Smith's debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour, was released in May 2014 on Capitol Records UK. The album's lead single, "Lay Me Down", was released prior to "La La La". The album's second single, "Money on My Mind", became Smith's second number one single in the UK. The third single, "Stay with Me", was an international success, reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while their singles "I'm Not the Only One" and "Like I Can" reached the top ten in the UK. The album won four awards, at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
For Smith's and Jimmy Napes's song "Writing's on the Wall", the theme for the James Bond film Spectre (2015), Smith won the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Smith's second studio album, The Thrill of It All, was released in November 2017 and debuted atop the UK and US album charts. The lead single, "Too Good at Goodbyes", reached number one in the UK and Australia and number four in the US. They released the single "Promises" with Calvin Harris, which peaked at number one in the UK. Smith released "Dancing with a Stranger" with Normani in 2019, which reached the top ten in the UK and the US and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards, and followed it by releasing a string of commercially successful singles "How Do You Sleep?", "To Die For" and "I'm Ready" with Demi Lovato; all of which feature on Smith's third album, Love Goes.
Smith has won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and an American Music Award, as well as a Golden Globe and an Academy Award through their career. Smith has been publicly gay since 2014, genderqueer since 2017, and has used they/them pronouns since 2019.
Man I Am
Sam Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your greased up and heavy metal toys
So beefed up, you can't get through the door
It's your time to break through
Bad man to the rescue
Barbie, your time is up
You will not take our voice
Six pack and tight G-string
No, I'm not gay, bro
But I've been on that lay low
Strip clubs and dollar bills
Wall street and dirty deals
Popstars, exotic pills
Cars with dirty wheels
'Cause that's the man I am
Baby, treat me right, I'm free tonight
That's just the man I am
Super sleazy, born to be easy
And all the papers say that there's no Ken without Barbie
But, baby, there's no woman who could possibly stop me
That's just the man I am
Super sleazy, sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Whoa, whoa
Sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Whoa, whoa
Sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
It's time you realize
That in this world, we've all been taught a lie
You think that women rule the world
But, baby, where I've been
All the things I've seen
This Ken has crossed the borderline
See, I'm the groove catcher, hottest thing
Six pack and tight G-string
No, I'm not gay, bro
But I've been on that lay low
Strip clubs and dollar bills
Wall street and dirty deals
Popstars, exotic pills
Cars with dirty wheels
'Cause that's the man I am
Baby, treat me right, I'm free tonight
That's just the man I am
Super sleazy, born to be easy
And all the papers say that there's no Ken without Barbie
But, baby, there's no woman who could possibly stop me
That's just the man I am
Super sleazy, sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Whoa, whoa
Sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Whoa, whoa
Sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Whoa, whoa
Sexy and freaky Ken, tonight (this one is for the boys)
Whoa, whoa
Sexy and freaky Ken
The lyrics to "Man I Am" by Sam Smith discuss themes of self-assertion, breaking gender stereotypes, and embracing one's true self. The song challenges traditional gender roles and expectations, particularly in relation to masculinity and sexuality.
The opening lines of the song address the "boys" who conform to societal standards of masculinity, with their "greased up and heavy metal toys." The lyrics suggest that these individuals may feel trapped or limited by these expectations, unable to fully express themselves or break free from societal norms. However, it's time for them to "break through" and embrace their true selves.
Sam Smith asserts that being true to oneself does not mean conforming to traditional notions of gender and sexuality. They declare, "No, I'm not gay, bro / But I've been on that lay low." This line challenges the assumption that one's sexual orientation defines their identity or the way they express themselves.
The lyrics also touch upon themes of materialism, objectification, and the pursuit of pleasure. References to strip clubs, dollar bills, Wall Street, and dirty deals suggest a world of excess and immorality. In this context, the persona of "Ken" is portrayed as a character who indulges in these vices. Despite this, the lyrics emphasize that it is essential to "treat me right" and acknowledge the complexity of their identity.
