Taylor Swift's "The Man" Will Be Your New Favorite Girl-Power Anthem
Taylor Swift's Lover is here, and the album is packed with bops. There are so many amazing tracks, but nothing quite catches the ear like "The Man." You see, Taylor Swift's "The Man" lyrics are super bold and carry a powerful message about women and how differently others would view them if men carried out certain actions of theirs. Get ready to play this one on repeat whenever you have an issue with the patriarchy.
The lyrics feel particularly fitting for what's going on in Swift's life right now. Ahead of Lover's Aug. 23 release, Swift announced in a CBS Sunday Morning interview that she plans to re-record her older songs in light of music mogul Scooter Braun buying the rights to them. The full interview doesn't air until Aug. 25, but "The Man" definitely points toward Swift ruminating over the differences between men and women for quite some time (and fueling a theory that Braun is the inspiration for the song).
In an interview with Vogue, Swift explained that "The Man" is a song that "plays with the idea of perception." In it, Swift wonders if she would receive the same criticism in regards to her personal life and business deals if she were a man. "If I had made all the same choices, all the same mistakes, all the same accomplishments, how would it read?" Swift said.
Fans will never truly know how reception of Swift would differ if she were male, but the full lyrics of "The Man" definitely paint a vivid picture.
VERSE 1
I would be complex
I would be cool
They'd say I played the field
Before I found someone to commit to
And that would be OK for me to do
Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you
I'd be a fearless leader
I'd be an alpha type
When everyone believes ya
What's that like?
CHORUS
I'm so sick of running as fast as I can
Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man
And I'm so sick of them coming at me again
Cuz if I was a man
Then I'd be the man
I'd be the man
I'd be the man
VERSE 2
They'd say I hustled
Put in the work
They wouldn't shake their heads
And question how much of this I deserve
What I was wearing
If I was rude
Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves
And they would toast to me
Let the players play
I'd be just like Leo
In Saint-Tropez
CHORUS
I'm so sick of running as fast as I can
Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man
And I'm so sick of them coming at me again
Cuz if I was a man
Then I'd be the man
I'd be the man
I'd be the man
VERSE 3
What's it like to brag about
Drinking and dollars
And getting b*tches and models
And it's all good if you're bad
And it's OK if you're mad
If I was out flashing my dollars
I'd be a b*tch not a baller
They'd paint me out to be bad
So it's OK that I'm mad
CHORUS
I'm so sick of running as fast as I can
Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man (you know that)
And I'm so sick of them coming at me again (coming at me again)
Cuz if I was a man (if I was a man)
Then I'd be the man (and I'd be the man)
I'm so sick of running as fast as I can (as fast as I can)
Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man (hey)
And I'm so sick of them coming at me again (coming at me again)
Cuz if I was a man (if I was a man)
Then I'd be the man
I'd be the man 4x
If I was a man
I'd be the man
The entire song is reminiscent of Beyoncé's 2008 hit "If I Were A Boy," which tackled sexist double standards in society. I also think of Ciara's 2007 banger "Like A Boy," in which she wondered what life would be like if the gender roles were reversed. Those ladies paved the way for tunes like "The Man," and I'm definitely ready to add Swift's new song to this legendary canon of crafty takes on sexism.
