Favorite "Man" Songs #2 - "I'm the Man"

@teamfreak16 (43451)
Denver, Colorado
December 3, 2017 9:57pm CST
Ah yes, man, the skinny tie period, which is key for #2 in my series of my favorite songs with "man" in the title. The second spot in the countdown is "I'm the Man" by Joe Jackson. One of the original new wavers, Joe Jackson was part of that "skinny tie period." The title track from his 1979 album, "I'm the Man" comes from that era, and rocks as hard as any new wave track. The track is an amusing ditty with Jackson singing in first person, humorously taking credit for 70's pop culture trends. Favorite lyric? "Kung Fu, that was one of my good ones, well what's a few broken bones when we all know it's all good clean fun?" The single only charted in Canada, where it reached #23. I've linked to a smoking live version, skinny tie and all! Enjoy! (Info verified by Wikipedia)
"Rock Goes To College" 1979.
5 people like this
4 responses
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
4 Dec 17
Who’s this guy? Never heard of him or this song. You KNOW I approve. With all of my hillbilly mind.
3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Dec 17
I had a feeling you would approve!
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Dec 17
Not charted in the US? KROQ played the heck out of this song so it is a hit in my mind.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Dec 17
I know. It didn't even chart in England. Weird.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Dec 17
@teamfreak16 That's why alternative radio existed and was a different world from top 40 or hard rock stations.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Dec 17
@JohnRoberts - Thank goodness for alternative and college radio.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34196)
7 Dec 17
Joe Jackson is the man! Really great sound. Punk, rock, new wave, jazz, pop whatever, he would never be confused for Michael Jackson
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
7 Dec 17
He can do it all. And great at it all, too.
• United States
4 Dec 17
Never heard of him, but I loved skinny ties. I thought those were so cool. Someone wrote in the comments of the video, "He's a classical musician who won a scholarship to the Royal Acadamy of Music." I wonder what happened to him?
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Dec 17
Surely you've heard his big hit at some point. But yes, he is a classically trained musician. In addition to new wave, he has successfully delved into swing, jazz, pop, and even classical. I love the guy.
Music video by Joe Jackson performing Steppin' Out. (C) 1982 A&M Records http://vevo.ly/CHlPWr Best of JoeJackson: https://goo.gl/FHZEXT Subscribe here: http...
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Dec 17
@teamfreak16 Yes, I do know that song. I really, really liked it and still like it. I've always been terrible at remembering who sings what. Sometimes, I know but a lot of times I don't, and it's really frustrating.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Dec 17
@misunderstood_zombie - My girlfriend is pretty much the same way, unless it's modern country or soft rock, she usually has no idea who sings what.
1 person likes this