Man Down

My InterpretationThis song is very metaphorical, with a catchy vibe.
But in my opinion, tells of a troubled relationship. Then she betrays him with another person in public, but in the end, she regrets having humiliated her old boyfriend.

1-Sorry for the bad english, hope you understood something.
2-I am really inexperienced in music meaning.

• 1 Reply Log in to reply

General CommentI think this is about breaking up with someone or wronging somebody. When you really think about how badly you hurt someone sometimes it can be hard to "even sleep at night or "get it out of your mind."

The person you hurt may mean a lot to somebody else: "coulda been somebody's son."

Sometimes when you're so wrapped up in yourself or you've been hurt the way Rihanna has.. you can be careless with others hearts without even realizing it.

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentI think this is about Chris Brown, and how she sorta killed his career.

i didn't mean to end his life, i know it wasn't right (She didn't mean to end his career, and she knows what she did was wrong)
i can't even sleep at night, can't get it out my mind, (She always thinks about it)
i need to get out of sight before i end up behind bars. (People are saying that it was her fault that she killed his career)

what started out as a simple altercation (It was just an altercation)
turned into a real sticky situation (But it turned into a whole incident.)
me just thinking of the time that i'm facin (
makes me wanna cry

cuz i didn't mean to hurt him, (She didn't mean to end his career)
coulda been somebody's son
and i took his heart when
i pulled out that gun (She took his career when she started talking about how he abused her)
brum babababum.
man down.

oh mama mama mama
i just shot a man down.
in central station,
in front of a big old crowd.(She did it in front of everybody)
oh why, oh why.
oh mama mama mama
i just shot a man down

call up peggy sue when she fits right down in my shoes,
what you expect me to do if they're playin me for a fool,(She didn't wanna seem like a fool, that gets abuseed)
i will lose my cool and reach for my fire arm(Her firearm was her publicity)

i didn't mean to lay him down,
but it's too late to turn back now. (She didn't want to do it, but its too late now)
don't know what i was thining,
now he's no longer living
so i'm bout to leave town.

cuz i didn't mean to hurt him,
coulda been somebody's son
and i took his heart when
i pulled out that gun
brum babababum.
man down.

oh mama mama mama
i just shot a man down.
in central station,
in front of a big old crowd.
oh why, oh why.
oh mama mama mama
i just shot a man down

i never thought i'd do it. (She never wanted to.)
i never thought i'd do it.
i never thought i'd do it.
oh gosh, what ever happened to me ever happened to me ever happened to me.
why did i pull the trigger, pull the trigger, pull the trigger, boom.
and end that nigga, end that niggas life so soon. (Once again, she ended his career)
when me pulled the trigger pulled the trigger pulled the trigger on you
somebody tell me what i'm gonna what i'm gonna what i'm gonna do.
brum babababum they say one man down.
now i am a criminal,criminal,criminal.
all outta mercy, now i am a criminal.
man down, tell the judge please give me minimal,
run outta town, none of them can see me now see me now

oh mama mama mama
i just shot a man down.
in central station,
in front of a big old crowd.
oh why, oh why.
oh mama mama mama
i just shot a man down
in central station.

• 2 Replies Log in to reply

Song MeaningSo she met this guy, and he found her interestin. so they met up at a club and then she left, and he followed her, raped/violated her in some way. Then she shot him.

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentAlso, nice Hova reference lol! "Peggy Sue" is the nickname to her twenty-two caliber pistol.

• No Replies Log in to reply

My InterpretationI personally think that she is telling us about her saying no to a boy/man who has asked her out? i dont know if im right or not but ive listened to it many times now and obviously she is using the metaphor of her shooting someone and the only way i can think of a realistic way is that she turned him down and she felt bad about it?

• 1 Reply Log in to reply

General Commenti don't think every song she does has to be about her man troubles. sometimes artists write about the experiences of others. in that regard, it reminds me of "uncle's got a sweetheart part 2" by madeline adams.

it's possible that she just wanted to sing about what it must honestly be like to kill a man. not to glorify, but to explore how the feelings of regret might kick in. i hope that's what it's about. a lot of artists make it seem like such a casual thing, but it is human nature to feel horrible about it. that would make it seem to me a creative way to deter violence.

• 1 Reply Log in to reply

General Commentif you watch the video it's all clear! it's about revenge. a man humiliates her (probably rapes) and then she kills him not even realizing how awful it is to kill. we often say "oh i wish he/she died" but when it actually happens, it's not so simple at all

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentCapitalization.

• 1 Reply Log in to reply

General CommentReminds me a little bit of a mint reggae version Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".

• 3 Replies Log in to reply