The Man in Me

Last updated
"The Man in Me"
Song by Bob Dylan
from the album New Morning
ReleasedOctober 19, 1970
RecordedJune 5, 1970
Studio Columbia, New York City
Genre Roots rock
Length3:10
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bob Dylan
Producer(s) Bob Johnston

"The Man in Me" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the 10th track on his 1970 album New Morning .

Contents

Reception and legacy

Rolling Stone placed the song 84th on a list of the "100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs of All Time". An article accompanying the list noted that it possesses a "raggedly euphoric power" and that "Dylan has rarely sounded as joyful as he does during the 'la la la' intro" while "gospel-tinged backup vocals add to the lyrics’ sense of unguarded intimacy and deliverance in hard times". [1]

Nation of Language's Ian Devaney cited it as his favorite Dylan song in a 2021 Stereogum article, writing, "The main reason this song sticks with me is the three-note descension on the line 'nearly any task' and how endlessly satisfying it is. In a song about finally allowing someone into the part of yourself that you keep from the world, these simple steps feel like an exhalation. The instruments spend most of the song playfully dancing and weaving but these three big notes feel like crashing into a chair and taking a moment to appreciate that you’re capable of being vulnerable and happy". [2]

In other media

The song is most notably featured in the soundtrack to the 1998 Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski . It plays during the stylized opening title sequence and during the hallucination sequence after the Dude is punched and his rug stolen. More recently it has been performed live by the film's star, Jeff Bridges, at Lebowski Fest, an audience-participation oriented event commemorating the film.

The song was featured in The Simpsons episode "The Town" during a bowling montage (likely in reference to The Big Lebowski ).

The song was featured in the soundtrack to the 2013 documentary The Smash Brothers , highlighting the career of Ken Hoang and paying homage to The Big Lebowski.

The song was also used in S04E17 of How I Met Your Mother .

The song was used in a lighthearted ad series from Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans.

The song is featured in the 2020 movie The Mauritanian .

The song appears in season 3, episode 3 of Sex Education when Eric, Adam, Otis and Ruby go bowling. [3]

Notable covers

In 1971, the song was covered by Lonnie Mack on his album, The Hills of Indiana . That same year, the Persuasions featured the song a capella on their album, Street Corner Symphony, and regularly in their live performances. In 1975, it was covered by London reggae band Matumbi, with another reggae version recorded by Joe Cocker the following year. The song was also covered by The Clash during sessions for the album that was to become London Calling . It is available on The Vanilla Tapes . More recently, it was covered by alternative rock group Say Anything; a demo version of the cover features Chris Conley (of Saves the Day) on vocals. The song was sampled heavily in the closing track of Blarf's 2019 album Cease & Desist, "The Me in Me." It has also been covered by Al Kooper, David Bazan (who regularly plays it live), Jenoah, Vandaveer, Buffalo Tom, and My Morning Jacket. The song was covered by Emma Swift on her 2020 album Blonde on the Tracks .

Live performances

Dylan played the song 155 times in concert between 1978 and 2011. It is the most frequently performed live song from New Morning . [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Big Lebowski</i> 1998 film by Joel and Ethan Coen

The Big Lebowski is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity, then learns that a millionaire, also named Jeffrey Lebowski, was the intended victim. The millionaire Lebowski's trophy wife is kidnapped, and millionaire Lebowski commissions The Dude to deliver the ransom to secure her release. The plan goes awry when the Dude's friend, Walter Sobchak, schemes to keep the ransom money for the Dude and himself. Sam Elliott, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Jon Polito, and Ben Gazzara also appear in supporting roles.

<i>New Morning</i> 1970 studio album by Bob Dylan

New Morning is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on October 21, 1970 by Columbia Records.

<i>Good as I Been to You</i> 1992 studio album by Bob Dylan

Good as I Been to You is the 28th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on November 3, 1992, by Columbia Records.

"Isis" is a ballad written by Bob Dylan in collaboration with Jacques Levy, in July 1975. The song is the second track in Dylan's 1976 album Desire. The song, which features allusions to ancient Egypt, including sharing its title with an Egyptian goddess, has been characterized by Dylan as a song "about marriage".

