I'm the Man (Joe Jackson song)

Last updated
"I'm the Man"
I'm the Man - Joe Jackson (song).jpg
Single by Joe Jackson
from the album I'm the Man
B-side "Come On"
ReleasedSeptember 1979
RecordedMarch 1979
TW Studios, Fulham, London
Genre New wave, [1] punk rock, spiv rock
Length3:58
Label A&M Records
Songwriter(s) Joe Jackson
Producer(s) David Kershenbaum
Joe Jackson singles chronology
"Fools in Love"
(1979)		"I'm the Man"
(1979)		"It's Different for Girls"
(1979)

"I'm the Man" is a song written and performed by Joe Jackson, appearing on the album of the same name. Written for the album's "spiv rock" theme, the song is a new wave rock track with humorous lyrics.

Contents

"I'm the Man" was released as the album's first single, failing to chart in the UK or US but reaching number 23 in Canada. The song has since seen positive critical reception and has appeared on multiple Jackson compilation albums.

Background

"I'm the Man" is based on what Jackson sarcastically described as "spiv rock"; Jackson characterized the image he was describing as a conman who "always wears a gross polka-dot tie and a pencil-thin mustache, and he's always trying to sell you a watch or something like that real cheap". [2] AllMusic critic Tom Maginnis writes that, in the song, "Jackson plays the role of media-savvy flimflam man, willing to promote any latest fad for a buck, like the shady street vendor of trinkets he portrays on the front cover [of the album]". [3] AllMusic's Mike DeGagne writes, "Not only does the track show off Jackson's free-range ability, but his sense of humor arises once again, following in the footsteps of Look Sharp!'s 'Is She Really Going Out with Him?.'" [4] According to Paste Magazine , the song "reference[s] the 'shark-mania' that was still prevalent following the film Jaws ". [5]

"I'm the Man" is a fast-paced rocker, described by Maginnis as "a [taut] ball of nervy new wave pop, tumbling straight ahead at breakneck speeds". He also said that the song "follows squarely in the footprints of 'Got the Time' and 'Throw It Away' from Look Sharp! ". DeGagne writes, "the frantic 'I'm the Man' showcases Jackson at his most frenzied, as a freight train's worth of lyrics pile haphazardly into one another alongside a wonderfully hysteric rhythm".

Release

At the insistence of Jackson, "I'm the Man" was released as the lead single from I'm the Man in 1979, backed with a cover of the Chuck Berry track, "Come On". [6] The song, despite hitting number 23 in Canada, did not find much chart success elsewhere, failing to chart in both America and Britain, something which frustrated Jackson. Its follow-up, "It's Different for Girls," was more successful, becoming a top 10 hit for Jackson in the UK; Jackson later expressed bemusement at the commercial failure of "I'm the Man" in comparison to its follow-up: "I picked 'I'm The Man' and it flopped. The record company picked 'It's Different For Girls' – I was amazed when that was a hit." [6]

Despite not being a commercial hit, the song has appeared on multiple compilation albums, including Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson and This Is It! (The A&M Years 1979–1989) . It appeared in live form on the album Live 1980/86 . Another live version of the song was released on a bonus CD with Jackson's 2003 album Volume 4 . [7]

Record World said that "Jackson's a rock 'n roll firebrand...and combined with a breakneck rhythm, it works to maximum effect.." [8] In 2003, an author for Billboard dubbed the song an "old favorite". [7] Paste called the track "infectious". [5]

Music video

"I'm the Man" was accompanied by a music video, which was Jackson's first. Jackson characterized the process of making the video as "a bit of a laugh" and recalled that the video was made "very cheaply, very quickly". [9] He explained that the process "seemed like fun", particularly compared to his negative experiences producing videos for singles from his 1982 album, Night and Day . Jackson later became an opponent of music videos during the 1980s, refusing to make videos for a period before relenting in the late 1980s.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1979)Peak
position
Canada23
UK The Singles Chart ( Record Business ) [10] 84

Year-end charts

Chart (1979)Peak
position
Canada [11] 183

Cover versions

American alternative rock band Silversun Pickups released a cover of "I'm the Man" as a standalone single in 2023. The cover was recorded for the television series The Lincoln Lawyer , appearing in the trailer for the program's second season. [12]

"I'm the Man" was also covered by the ska punk band Buck-O-Nine on their album Twenty-Eight Teeth , which was released in 1997.

