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Released in 1983

The Man

Written by Paul McCartney • Michael Jackson

Last updated on April 5, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the Pipes Of Peace Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1983

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1981, when Paul McCartney was 39 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other collaborations with Michael Jackson

Related interview

“The Man” is a track from 1983 album “Pipes Of Peace“.

[…] if you say ‘The Man’, it can mean God, it can mean ‘Women, listen to your man’, it can mean so many things. Later I did a song with Michael Jackson called ‘The Man’ and again, it’s quite nice leaving things ambiguous: I’m sure for Michael, probably ‘The Man’ meant God.

Paul McCartney, from Club Sandwich N°47/48, Spring 1988, commenting about the song “Listen To What The Man Said”

“The Man” was scheduled to be the third single out of “Pipes Of Peace“, after “Pipes Of Peace” and “Say Say Say“. The release date was set for February 13th, 1984 (under the catalog number Parlophone R 6066). But after Paul and Linda’s drug bust in Barbados and London in January, the release got cancelled. Interestingly the B-side was to be the still unreleased as of 2020, “Blackpool“.

A 12″ version (Parlophone 12 R 6066″) was also scheduled with “The Man” [extended version]/”The Man” [instrumental version]”/”Blackpool”. The extended version has never surfaced.

From puremccartney.com – PAUL DURING THE RECORDING SESSIONS FOR ‘SAY SAY SAY’ AND ‘THE MAN’, ODYSSEY STUDIOS, LONDON, 1981

Lyrics

There's a man

Who plays the game of life so well

There's such a man

His thoughts you can never tell

And it's just the way he thought it would be

'Cause the day has come for him to be free

Then he laughs, he kicks then rolls up his sleeves

I'm alive and I'm here forever

This is the man

CHORUS

And it's just the way he thought it would be

'Cause the day has come for him to be free

Then he laughs, and kicks and rolls up his sleeves

I'm alive and I'm here forever

This is the man

There's a man

Everybody thought they knew

There's such a man

He's not like me and you

And it's just the way she thought it would be

As he says, something has happened to me

Then he laughs he kicks and rolls up his sleeves

I'm alive and I'm here forever

This is the man

CHORUS

And it's just the way he thought it would be

'Cause the day has come for him to be free

Then he laughs, as he smiles and rolls up his sleeves

I'm alive and I'm here forever

This is the man

Did you know

This man can do anything?

There's such a man

I wish that we could bring

And it's just the way he thought it would be

'Cause the day has come for him to be free,

Then he laughs, he kicks then rolls up his sleeves,

I'm alive and I'm here forever

This is the man

CHORUS

And it's just the way he thought it would be

'Cause the day has come for him to be free

Then he laughs, and kicks and rolls up his sleeves

I'm alive and I'm here forever

This is the man

This is the man

This is the man

This is the man

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

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[…] it can mean God, it can mean ‘Women, listen to your man,’ it can mean so many things,” said Paul McCartney of the track. “Later, I did a song with Michael Jackson called ‘The Man’ and again, […]

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