Lyrics & Translation
Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Jimi Hendrix's 'Mannish Boy' offers a unique window into the heart of American blues slang and storytelling. The lyrics, originally penned by Muddy Waters, are a powerful declaration of identity and coming-of-age, using vivid and evocative language. By exploring this song, you can learn about the cultural roots of the blues and the expressive power of its dialect, all while experiencing the electrifying energy of one of rock's greatest guitarists.
[English]
Oh yeahOoh
Everything's gonna be alright this morning
Alright
Hey, when I was a young boy
At the age of five
I have fever in my pockets
Keep a lot of folk alive
Now I'm a man, I made twenty-one
You know baby, we have whole lots of fun
Because I'm a man, spell them
Hey child, man boy
And be, oh why?
Now representing daddy's boy
Like a rolling stone
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo, ooh doo doo ooh ooh ooh
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo, ooh ooh oohooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Now, all you pretty women
Standing around
I'll make love to you, baby
And all this time
The line I shoot
Will never miss
See the way I make love to you
You just can't resist
'Cause I'm a man
Girl, I'm a man
Man child
Man boy
And I represent man
Come around to the beat
Oh I, I said daddy's boy
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Yeah, 'cause I'm a man
'Cause I'm a man, baby
Yeah I'm a man, baby
No child
Stand on the side
With me and my maid
We made the moon, honey
Came up to ours, babe
Now my baby's standing
The beat in our hand
Say oh baby, uh huh
You're my desire
'Cause I'm a man
Real man
Man child, baby
Man boy
I represent man
Be old
Why child?
I represent this mannish boy
Hey, 'cause I'm a man
I said I'm a man
Yeah I'm a man
Said I'm a man
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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Everything's gonna be alright this morning
➔ Future contraction with 'be going to'
➔ The phrase 'gonna' is a contraction of 'going to', used to express a future action or state.
-
When I was a young boy
➔ Past simple tense
➔ The verb 'was' is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past.
-
I have fever in my pockets
➔ Present perfect tense
➔ The verb 'have' is in the present perfect tense, indicating an action that started in the past and continues to the present.
-
Now I'm a man, I made twenty-one
➔ Present tense and past simple tense
➔ 'I'm' is present tense, while 'made' is past simple, showing a contrast between current state and a past action.
-
Because I'm a man, spell them
➔ Present tense and imperative mood
➔ 'I'm' is present tense, and 'spell' is in the imperative mood, used to give a direct command.
-
The line I shoot will never miss
➔ Future with 'will'
➔ 'Will never miss' uses 'will' to express a future action with certainty.
-
You just can't resist
➔ Modal verb 'can't' for ability/possibility
➔ 'Can't' is used to express the inability or impossibility of resisting.
-
I represent man
➔ Present tense with verb 'represent'
➔ The verb 'represent' is in the present tense, indicating a current action or state.
