It's A Man's Man's Man's World – English Lyrics

• By: James Brown

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the soulful sounds of James Brown's "It's A Man's Man's Man's World," a song that delves into the complexities of gender roles and relationships. Discover the meaning behind the lyrics, the history of its creation, and the cultural impact of this iconic track, all while improving your understanding of English and soul music history.

[English]

(playful music)

♪ This is a man's world ♪

♪ This is a man's world ♪

♪ But it wouldn't be nothing ♪

♪ Nothing without a woman or a girl ♪

♪ You see, man made the cars to take us over the road ♪

♪ Man made the train to carry the heavy load ♪

♪ Man made the electric light to take us out of the dark ♪

♪ Man made the boat for the water, like Noah made the ark ♪

♪ This is a man's, man's, man's world ♪

♪ But it wouldn't be nothing ♪

♪ Nothing without a woman or a girl ♪

♪ Man thinks about our little bitty baby girls ♪

♪ And our baby boys ♪

♪ Man made them happy, 'cause man made them toys ♪

♪ And after man make everything, everything he can ♪

♪ You know that man makes money, to buy from other man ♪

♪ This is a man's world ♪

♪ But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing ♪

♪ Not one little thing, without a woman or a girl ♪

♪ He's lost in the wilderness ♪

♪ He's lost in bitterness ♪

♪ He's lost, lost ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being. verb - to provide with the people needed to operate or do something.
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being.
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child.
cars /kɑːrz/ A1	noun - a road vehicle, typically with four wheels, powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor, and able to carry a small number of people.
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a way or course for traveling from one place to another, especially one running between towns or cities.
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of connected railway carriages or wagons moved by a locomotive or by integral motors.
carry /ˈkæri/ A2	verb - support and move (someone or something) from one place to another.
load /loʊd/ A2	noun - a heavy or bulky thing that is being carried.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	noun - the absence of light adjective - with little or no light.
boat /boʊt/ A1	noun - a small vessel for travel on water.
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid
ark /ɑːrk/ B1	noun - the ship built by Noah to save his family and the animals from the Flood.
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child.
happy /ˈhapi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
toys /tɔɪz/ A1	noun - an object for a child to play with.
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes.
wilderness /ˈwɪldərnəs/ B2	noun - an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.
bitterness /ˈbɪtərnəs/ B2	noun - a feeling of anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly.

Key Grammar Structures

• This is a man's world

  ➔ Possessive 's'

  ➔ The apostrophe and 's' ('"man's"') indicate possession. It shows that the "world" belongs to or is dominated by men.

• But it wouldn't be nothing

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 2)

  ➔ "wouldn't be" is the main clause showing a hypothetical result. The implicit 'if' clause is related to the existence of women ('if there were no women'). This usage emphasizes the interdependence of men and women.

• Man made the cars to take us over the road

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The phrase "to take us over the road" is an infinitive of purpose. It explains *why* man made the cars.

• Man made the train to carry the heavy load

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ Similar to the previous line, "to carry the heavy load" explains the purpose of the train. It indicates *why* the train was made.

• Man made the electric light to take us out of the dark

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ Again, "to take us out of the dark" clarifies the reason for creating electric lights. It describes the function or intent behind the invention.

• And after man make everything, everything he can

  ➔ Present Simple (Habitual Action)

  ➔ The phrase "man make" (though grammatically incorrect in standard English; it should be 'makes') suggests a repeated action or a general truth about what man does. This highlights the continuous creation and innovation attributed to men.

• You know that man makes money, to buy from other man

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose, Indirect Speech

  ➔ "to buy from other man" is an infinitive of purpose, explaining why men make money. "You know that..." introduces reported speech, implying a generally accepted truth. 'Makes' uses present simple to describe habitual action

• He's lost in the wilderness

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive

  ➔ Although it looks like present continuous, "He's lost" here means "He has been lost", indicating a state resulting from a past action, emphasizing his current condition of being lost. The passive voice is implied; something 'made' him lost. "Wilderness" refers to a desolate, uncultivated area.