Are you woman enough to be my man?

The Waiting Trophy Man
The Waiting Trophy Man Niagara region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 12,158
in The Porch
This lyric has always puzzled me. Thoughts?
Another habit says it's in love with you
Another habit says its long overdue
Another habit like an unwanted friend
I'm so happy with my righteous self
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Comments

  • ldent42
    ldent42 NYC Posts: 7,859
    i thought it was a spoof on that sheryl crow song where she says "are you man enough to be my man"
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  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    ldent42 said:

    i thought it was a spoof on that sheryl crow song where she says "are you man enough to be my man"

    Hah! It never occurred to me to read it as a spoof :smile:

    I've always thought it referred to a man wanting a female partner who was strong enough to sometimes be the "man" (stereotypically); i.e. someone he could rely on.
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  • ehbacon
    ehbacon Posts: 1,972
    edited April 2015
    Well you could look deeply into it, like for instance the possibility that Eddie was touching on the fact that women are just as strong as men and really the expression "are you man enough" means nothing because of it.

    Or it could have just been a line.
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  • whispering hands
    whispering hands Under your skin Posts: 13,527
    I thought the song was representative of different relationships.. ??
  • Leezestarr313
    Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,457
    ehbacon said:

    Well you could look deeply into it, like for instance the possibility that Eddie was touching on the fact that women are just as strong as men and really the expression "are you man enough" means nothing because of it.

    Or it could have just been a line.

    That is how I see it, and the line is puzzling me too. But I love it.

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  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    I always saw it as this - :yin_yang:

    Not necessarily and actually never 50/50, but balancing each other as needed, filling the voids, putting your footstep or sweat or energy in their place when they aren't able, and them doing that for you.

    Being vulnerable enough to ask for a tether and then accept it, embrace it.

    And give it, too.

    (bandaged hand in hand is - literally I believe - tied to this).

  • The Waiting Trophy Man
    The Waiting Trophy Man Niagara region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 12,158
    Great answers guys, thanks
    Another habit says it's in love with you
    Another habit says its long overdue
    Another habit like an unwanted friend
    I'm so happy with my righteous self
  • alexross42
    alexross42 Posts: 377
    It's a great lyric. I always understood it as addressing the differences and complexities that can exist between men and women (certainly in relationships) and within the song the woman is asking the man if he has the intuition to support her, even if he doesn't always understand the reason why, i.e. can he be open enough to consider things from her perspective even if at times it's completely at odds with his own.
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  • whispering hands
    whispering hands Under your skin Posts: 13,527
    I've always just looked at each verse as being a different set of individuals.. I think he's trying to represent love in all fields.. And that part represents the more unorthodox of the relationships.. But I love reading everyone else's perspective! Totally opens the song up some, which is always cool to do!
    hedonist said:

    I always saw it as this - :yin_yang:

    Not necessarily and actually never 50/50, but balancing each other as needed, filling the voids, putting your footstep or sweat or energy in their place when they aren't able, and them doing that for you.

    Being vulnerable enough to ask for a tether and then accept it, embrace it.

    And give it, too.

    (bandaged hand in hand is - literally I believe - tied to this).

    My favorite so far! ^^^^
  • whispering hands
    whispering hands Under your skin Posts: 13,527
    Bandaged hand in hand has always been like the equivalent of surviving life's battles together.. Like war wounds if you will..
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,461
    Some English Lit major years back deciphered all the album lyrics. Where is that link???
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  • whispering hands
    whispering hands Under your skin Posts: 13,527
    2-feign-reluctance said:

    Some English Lit major years back deciphered all the album lyrics. Where is that link???

    That would be a very interesting read!
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,461
    Its on here somewhere - I can't seem to find suitable search words!
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  • Verbasan
    Verbasan Posts: 39
    The Sheryl Crow song lyric is actually "Are you strong enough to be my man".
    I'd always interpretted it as are you (a) woman enough to be "my man" as in, like a bro or best bud, is she just that perfect a girl that you can consider her your bro, or best friend where gender becomes superflous. But this probably doesnt fly in context of the whole song :P
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  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Posts: 40,309
    Basically "do you have the emotional capacity to understand how I feel?" is how I always took it.
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  • red mos
    red mos Posts: 4,953
    I've always wondered about this lyric too.
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  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 51,029
    HughFreakingDillon said:

    Basically "do you have the emotional capacity to understand how I feel?" is how I always took it.

    That's how I always took it as well (kind of a burn for men, haha ;) ).
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  • PureandEasy
    PureandEasy Posts: 5,818
    hedonist said:

    I always saw it as this - :yin_yang:

    Not necessarily and actually never 50/50, but balancing each other as needed, filling the voids, putting your footstep or sweat or energy in their place when they aren't able, and them doing that for you.

    Being vulnerable enough to ask for a tether and then accept it, embrace it.

    And give it, too.

    (bandaged hand in hand is - literally I believe - tied to this).

    Exactly.
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  • evenflow82
    evenflow82 Posts: 3,892
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  • PJSiren
    PJSiren Salem, OR Posts: 5,863
    hedonist said:

    I always saw it as this - :yin_yang:

    Not necessarily and actually never 50/50, but balancing each other as needed, filling the voids, putting your footstep or sweat or energy in their place when they aren't able, and them doing that for you.

    Being vulnerable enough to ask for a tether and then accept it, embrace it.

    And give it, too.

    (bandaged hand in hand is - literally I believe - tied to this).

    This is exactly how I've always interpreted it...I couldn't have worded it better myself, hedonist!
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