Related Research Articles

<i>Look Sharp!</i> (Joe Jackson album) 1979 studio album by Joe Jackson

Look Sharp! is the debut album by Joe Jackson, released in January 1979. The album features one of Jackson's most well-known songs, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", as well as the title track "Look Sharp", "Sunday Papers", "One More Time" and "Fools in Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickup Man</span> 1994 single by Joe Diffie

"Pickup Man" is a song written by Howard Perdew and Kerry Kurt Phillips, and recorded by American country music artist Joe Diffie. It was released in October 1994 as the second single from the album Third Rock from the Sun. The song was his longest-lasting number-one hit, having spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart between December 1994 and January 1995.

<i>Im the Man</i> (Joe Jackson album) 1979 studio album by Joe Jackson

I'm the Man is the second album by English musician Joe Jackson, released in October 1979. Released shortly after Jackson's breakthrough debut, Look Sharp!, I'm the Man saw Jackson continue the style of his earlier album. Singles from the album included "I'm the Man" and "It's Different for Girls", the latter of which was his biggest UK chart single, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday Girl</span> 1979 single by Blondie

"Sunday Girl" is a song recorded by the American new wave band Blondie, from the band's 1978 album Parallel Lines. Written by guitarist Chris Stein, the song was inspired by Debbie Harry's cat, who was named Sunday Man—the cat had recently run away, inspiring the song's "plaintive" nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silversun Pickups</span> American rock band

Silversun Pickups is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles that was formed in 2000. The band is composed of Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester.

<i>Carnavas</i> 2006 studio album by Silversun Pickups

Carnavas is the debut studio album by alternative band Silversun Pickups. It was released on July 25, 2006. "Carnavas" is a surname from the Greek side of lead guitarist and vocalist Brian Aubert's family. Some suppliers were also given copies of The Tripwire Session: Live in Chicago, a four-track EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Is She Really Going Out with Him?</span> 1978 single by Joe Jackson

"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" is a song written and performed by British musician Joe Jackson. It was released in October 1978 as his debut single and was later included on Jackson's debut album, Look Sharp! The track was one of the first Jackson recorded with his new backing band, a band he would perform with for his first three albums. Written as a humorous commentary on women dating unattractive men, the song contains a prominent bass line and a chorus praised by critics as memorable. Jackson has since stated that the song's reputation for being angry was untrue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lazy Eye (Silversun Pickups song)</span> 2007 single by Silversun Pickups

"Lazy Eye" is the first single from Silversun Pickups' debut album Carnavas, written by lead singer and guitarist Brian Aubert. The band performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Later With Jools Holland, and Last Call with Carson Daly. The song is a playable track on Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Well Thought Out Twinkles</span> 2007 single by Silversun Pickups

"Well Thought Out Twinkles" is a song by American rock band Silversun Pickups. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut album Carnavas, peaking at no. 9 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<i>Swoon</i> (Silversun Pickups album) 2009 studio album by Silversun Pickups

Swoon is the second full-length studio album by Los Angeles alternative rock band Silversun Pickups, released through Dangerbird Records on 14 April 2009. The name of the album comes from a line in the outro of the first track "There's No Secrets This Year."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panic Switch</span> 2009 single by Silversun Pickups

"Panic Switch" is a song by the American alternative rock band Silversun Pickups. It was the first single released from the group's second album, Swoon (2009), on March 17, 2009. The song reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, becoming their first number-one single on any Billboard chart. "Panic Switch" was the first song by an independent artist to reach number one on the chart in 11 years. After a one-week stay at number one, it spent 11 weeks at number two behind Linkin Park's "New Divide". It is also their first Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 92.

