I'm coming up man-sized skinned alive
I want to fit I've got to get
Man-sized I'm heading on
Handsome got my leather boots on
Got my girl and she's a wow
I cast my iron knickers down
Man-sized no need to shout
Can you hear can you hear me now
I'm man-sized

Man sized
I'll measure time I'll measure height
I'll calculate my birthright
Good Lord I'm big I'm heading on
Man-sized got my leather boots on
Got my girl and she's a wow
I cast my iron knickers down
Man-sized no need to shout
Can you hear, can you hear me now
My babe looking cool and neat
I'm pretty sure good enough to eat
I'm man-sized no need to shout
Let it all, let it all hang out
I'm man-size, man size
Man size, man size, man size, man size
Man size, man size

Silence my lady head
Get girl out of my head
Douse hair with gasoline
Set it light and set it free
Silence my lady head
Get girl out of my head
Douse hair with gasoline
Set it light and set it free


Lyrics submitted by shut

Man-Size Lyrics as written by Polly Jean Harvey

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Man-Size song meanings
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  • +5
    My Interpretation

    Like many songs of hers, they can be interpreted in many ways, but this is just how I personally interpreted the song:

    The song is told not necessarily from PJ's perspective, but from the persona of a typical "macho" man. He believes his masculinity holds him superior to others. Because of this superiority he doesn't feel "a need to shout" because he believes people inferior to him (particularly women) should give him the attention he deserves; because he is a man, he believes this is his inherent "birthright", if you will.

    It also describes how he perceives women and femininity. Women to him are at most his accessory; the line "I'm pretty sure good enough to eat" could refer to women as a piece of "meat", if you ,will whether having a sexual tone or not.

    Finally, I believe the last few lines are him trying to rid himself of the weakness inside of him, which he perceives to be femininity ("silence my lady head"; "get girl out of my head", etc.), in order to keep his power, authority and masculinity, to keep him "man-sized".

    DivingUpon November 23, 2012   Link

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