I'm the Man (Joe Jackson song): Difference between revisions

"I'm the Man"
"I'm the Man"
Single by Joe Jackson
from the album I'm the Man
B-side	"Come On"
Released	September 1979
Recorded	March 1979; TW Studios, Fulham, London
Genre	New wave, punk rock, spiv rock
Length	3:58
Label	A&M Records
Songwriter(s)	Joe Jackson
Producer(s)	David Kershenbaum
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"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.

"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
Canada	23
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.

References

^ Echazabal, Gabe. "Joe Jackson retraces trailblazing career at nearly sold-out Tampa Theatre". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
^ Henke, James (17 May 1979). "Joe Jackson Puts His Best Shoe Forward". Rolling Stone. No. 291. Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 22.
^ Maginnis, Tom. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
^ DeGagne, Mike. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
^ ^a ^b "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.
^ ^a ^b Stand, Mike (May 1980). "Joe Jackson: Indifferent To Joe". The Face. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
^ ^a ^b "Joe Jackson Turns Up 'Volume' With Original Band". Billboard. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 15, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
^ "Joe Jackson: That Was Then, This Is Now". YouTube. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
^ "The Singles Chart 61-100". Record Business. Vol. 2, no. 33. 5 November 1979. p. 7.
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
^ "Silversun Pickups – "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

[cl-1] Echazabal, Gabe. "Joe Jackson retraces trailblazing career at nearly sold-out Tampa Theatre". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

[RS_#291-2] 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.

[paste-5] "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.

[Stand-6] Stand, Mike (May 1980). "Joe Jackson: Indifferent To Joe". The Face. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.

[billboard-7] "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.

[interview-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.

[RPM_YearEnd-11] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.

