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

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Man-Size song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

14 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    Well, it could be about transsexuality, or just a woman wishing she was male so that her voice would be heard in sexist society. "Calculate my birthrite" could either be working hard to prove you're as good as a man, or going into math/science related fields which are normally associated with men (while academic women tend to be associated with languages and social sciences) to "prove" the masculine nature of your brain. The "Good lord I'm big" and "leather boots" sound like fantasies of either domination or masculinity (they are seen as connected so it's unclear), while the bit about "casting iron knickers down" refers to finally beng comfortable having sexual relations in that role. Also "skinned alive" does remind of serial killer Ed Gein, who would create "woman suits" out of his victims and dress up in them (it's unclear whether or not he was transgendered). It could be Polly subverting that idea and turing it arond into a biologically female person doing it to a dude. It would make sense given the fact that other songs on ROM like Legs and Rid of Me are about women carrying out violent, possessive crimes which are associated with men and have parallels in the stories of real life male stalkers/serial killers. I think that's the point of a lot of the songs on ROM, whether they're violent or not, Polly uses a sexual role reversal on many tracks (50ft Queenie being another example).

    urban_idyllon November 28, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.