The chorus highlights the idea that Ken, as a symbolic representation of traditional masculinity, does not need Barbie or any woman to define or limit his existence. The line "But, baby, there's no woman who could possibly stop me" suggests that the persona is asserting their independence and rejecting the idea that they need a partner to complete them.
Overall, "Man I Am" celebrates self-discovery and self-expression, encouraging individuals to break free from society's expectations and embrace their true identity, regardless of gender or sexuality.
Line by Line Meaning
This one is for the boys
This song is dedicated to the male audience
With your greased up and heavy metal toys
With your masculine and powerful possessions
So beefed up, you can't get through the door
So muscular that your physical size restricts your movements
It's your time to break through
It's your moment to overcome obstacles and make a mark
Bad man to the rescue
A negative male figure stepping in to take control
Barbie, your time is up
Feminine expectations and stereotypes are no longer relevant
You will not take our voice
You will not suppress or silence us
See, I'm the groove catcher, hottest thing
I am the one who captures the essence of the rhythm, the most desired and attractive entity
Six pack and tight G-string
Having a well-defined abdominal muscles and a revealing undergarment
No, I'm not gay, bro
No, I am not homosexual, my friend
But I've been on that lay low
But I have been discreetly engaging in certain activities
Strip clubs and dollar bills
Frequenting venues where striptease performances occur with expenditure of money
Wall street and dirty deals
Involvement in financial shenanigans and unethical business transactions
Popstars, exotic pills
Celebrity culture and consumption of illicit substances
Cars with dirty wheels
Vehicles that have been driven in less-than-respectable places
'Cause that's the man I am
Because that's the type of person I embody
Baby, treat me right, I'm free tonight
Darling, treat me well and I am available this evening
That's just the man I am
That's simply my nature and identity
Super sleazy, born to be easy
Extremely inappropriate and naturally inclined to engage in promiscuous behavior
And all the papers say that there's no Ken without Barbie
Magazines and media claim that a masculine figure like Ken can't exist without a feminine counterpart like Barbie
But, baby, there's no woman who could possibly stop me
However, my dear, no woman has the ability to hinder or impede my progress
That's just the man I am
That's simply my nature and identity
Super sleazy, sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Extremely inappropriate, attractive, and unconventional Ken, for tonight
Whoa, whoa
Expressing surprise or excitement
Sexy and freaky Ken, tonight
Appealing and unconventional Ken, for tonight
It's time you realize
It's time for you to understand
That in this world, we've all been taught a lie
That we have all been deceived in this world
You think that women rule the world
You believe that women are in control of everything
But, baby, where I've been
But, my dear, based on my experiences
All the things I've seen
All the experiences and situations I have witnessed
This Ken has crossed the borderline
This masculine figure has transcended societal boundaries and norms
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mark Ronson, Ricky Reed, Samuel Frederick Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robin W
It's crazy how much this song fits into the alternate flipped Matriarchal universe that the Barbies live in. It sounds like a gender swapped "girl power" song. Sam Smith nailed it
Zoithane
A gender flipped Born This Way 😍
saint sea-hat
That’s not really the point, though. The film very much makes explicit the idea that the patriarchy the Kens want to instate is only really good for a specific Type of man. Consider Alan, who is distinctly feminine and tries to escape kenland ASAP, or Earring Magic and Sugar Daddy Ken who live with weird Barbie and are clearly meant to be gay. The patriarchy doesn’t really benefit them because they’re not the kind of hypermasculine, macho, “so beefed up you can’t get through the door” kind of man Sam (as Ken) is singing about.
W
Sodomy's
ML
This is so catchy and the lyrics are hilarious, obsessed. Sam captured the Kenergy
That one girl Kat
@Stacy Mcnabb girl what
LK Tzu
@Stacy Mcnabb Who said it was a movie for kids? This is an adult movie.
L16htW4rr10r
@Stacy McnabbYou clearly haven't watched the movie
Swirly Swirl
@Stacy McnabbSam uses they/ them pronouns
Swirly Swirl
@stacymcnabb408 it's an adult movie, please keep your misplaced outrage to yourself till you actually see the movie. 😊