Ray Petri featured him on the front cover of The Face. The cover showed him wearing a ski-hat, orange roll-neck sweater and aviator sunglasses.
He was most remembered, in the UK, for his 1985 beefcake performance in Levi's "Launderette" television commercial, where he strips down in order to stone-wash his blue jeans in a 1950s style public laundromat while he waits clad only in his boxer shorts, which dramatically increased their popularity. It was selected for, and came fourth, in "The 100 Greatest TV Ads of All Time" in 2000.
His first single was the 1986 UK #5 hit "Each Time You Break My Heart" from his self-titled debut album. Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, it also cracked both the U.S. dance chart (remix by Shep Pettibone) and the Top 50 in Canada. Madonna also sang the backing vocals. Her original demo remains one of many Unreleased Madonna Songs. Kamen also had a #16 follow-up in the UK with the second single, "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", although his later singles were less-commercially successful in the UK but more so in the rest of Europe, particularly Italy, France, Germany and Spain.
He appeared on UK television, singing, on Top of the Pops (12 March 1987 and 18 October 1990), This Morning (9 April 1990), Night Network (15 April 1987, 19 August 1987 and 1988) and The Tube (31 October 1986 and 21 November 1986).
Kamen's second album Us (1989) was produced by Patrick Leonard. Madonna again made an appearance as a backing vocalist on the song "Tell Me", this time without contributing to the songwriting or production.
In 1989 Kamen performed the song "Turn It Up" on the soundtrack to Walt Disney's film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
A new dance remix of his self-penned 1990 song, "I Promised Myself", and his biggest hit, was featured on a 2004 various artists collection in Europe and three years later, in 2007, the Spanish singer José Galisteo recorded his own version of the song. Kamen's own version was the fourth highest played record in Europe in 1990 and reached No 1 in eight European countries.
The Man In Me
Nick Kamen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As for compensation, there's a little he will ask
It takes a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
It takes a woman like your kind
To find the man in me
When storm clouds are raging all around my door
It takes a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
It takes a woman like your kind
To find the man in me
But, oh what a wonderful feeling
Just to know, just to know that you are near
And my baby, my baby
It sets my heart a-reeling
From my toes up to my ears.
The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from being seen
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine
It takes a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
It takes a woman like your kind
To find the man in me
But, oh what a wonderful feeling
Just to know, just to know that you are near
And my baby, my baby
It sets my heart a-reeling
From my toes up to my ears.
Nick Kamen's song "The Man in Me" is a representation of the unconditional love of a woman, who possesses the power to truly understand and accept the complex emotions and needs of a man. The first half of the song speaks of the ability of the man to do any task when he is with a woman like her, in return for minimal compensation. He is willing to put in the effort, as long as he knows that the woman can understand his emotions and help him overcome any difficulties.
The second verse talks about the storms of life, and how the man feels like he cannot keep up with the difficult situations. It is only through a woman like her that he can find the hope and energy to see things through. The chorus emphasizes the importance of her presence, and how it sets his heart "a-reeling" from his toes to his ears. The final verse shows how the man may hide his emotions, but this is because he fears that he may become a machine, devoid of any genuine feelings, but with her by his side, he can be the best version of himself.
Overall, the song conveys the message that true love involves sacrifices, understanding, and acceptance. It is only through a person who can truly understand and appreciate us, that we can be our best selves and overcome any obstacles in our path.
Line by Line Meaning
The man in me will do almost any task
I am willing to do whatever is necessary.
As for compensation, there's a little he will ask
I don't ask for much in return for my actions.
It takes a woman like you to get through to the man in me.
It takes someone like you to truly understand me and bring out my best self.
It takes a woman like your kind to find the man in me.
Your specific kind of kindness and understanding helps me reveal my true self.
When storm clouds are raging all around my door
When everything around me is chaotic and stressful
I think to myself I just can't fake it anymore
I can't pretend everything is okay anymore.
But, oh what a wonderful feeling
But when I am with you,
Just to know, just to know that you are near
The feeling of being close to you is amazing,
And my baby, my baby
My love, my love,
It sets my heart a-reeling
Makes my heart fill with joy,
From my toes up to my ears.
From the tips of my toes to the top of my head.
The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from being seen
I sometimes try to hide my true self to avoid being judged.
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine
But that is only because I don't want to become emotionless like a machine.
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.