It's A Man's Man's Man's World

Song Facts:

• Album: The album from which the song "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is taken is also entitled It's a Man's
• Genre: It's a soulful track that blends elements of R&B and funk.
• Release Year: The song was released in 1966.
• Lyricists: James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome are credited with writing the lyrics.
• Awards/Nominations: The song did not come with any awards at the time of its release, but further down the road, it became one of the iconic James Brown songs, leading it to be widely covered and sampled by scores of artists and bands worldwide.

Annotations and Meaning:

The "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" song by James Brown looks deep into the input that men and women make into the worldly living, underlining the co-dependence of genders. James Brown points out a very strong message, which is driven by soulful tunes and highly passionate singing—that the technological and economic achievements of the male gender are zilch without woman.

Literal Interpretation:

Its very simple lyrics state these achievements very bluntly: invention of cars, trains, electric light, boats, and basically all other inventions for which men are being praised. These inventions are glorified as great achievements that have uplifted society. The line "But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl" repeated seems a line that is fantastically outstanding for counterpointing the need to draw to the importance of women in the success made by men and value the highly valuable contribution from women to that success.

Thematic Interpretation:

The lyrics of the song reveal gender roles, interdependency, and how women have great impacts mostly forgotten by many but are kept behind the scenes. It allows for the physical accomplishments of men but, in the same breath, censures society's tendency to overlook the contribution of women. The mentioning of men who are "lost in the wilderness" and "bitter" without women really emphasizes the support women offer both emotionally and spiritually but at the same time sends a broader metaphorical stand for the existential men's incompleteness without women. Brown challenges the conventional gender roles and valuation of worth in contributions other than the material or technological through the side-by-side placement of men's accomplishments and, at the last, their dependence on women. The song could be both a criticism and, at the same time, a celebration, calling out the listener to question how one finds the balance between acknowledging these very achievements yet at the same time realizing that these very achievements are vain without the essential roles women have to play in making them real. James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is one such powerful reflection on gendered roles and the interdependence that urges an individual to appreciate a role played by females in this world, which can only seem to celebrate the achievements of men. "With soulful execution and the thoughtfulness of its lyrics, the song remains one sharp commentary about the dynamics between man and woman, which consequently becomes timeless amid the discourse of gender equality."