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Manchild Lyrics

OK, you're on your own, it's late,
Your girlfriend is on another date with the hero in your dream...
Turn around, ask yourself:
So, you think you're gonna win this time, Manchild?

Is it the pain of the drinking, or the Sunday sinking feeling?
The car never seems to work;
When it's late, your girlfriend's on a date,
And the hero with her in your dream in your sleep, it seemed like you;
Turn around, ask yourself;
Turn around, ask yourself...

Manchild, will you ever win?
Manchild, look at the state you're in...

Could you go undercover, and sell your brand new lover?
(Could you?)
Be someone else for a night;
Maybe someone else will love you...
You'd sell your soul for a tacky song like the ones you hear on the radio...
Turn around, ask yourself;
Turn around, and ask yourself...

Manchild, will you ever win?
Manchild, look at the state you're in...
Manchild, he will make you cry...
Manchild...
Manchild...
Manchild...

From Monday down to Friday, you're working on another man's car;
Or is it in the factory? It doesn't matter where you are...

Just turn around and ask yourself "Is this communication?"
Accentuate the positive to give some illustration;
See Manchild, you're no one, I turn the microphone on,
Control communication when I'm kickin' it, and so on,
To the point that I need, the air that I breathe,
Into an audience that's waiting and ecstatic to receive,
For the meantime, another mean rhyme, I keep on sayin' it:
I know what the time is in the crowd we'll keep on playing it
Through the speaker boxes, loud's my diagnosis,
'Cause I believe in miracles and words in steady doses...
Enough R-E-S-P-E and C-T
Respect yourself, express, no stress the mike is easy;
Just believe that all you need is the air that you breathe....
(Turn around and ask yourself...)

Manchild, will you ever win?
Manchild, look at the state you're in...
Manchild, he will make you cry...
Manchild...
Manchild...
Manchild...
He's the apple of your eye...

Once bitten, twice shy, why don't you bite me again?
Just take it in the right and go tell your friend;
Are you ready for the words? I turn the microphone on;
A figure of speech to reach you at the back and so on...
The style, I'm stimulating dance floors;
Raise your body temperature now and his demands for
Power in the amp - you know, loud's my diagnosis,
'Cause I believe in miracles and words in heavy doses...
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Bmg Rights Management
Writer
Neneh Cherry, Robert Del Naja, Cameron Mcvey
Duration
3:51
Submitted by
iantuition On Jul 16, 2009
1 Meaning

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Cover art for Manchild lyrics by Neneh Cherry

enamorata, your interpretation is kind of harsh. The meaning of the song is more clear if you have heard the Old School Mix of the song, which begins like this:

Working, day in, day out they got you working, day in day out making your living chained to the payroll you got so tired you lost your soul all your dreams and all your aspirations have turned into frustrations you can't admit to what you really feel so you've been acting weird your ego makes you nasty the lady that you really love went out with another guy the kind of guy you wanna be the kind of guy you really are if you would have treated her right she wouldn't have left you, right the simple things in life will bring you happiness nothing you can buy will get rid of your loneliness treat the one you love with a lot of respect and maybe then you can love yourself (turn around and ask yourself)

So, the singer is an outside observator, not a love interest. The manchild in the song is someone who loves his girlfriend, but hides his feelings by being tough and unfeeling and acting weird towards her. That's why this girl has left him and is now on a date with another guy who treats her right. The singer is trying to convoy a message that the manchild should stop playing games, start communicating his feelings and being more honest, therefore being the hero he longed to be all along. The singer is actually very encouraging: "just take it in, right, and go tell your friend". I think this song sends a very positive and empowering message to everyone who is afraid to express their feelings honestly ("the mike is easy, just believe that all you need is the air that you breathe").

My Interpretation
 
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