I'm a Man
Pulp Lyrics

Laid here
The singer is lying down and reflecting on their life.

With your advertising sliding past my eyes
The singer is being bombarded by messages from society about what it means to be a man.

Like cartoons from other people's lives
These messages seem fake and fictional, like the lives depicted in cartoons.

I start to wonder
The artist is questioning the societal expectations placed on them as a man.

What it takes to be a Man
The artist is questioning the definition of what it means to be a man.

Well, I learned to drink
The singer has learned to consume alcohol.

And I learned to smoke
The singer has learned to smoke cigarettes.

And I learned to tell
The artist has learned to tell dirty jokes, a signifier of masculinity.

A dirty joke
The artist is using the telling of dirty jokes as a way to be more manly.

Oh, if that's all there is then there's no point for me, oh
If being a man means only drinking, smoking, and telling dirty jokes, then life is not worth living for the artist.

So please can I ask just why we're alive
The singer is questioning the purpose of life and why humans exist.

'Cause all that you do seems such a waste of time?
The artist thinks that the activities of their life are meaningless and pointless.

And if you hang around too long you'll be a ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-an
If the singer continues to participate in these societal expectations, they will become a stereotypical man with no originality.

Tell me about it
The singer is prompting the listener to join in on this questioning of societal expectations.

Your car can get up to a hundred and ten
The superficial signifiers of masculinity, like having a fast car, are pointless.

You've nowhere to go but you'll go there again
The artist is telling the listener that continuing on this path will lead to a meaningless cycle.

And nothing ever makes no difference to a ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-an
No matter what a man does, it will never truly make a lasting difference because they are conforming to expectations.

So you stumble into town with your stomach in
Even though he may feel weak and unsure, the man will still go out and try to assert his masculinity.

Show 'em what you've got (though they've seen everything)
Even though everyone has seen it before, the man will still try to show off his masculinity.

Yeah, you're a beauty, but they've seen your type before, oh
Even though he may be attractive, his attempts at masculinity are still unoriginal and unimpressive.

You've got no need
The artist is acknowledging that, as a man, there is actually no need for him to participate in these societal expectations.

But still you want
Even though he doesn't need to, the artist still wants to fit into societal expectations of masculinity.

To go and book
Booking a restaurant is also seen as a signifier of masculinity, even though it's unnecessary.

That restaurant
The restaurant booking is a metaphor for the other unnecessary activities required for a man to be considered masculine.

The wine will flow
Drinking wine is another stereotypical signifier of masculinity that is unimportant.

And then you'll just fly away, yeah
Once these boxes are ticked, the man can feel like he's achieved something even if it's ultimately meaningless.

Your car can go up to a hundred and ten
Even though he might have the fastest car, it still doesn't make him any more of a man.

To a man, that's what I am
The artist is admitting that they have conformed to these expectations of masculinity, even if they don't feel fulfilled.