[silversun-12] "Silversun Pickups – "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2023.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1979 single by Joe Jackson}}
-{{Infobox single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
+{{Infobox song
-| Name           = I'm the Man
-| Cover          =
+| name       = I'm the Man
+| cover      = I'm_the_Man_-_Joe_Jackson_(song).jpg
-| Cover size     =
-| Caption        =
+| alt        =
-| Artist         =[[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]
+| type       = single
+| artist     = [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]
-| from Album     =[[I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)|I'm the Man]]
+| album      = [[I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)|I'm the Man]]
-| A-side         =
+| B-side     = [[Come On (Chuck Berry song)|Come On]]
+| released   = September 1979
-| B-side         = "[[Come On (Chuck Berry song)|Come On]]"
+| recorded   = March 1979<br>TW Studios, Fulham, London
-| Released       = September 1979
-| Format         = 7" 45-RPM single
+| studio     =
+| venue      =
-| Recorded       = March 1979<br>TW Studios, Fulham, London
+| genre      = [[New wave music|New wave]],<ref name="cl">{{cite web |last1=Echazabal |first1=Gabe |title=Joe Jackson retraces trailblazing career at nearly sold-out Tampa Theatre |url=https://www.cltampa.com/music/reviews/article/21070344/joe-jackson-retraces-trailblazing-career-at-nearly-soldout-tampa-theatre |publisher=Creative Loafing |access-date=6 May 2020}}</ref> [[punk rock]], [[Spiv|spiv rock]]
-| Genre          = [[New wave music|New wave]], [[Punk Rock]]
-| Length         = 3:42
+| length     = 3:58
-| Label          =[[A&M Records]]
+| label      = [[A&M Records]]
-| Writer         =[[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]
+| writer     = [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]
-| Producer       =[[David Kershenbaum]]
+| producer   = [[David Kershenbaum]]
+| prev_title = [[Fools in Love]]
-| Mixer          =
-| Chart position =
+| prev_year  = 1979
+| next_title = [[It's Different for Girls]]
-| Last single    = "[[One More Time]]"<br/>(1979)
-| This single    = '''"I'm the Man"'''<br/>(1979)
+| next_year  = 1979
-| Next single    = "[[It's Different for Girls]]"<br/>(1979)
-| Misc        =
 }}
-'''"I'm the Man"''' is a song written and performed by [[Joe Jackson]], appearing on [[I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)|the album of the same name]].
+"'''I'm the Man'''" is a song written and performed by [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]], appearing on [[I'm the Man (Joe Jackson album)|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.
+"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".<ref name="RS #291">{{cite magazine |last1=Henke |first1=James |date=17 May 1979 |title=Joe Jackson Puts His Best Shoe Forward |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. |issue=291 |page=22 }}</ref> [[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]".<ref>{{cite web|first=Tom |last=Maginnis |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/im-the-man-mt0010567443 |title=I'm the Man - Joe Jackson &#124; Song Info |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref> 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?]].{{'"}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Mike |last=DeGagne |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/im-the-man-mw0000190417 |title=I'm the Man - Joe Jackson &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref> According to ''[[Paste Magazine]]'', the song "reference[s] the 'shark-mania' that was still prevalent following the film ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''".<ref name="paste">{{cite web |title=Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?: Palladium (New York, NY), 09/29/1979 |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/03/joe-jackson-is-she-really-going-out-with-him2.html |website=Paste Magazine |publisher=Wolfgang's Vault |access-date=4 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043959/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/03/joe-jackson-is-she-really-going-out-with-him2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-"I'm the Man" is a fast paced rocker, described by ''[[AllMusic]]'' critic Tom Maginnis as "a taught ball of nervy new wave pop, tumbling straight ahead at breakneck speeds, while 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."<ref>{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r10058|pure_url=yes}}|title=''I'm the Man''|author=Mike DeGagne |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |accessdate=11 January 2012}}</ref> He also said that the song "follows squarely in the footprints of "Got the Time" and "Throw It Away" from [''[[Look Sharp! (Joe Jackson album)|Look Sharp!]]'']."
-Critic Mike DeGagne of ''[[AllMusic]]'' said that "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. 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]].{{'"}}
+"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! (Joe Jackson album)|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==
-"I'm the Man" was released as the lead single from ''I'm the Man'' in 1979, backed with the [[Chuck Berry]] track, "[[Come On (Chuck Berry song)|Come On]]." The song, however, did not find much chart success, failing to chart in both America and Britain. Its follow-up, "[[It's Different for Girls]]," was more successful, becoming a top 10 hit for Jackson.
+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 (Chuck Berry song)|Come On]]".<ref name="Stand">{{Cite magazine |last=Stand |first=Mike |date=May 1980 |title=Joe Jackson: Indifferent To Joe |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/joe-jackson-indifferent-to-joe |magazine=[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]] |access-date=18 October 2019 |via=[[Rock's Backpages]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> 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."<ref name="Stand" />
-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]]''.
+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 (Joe Jackson album)|Volume 4]]''.<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine |title=Joe Jackson Turns Up 'Volume' With Original Band |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/72217/joe-jackson-turns-up-volume-with-original-band |magazine=Billboard |access-date=4 March 2019}}</ref>
+''[[Record World]]'' said that "Jackson's a rock 'n roll firebrand...and combined with a breakneck rhythm, it works to maximum effect.."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=December 15, 1979|accessdate=2023-02-11|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/79/RW-1979-12-15.pdf}}</ref> In 2003, an author for ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' dubbed the song an "old favorite".<ref name="billboard" /> ''Paste'' called the track "infectious".<ref name="paste" />
-==References==
-{{reflist}}
-==External links==
+==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".<ref name="interview">{{cite web |title=Joe Jackson: That Was Then, This Is Now | website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnU3hzjI9nM |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref> 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 (Joe Jackson 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.
-* {{MetroLyrics song|joe-jackson|im-the-man}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
+==Charts==
+===Weekly charts===
+{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
+|-
+!Chart (1979)
+!Peak<br>position
+|-
+! scope="row"|Canada
+| style="text-align:center;"|23
+|-
+! scope="row"|UK The Singles Chart (''[[Record Business]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Singles Chart 61-100 |magazine=[[Record Business]] |date=5 November 1979 |volume=2 |issue=33 |page=7}}</ref>
+| style="text-align:center;"|84
+|-
+|}
+===Year-end charts===
+{|class="wikitable"
+|-
+!Chart (1979)
+!Peak<br>position
+|-
+|Canada<ref name="RPM YearEnd">{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.6855b&brws_s=1&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref>
+| style="text-align:center;"|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 (TV series)|The Lincoln Lawyer]]'', appearing in the trailer for the program's second season.<ref name="silversun">{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2229230/silversun-pickups-im-the-man-joe-jackson-cover/music/ |title=Silversun Pickups – "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson Cover) |work=Stereogum |access-date=July 7, 2023}}</ref>
+"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.
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 {{Joe Jackson}}
+{{authority control}}
 [[Category:Joe Jackson (musician) songs]]
@@ Line 48: / Line 83: @@
 [[Category:1979 singles]]
 [[Category:Songs written by Joe Jackson (musician)]]
+[[Category:1979 songs]]
+[[Category:Song recordings produced by David Kershenbaum]]

v t e Joe Jackson
Discography The Joe Jackson Band: Dave Houghton Graham Maby Gary Sanford
Studio albums	Look Sharp! I'm the Man Beat Crazy Jumpin' Jive Night and Day Body and Soul Big World Blaze of Glory Laughter & Lust Night and Day II Volume 4 Rain The Duke Fast Forward Fool What a Racket!
Classical albums	Will Power Night Music Heaven & Hell Symphony No. 1
Soundtrack albums	Mike's Murder Tucker
Live albums	Live 1980/86 Summer in the City: Live in New York Two Rainy Nights Afterlife At the BBC Live Music - Europe 2010 Live at Rockpalast
Compilation albums	Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson Joe Jackson - Greatest Hits This Is It! (The A&M Years 1979–1989) Joe Jackson - Collected Steppin' Out - The Collection
Singles	"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" "Sunday Papers" "One More Time" "Fools in Love" "I'm the Man" "It's Different for Girls" "Kinda Kute" "The Harder They Come" "Mad at You" "One to One" "Beat Crazy" "Jumpin' Jive" "Real Men" "Steppin' Out" "Breaking Us in Two" "A Slow Song" "Memphis" "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)" "Happy Ending" "Be My Number Two" "Right and Wrong" "Left of Center" "Home Town" "(He's a) Shape in a Drape" "Nineteen Forever" "Down to London" "Stranger than Fiction" "Obvious Song" "Stranger Than You" "In 20-0-3"
Other songs	"Got the Time" "On Your Radio" "Come On"
Video	Laughter & Lust Live