Vandaveer’s debut album, Grace & Speed, a mostly live, stripped down affair, swiftly entered this great big dusty world in the spring of 2007. The press responded heartily, with The Washington Post saying Vandaveer “revives the earnestness of the pre-psychedelic 60’s,” and XM Cafe calling him “this generation’s Nick Drake.”
Touring continually on both sides of the Atlantic ever since, Vandaveer has played 250+ shows, sharing stages with a host of humbling artists including Bon Iver, Vetiver, Alela Diane, Alejandro Escovedo, Vashti Bunyan, Bill Callahan, Fleet Foxes, and the like. In addition to said Vandaveering, Mark Charles has been known to fraternize and conspire with other music-making hooligans, primarily as a bassist for fellow DCers These United States.
Vandaveer’s sophomore effort, Divide & Conquer, touches upon similar themes found in its elder sibling, winding timeworn themes of love & death, malice & goodwill, sin & perseverance into (mostly) four-minute vignettes. To see D&C through, Vandaveer enlisted the able assistance of longtime collaborator and producer Duane Lundy, brothers-in-arms/These United States bandmates Robby Cosenza and Justin Craig, and most notably, his fair sister Rose Guerin, supplying the loveliest harmonies this side of Eden. A decidedly more produced venture, D&C offers up a flourishing chamber folk companion to its bedroomy lo-fi folk/pop predecessor.
Released in France in April 2009 on AlterK/Discograph, Divide & Conquer was hailed by Rolling Stone as “jarring new folk”. The US release of Divide & Conquer is August 25th, 2009, on Supply And Demand Music.
The Man In Me
Vandaveer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And as for compensation, there's a little he would ask
Take a woman like you
To get through to the man in me
Storm clouds are raging all around my door
I think to myself I might not take it any more
Take a woman like your kind
But, oh, what a wonderful feeling
Just to know that you are near
It sets my a heart a reeling
From my toes up to my ears
The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein' seen
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine
Took a woman like you
To get through to the man in me
The lyrics to Vandaveer's song, The Man in Me, depict the singer's recognition of their internal duality. The man in the singer is capable of handling any task and is willing to do them without expecting much compensation. The singer acknowledges that it takes someone special, someone like the woman they're addressing in the song, to bring out the man in them. The storm clouds and turbulence around the singer's home indicate a sense of inner turmoil, and the singer acknowledges that they sometimes hide the man in them to prevent themselves from becoming a machine. Once again, he recognizes the woman's potential to stir the man in him, leading to a sense of liberation and freedom of spirit.
The song's lyrics express the complexity and nuances of human nature since every individual has more than one side to their personality. The man in me is an internal spirit with different characteristics from the singer, and according to the lyrics, it's only through specific people's influence that he can be revealed. The song also indicates that being vulnerable, opening up to others and letting them in, is the key to reaching our true selves. This song's message is straightforward yet deeply profound, urging people to embrace different aspects of themselves and not hide them for status or recognition.
Line by Line Meaning
The man in me will do nearly any task
The singer is willing to do anything in order to achieve his goal.
And as for compensation, there's a little he would ask
The man in him does not require much reward or incentive to complete a task.
Take a woman like you
The singer requires a type of woman like the addressee to communicate with his true self, the man inside.
To get through to the man in me
The addressee must communicate with the artist's true self in order to understand his needs and motives.
Storm clouds are raging all around my door
There are external challenges that are out of his control.
I think to myself I might not take it any more
The singer questions his ability to handle the difficulties he faces.
Take a woman like your kind
The addressee's personality is unique, hence the singer requires someone like her to get through to him.
To find the man in me
To understand his true motives and desires, the addressee needs to communicate with the true self of the artist.
But, oh, what a wonderful feeling
The presence and support of the addressee brings inner peace and satisfaction to the artist.
Just to know that you are near
The mere presence of the addressee has a positive impact on the artist.
It sets my heart a reeling
The support and presence of the addressee has a deep emotional impact on the singer.
From my toes up to my ears
The impact of the addressee is felt on a physical level in the artist's body.
The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein' seen
The singer's true self may not always be visible or known to others.
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine
The singer's true self is unique and he does not want to become a generic or standard version of himself.
Took a woman like you
The specific qualities and characteristics of the addressee make it possible for the singer's true self to be revealed.
To get through to the man in me
The addressee has the ability to communicate with the artist's true self and reveal his motivations and feelings.
Writer(s): Bob Dylan
Contributed by Kayla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Roberto Yañez Perez
Maravillosa canción!!!!
Yves Tanneau
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