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]

Critical reception

Upon its release, David Hepworth of Smash Hits wrote, "Joe takes a club to the people who make profits from fads with a bouncing up tempo rocker that loses a bit of its force during the instrumental break. Strong chorus." [8] Danny Baker of NME noted it was "far more frantic than Jackson's singled out before". He felt it wouldn't become a hit "quite as easily" as "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", but thought it would "sit pretty on the old Rockola until it's replaced by a new national rave". [9] Simon Ludgate of Record Mirror was negative in his review, saying the song was "not a patch" on "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" and "sent him to sleep" as Jackson "repeats the line 'I'm the man' so many times, you wonder if he's trying to convince himself by hypnotherapy or something". [10]

In the US, Cash Box felt the "insistently rocking track is new wave at its most palatable, yet Jackson doesn't sacrifice any of the instrumental or lyrical bite for pop gloss". They added that "frenzied guitar and rhythm work make this a choice AOR, pop add." [11] Record World called it an "AOR-pop chartbuster" on which Jackson's a "rock 'n roll firebrand" and "combined with a breakneck rhythm, it works to maximum effect." [12] 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". [13] 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 ) [14] 84

Year-end charts

Chart (1979)Peak
position
Canada [15] 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. [16]

"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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Jackson (musician)</span> English musician

David Ian "Joe" Jackson is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Having spent years studying music and playing clubs, he scored a hit with his first release, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", in 1979. It was followed by a number of new wave singles, before he moved to more jazz-inflected pop music and had a Top-10 hit in 1982 with "Steppin' Out". Jackson is associated with the 1980s Second British Invasion of the US. He has also composed classical music. He has recorded 21 studio albums and has received five Grammy Award nominations.

<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">Walk This Way</span> 1975 single by Aerosmith

"Walk This Way" is a song by the American rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the album Toys in the Attic (1975). It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s. In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s, it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by hip hop group Run-D.M.C. on their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical subgenre of rap rock, or the melding of rock and hip hop. It became an international hit, reaching number 4 on the Billboard charts, and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. Both versions are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Album-oriented rock is an FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock.

<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">Sex and Candy</span> 1997 single by Marcy Playground

"Sex and Candy" is a song by American alternative rock group Marcy Playground, a single from their 1997 self-titled debut album. It is a post-grunge song with psychedelic elements. Lead singer John Wozniak was inspired to write the song after a woman told him that a room smelled like "sex and candy." The song's abstract lyrics refer to the disco era and include hippie lingo. In 1997, Wozniak said that "Sex and Candy" is an unorthodox love song; later, he said he does not know what the song means. It was released to radio on the week of September 15, 1997.

<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.

<i>Body and Soul</i> (Joe Jackson album) 1984 studio album by Joe Jackson

Body and Soul is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Joe Jackson, released on 14 March 1984 by A&M Records. Jackson's first fully digital project, it peaked at No. 14 in the UK, while in the US it reached No. 20. Described by one reviewer as a sophisti-pop album, the tracks are a mix of pop, jazz and Latin music, showcasing the hit single "You Can't Get What You Want ". Two other singles fared well, with "Happy Ending" charting in five countries, and "Be My Number Two" enjoying moderate success in the UK.

<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.

<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">Borrowed Time (Styx song)</span> 1980 single by Styx

"Borrowed Time" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw that was first released on Styx's 1979 album Cornerstone and was also released as the third single from Cornerstone. It peaked at No. 64 on the U.S. chart in April 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiv</span> Petty criminal

In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a petty criminal who deals in illicit, typically black market, goods. Spivs were particularly active during the Second World War and in the post-war period when many goods were rationed due to shortages.

<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.

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

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hersham Boys</span> 1979 single by Sham 69

"Hersham Boys" is a single released by English punk rock band Sham 69 in 1979 from their third studio album The Adventures of the Hersham Boys. It was the band's biggest and most well-known hit, peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart and at nine on the Irish Singles Chart. This success was despite the song's poor review in pop magazine Smash Hits; music journalist David Hepworth described the song as "A tired, hollow effort struggling between weary attempts at rabble-rousing and blush-making pseudo-Springsteen 'street' songs that reek of desperation and contract fulfilling. As empty self-satisfied a record as anything they supposedly set out to replace". The song is included on live and compilation albums. Two live tracks, "I Don't Wanna (live)" and "Tell Us The Truth (live)" appear as b-sides on this single, recorded in 1978. In the music video the sign that Pursey, the rest of Sham 69 and a young boy are sitting next to is the sign for Hersham Road.

"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. Hepworth, David (18 October 1979). "Singles". Smash Hits . Vol. 1, no. 23. p. 28. ISSN   0260-3004.
  9. Baker, Danny (6 October 1979). "Singles". New Musical Express . p. 24. ISSN   0028-6362.
  10. Ludgate, Simon (6 October 1979). "Singles". Record Mirror . p. 10. ISSN   0144-5804.
  11. "Reviews: Singles". Cash Box . Vol. 41, no. 31. 15 December 1979. p. 11. ISSN   0008-7289.
  12. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 36, no. 1691. 15 December 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 9 January 2025 via World Radio History.
  13. "Joe Jackson: That Was Then, This Is Now". YouTube . Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  14. "The Singles Chart 61-100". Record Business . Vol. 2, no. 33. 5 November 1979. p. 7.
  15. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  16. "Silversun Pickups – "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2023.