Are you woman enough to be my man?

The Waiting Trophy Man · April 2015

This lyric has always puzzled me. Thoughts?

ldent42 · April 2015

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

oftenreading · April 2015

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

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.

ehbacon · 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.

whispering hands · April 2015

I thought the song was representative of different relationships.. ??

Leezestarr313 · April 2015

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.

hedonist · April 2015

I always saw it as this -

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 · April 2015

Great answers guys, thanks

alexross42 · April 2015

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.

whispering hands · April 2015

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 -

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 · April 2015

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 · April 2015

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

whispering hands · April 2015

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 · April 2015

Its on here somewhere - I can't seem to find suitable search words!

Verbasan · April 2015

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

HughFreakingDillon · April 2015

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

red mos · April 2015

I've always wondered about this lyric too.

PJ_Soul · April 2015

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

).

PureandEasy · April 2015

hedonist said:
I always saw it as this -

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.

evenflow82 · April 2015

The person is a hermaphrodite (joking).

PJSiren · April 2015

hedonist said:
I always saw it as this -

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!

pickupyourwill · April 2015

ldent42 said:
i thought it was a spoof on that sheryl crow song where she says "are you man enough to be my man"

I agree here.

shortstack · April 2015

I always felt she was asking him if he was a feminist.

robbie · April 2015

It is a question both sexes in the relationship are asking each other. The male needing not only for her to be his woman, but also enough like him to be his friend (my man), and the female needing the same thing with the line meaning "are you enough like me to be my friend and my partner (my man)" i think it is also what is meant by the line "If im the only one, could i ever be enough?" it seems like that is what is necessary to be "in love" which is difficult to find and why those who find such a partner are the "lucky ones" that is how i have always inturpreted the line. If you think about a man saying it to a woman AND a woman saying it to a man, it works both ways and even means the same thing. Seems pretty cool to me, but what the fuck do i know???

whispering hands · April 2015

robbie said:
It is a question both sexes in the relationship are asking each other. The male needing not only for her to be his woman, but also enough like him to be his friend (my man), and the female needing the same thing with the line meaning "are you enough like me to be my friend and my partner (my man)" i think it is also what is meant by the line "If im the only one, could i ever be enough?" it seems like that is what is necessary to be "in love" which is difficult to find and why those who find such a partner are the "lucky ones" that is how i have always inturpreted the line. If you think about a man saying it to a woman AND a woman saying it to a man, it works both ways and even means the same thing. Seems pretty cool to me, but what the fuck do i know???

This a good interpretation too!

Foriginal Sin · April 2015

Well if you are just taking that line out of the context of the whole verse I take it as: I'm a man, I'm not supposed to admit it but sometimes I cry and sometimes I need help/support etc. Are you strong enough to be that anchor, because Women are strong but aren't perceived that way by society (try watching a two year old while your wife's in San Diego for a week, then you'll know what I'm talking about).

But the whole verse goes:
I sometimes realize, that I can only be as good as you'll let me
Are you Woman enough to be my man? Bandaged hand in hand.

Now seeing it that way I think it means this:
This guy is in a relationship that is blah. Maybe the girl always puts him down, he doesn't have enough money, no career path, etc. So in his eyes he can only be as successful as she views him. He's asking her if she's strong enough to stand by his side, through anything, for there will be bad times ahead if they're to be successful.
Remember this is just a lyric/verse in a song all about happiness towards people in love, you can go all the way to the beginning of Hail, Hail and try and figure it out, or just enjoy your own interpretation, which is the best way. (On a side note I've heard EV refer to 'Just Breathe' as a song from a father to a child which made me so happy that my wife and I didn't choose it as our wedding song, and then another night as song from one lover to another (DAMMIT) again, it is all about what your interpretation is).