"Got the Time" is a song written and performed by the British new wave musician Joe Jackson, appearing as the closing track on his 1979 debut album, Look Sharp!. The song has since been performed frequently in live concerts by Jackson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Different for Girls</span> 1979 single by Joe Jackson

"It’s Different for Girls" is a song by Joe Jackson appearing on his 1979 album, I'm the Man. The song has since become one of his most successful singles, notably being the highest charting Joe Jackson single in the UK. Covers have been recorded and released by several artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday Papers</span> 1979 single by Joe Jackson

"Sunday Papers" is a song written and performed by British new wave musician Joe Jackson. It was released on his debut album, Look Sharp!. Written as a critique of the British press, "Sunday Papers" features mocking lyrics and reggae-inspired music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinda Kute</span> 1980 single by Joe Jackson

"Kinda Kute" is a song by British singer-songwriter and musician Joe Jackson, which was released in 1980 as the third and final single from his second studio album I'm the Man (1979). Described as a "pop song" by Jackson, the song was written by Jackson and produced by David Kershenbaum. "Kinda Kute" failed to chart in the UK, but reached number 91 on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart.

<i>Neck of the Woods</i> 2012 studio album by Silversun Pickups

Neck of the Woods is the third studio album by Los Angeles alternative rock band Silversun Pickups. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee and was released on May 8, 2012, through independent label Dangerbird Records. Lead single "Bloody Mary " was released via the band's official YouTube channel on March 25. On May 2, 2012 MTV Buzzworthy posted a full stream of the album online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silversun Pickups discography</span>

American alternative rock band Silversun Pickups has released six studio albums and 19 singles.

<i>Better Nature</i> 2015 studio album by Silversun Pickups

Better Nature is the fourth studio album by Los Angeles alternative rock band Silversun Pickups. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee, and was released on September 25, 2015. It is the first of the band's albums to be released on their own label, New Machine Records; as well as their first to be supported by a Pledgemusic campaign. The album was announced on July 15, 2015. The lead single for the album, "Nightlight," was released to radio on August 6, 2015. It was accompanied by a music video, directed by Mark Pellington and starring Boardwalk Empire actor Meg Steedle. The album's second single, "Circadian Rhythm ," was premiered via The Daily Beast on September 10, 2015. An accompanying video, directed by Scott Weintrob, was released to YouTube and Vevo the following day.

<i>Widows Weeds</i> (Silversun Pickups album) 2019 studio album by Silversun Pickups

Widow's Weeds is the fifth studio album by American rock band Silversun Pickups. The album was released on June 7, 2019 through the band's own imprint, New Machine Recordings.

"On Your Radio" is a song written and performed by new wave musician Joe Jackson for his 1979 album I'm the Man. Written by Jackson as a put-down of his past enemies, the song features a prominent bass line played by Graham Maby.

References

  1. ↑ Echazabal, Gabe. "Joe Jackson retraces trailblazing career at nearly sold-out Tampa Theatre". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  2. ↑ Henke, James (17 May 1979). "Joe Jackson Puts His Best Shoe Forward". Rolling Stone . No. 291. Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 22.
  3. ↑ Maginnis, Tom. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Song Info". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  4. ↑ DeGagne, Mike. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  5. 1 2 "Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?: Palladium (New York, NY), 09/29/1979". Paste Magazine. Wolfgang's Vault. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 Stand, Mike (May 1980). "Joe Jackson: Indifferent To Joe" . The Face . Retrieved 18 October 2019– via Rock's Backpages.
  7. 1 2 "Joe Jackson Turns Up 'Volume' With Original Band". Billboard. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 15, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  9. ↑ "Joe Jackson: That Was Then, This Is Now". YouTube . Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Singles Chart 61-100". Record Business . Vol. 2, no. 33. 5 November 1979. p. 7.
  11. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  12. ↑ "Silversun Pickups – "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.