"I'm the Man"
Single by Joe Jackson
from the album I'm the Man
B-side"Come On"
ReleasedSeptember 1979
RecordedMarch 1979
TW Studios, Fulham, London
GenreNew wave,[1] punk rock, spiv rock
Length3:58
LabelA&M Records
Songwriter(s)Joe Jackson
Producer(s)David Kershenbaum
Joe Jackson singles chronology
"Fools in Love"
(1979)		 "I'm the Man"
(1979)		 "It's Different for Girls"
(1979)

"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

Year-end charts

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Canada[10] 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.[11]

"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

  1. ↑ Echazabal, Gabe. "Joe Jackson retraces trailblazing career at nearly sold-out Tampa Theatre". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  2. ↑ Henke, James (17 May 1979). "Joe Jackson Puts His Best Shoe Forward". Rolling Stone. No. 291. Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 22.
  3. ↑ Tom Maginnis. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  4. ↑ Mike DeGagne. "I'm the Man - Joe Jackson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  5. 1 2 "Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?: Palladium (New York, NY), 09/29/1979". Paste Magazine. Wolfgang's Vault. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 Stand, Mike (May 1980). "Joe Jackson: Indifferent To Joe". The Face. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
  7. 1 2 "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.
  9. ↑ "Joe Jackson: That Was Then, This Is Now". YouTube. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  11. ↑ "Silversun Pickups – "I'm The Man" (Joe Jackson Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
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