"Buckets of Rain" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on September 19, 1974 in New York City and released in 1975 on Dylan's critically acclaimed album Blood on the Tracks.

"Mississippi" is a medium-tempo country-rock song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan that appears as the second track on his 2001 album Love and Theft. The song was originally recorded during the Time Out of Mind sessions, but was ultimately left off the album. Dylan rerecorded the song for Love and Theft in May 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotta Serve Somebody</span> 1979 single Bob Dylan

"Gotta Serve Somebody" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the opening track on his 1979 studio album Slow Train Coming. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1980. It was later anthologized on the compilation albums Biograph (1985), Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 (1994), The Essential Bob Dylan (2000), The Best of Bob Dylan and Dylan (2007).

"Simple Twist of Fate", a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, was recorded on September 19, 1974, and was released in 1975 as the second song on his 15th studio album Blood on the Tracks.

"You're a Big Girl Now" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his 15th studio album, Blood on the Tracks, in 1975. It is one of five songs on the album that Dylan initially recorded in New York City in September 1974 and then re-recorded in Minneapolis in December that year. The latter recording, made on December 27, 1974, became the album track.

"If You See Her, Say Hello" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his 15th studio album, Blood on the Tracks (1975). The song is one of five on the album that Dylan initially recorded in New York City in September 1974 and then re-recorded in Minneapolis. The later recording, made on December 30, 1974, was produced by Dylan's brother David Zimmerman, who was not credited. The recording later became the album track and the B-side of the "Tangled Up in Blue" single, released in February 1975.

"Standing in the Doorway" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, recorded in January 1997 and released in September that year as the third track on his album Time Out of Mind. The song was produced by Daniel Lanois.

"When I Paint My Masterpiece" is a 1971 song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, who recorded the song for their album Cahoots, released on September 15, 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Threw It All Away</span> 1969 single by Bob Dylan

"I Threw It All Away" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The track appeared on Dylan's album Nashville Skyline in 1969, and was released as its first single later that year, where it reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. It is considered to be one of the best and most popular songs on the album.

<i>Christmas in the Heart</i> 2009 studio album by Bob Dylan

Christmas in the Heart is the 34th studio album and first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on October 13, 2009, by Columbia Records. The album comprises a collection of hymns, carols, and popular Christmas songs. All Dylan's royalties from the sale of this album benefit the charities Feeding America in the USA, Crisis in the UK, and the World Food Programme in perpetuity.

"Man in the Long Black Coat" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in 1989 as the fifth track on his album Oh Mercy. It is a minor-key folk ballad, often described as "haunting" and frequently cited as a highlight of the album. The song was produced by Daniel Lanois.

"To Be Alone with You" is a country-rock song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the third track on his 1969 album Nashville Skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I and I (song)</span> 1983 single by Bob Dylan

"I and I" is a song by Bob Dylan that appears as the seventh track of his 1983 album Infidels. Recorded on April 27, 1983, it was released as a single in Europe in November of that year, featuring a version of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" as its B-side. The song was produced by Dylan and Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jokerman (song)</span> 1984 single by Bob Dylan

"Jokerman" is a song by Bob Dylan that appeared as the opening track of his 1983 album Infidels. Recorded on April 14, 1983, it was released as a single on June 1, 1984, featuring a live version of "Isis" from the film Renaldo and Clara as its B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Contain Multitudes</span> 2020 single by Bob Dylan

"I Contain Multitudes" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, the opening track on his 39th studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020). It was released as the album's second single on April 17, 2020, through Columbia Records. The title of the song is taken from Section 51 of the poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman.

"Shooting Star" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in 1989 as the tenth and final track on his album Oh Mercy. It was produced by Daniel Lanois.

References

  1. ↑ ""The Man in Me" (1970)". Rolling Stone Australia. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  2. ↑ "80 Artists Pick Their Favorite Bob Dylan Song". Stereogum. 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  3. ↑ Hunt, James (September 17, 2021). "Every Song In Sex Education Season 3". Screen Rant . Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Man in Me | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
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.