Mannish Boy

[Admin]

I recall back in the 40s, many African-American males in the south, regardless of age, were referred to as "Boy" by the white population. It was just another Jim Crow attempt to denigrate the black race. When I first heard Muddy Waters perform this song on WLAC radio late at night, I felt the pain of those years of verbal abuse. To me, it represents all that was accomplished through music that couldn't be done with words at that time.

This classic Blues song is regarded as an affirmation of masculinity. It's a reworking of the Bo Diddley song "I'm A Man," originally recorded by Muddy Waters in 1955, then re-recorded it in 1977 for his Hard Again album. The Rolling Stones often played this in their early days and released it on their 1977 Love You Live album.

Waters used the same basic repetitive guitar riff on his song "Hoochie Coochie Man" which appears on many other Blues songs in both the 5 note and a shortened 4 note version. George Thorogood used it for his song "Bad To The Bone."

This was used in the movie The Long Kiss Goodnight, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Geena Davis. It also appears in Better Off Dead, Risky Business and Goodfellas (as part of the "Sunday, May 11th, 1980" montage). (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France, for all above)




"Mannish Boy"


Ooooooh, yeah, ooh, yeah

Everythin', everythin', everythin's gonna be alright this mornin'
Ooh yeah, whoaw
Now when I was a young boy, at the age of five
My mother said I was, gonna be the greatest man alive
But now I'm a man, way past 21
Want you to believe me baby,
I had lot's of fun
I'm a man
I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
I'm a man
I'm a full grown man
I'm a man
I'm a natural born lovers man
I'm a man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man
I'm a hoochie coochie man

Sittin' on the outside, just me and my mate
You know I'm made to move you honey,
Come up two hours late
Wasn't that a man
I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
I'm a man
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
Man-child
I'm a hoochie coochie man

The line I shoot will never miss
When I make love to a woman,
She can't resist
I think I go down,
To old Kansas Stew
I'm gonna bring back my second cousin,
That little Johnny Cocheroo
All you little girls,
Sittin'out at that line
I can make love to you woman,
In five minutes time
Ain't that a man
I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
Man
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man-child
I'm a hoochie coochie man
Well, well, well, well
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry
Don't hurt me, don't hurt me child
Don't hurt me, don't hurt, don't hurt me child
Well, well, well, well

Yeah

[Admin]

Mannish Boy was a response to Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man".






Bo Diddley – I'm A Man Lyrics





Now when I was a little boy,
At the age of five,
I had somethin' in my pocket,
Keep a lot of folks alive.

Now I'm a man,
Made twenty-one,
You know baby,
We can have a lot of fun.

I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N, man.

All you pretty women,
Stand in line,
I can make love to you baby,
In an hour's time.

I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N, man.

I goin' back down,
To Kansas to
Bring back the second cousin,
Little John the conqueroo.

I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N...man.

The line I shoot,
Will never miss,
The way I make love to 'em,
They can't resist.

I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N, man.

Songwriters: E. MCDANIEL

I'm A Man lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC

(Note: For the ones who don't know, E. McDaniel, aka Ellas McDaniel is also Bo Diddley.

[blueescorpio2000]

Minor nitpicking:Bo Diddley's first name is spelled Ellas.