“It’s A Man’s World”
Song by Ray Charles
“It’s A Man’s World” is a song from Ray Charles’ 1966 album Ray’s Moods. Cheerfully and unrepentantly patriarchal, it’s a sexist screed that may sound dated to modern ears but which contains an undeniably fun groove under its impressive struggle for masculine assertiveness.
Kirkland & Woods vs. Mayfield
“It’s A Man’s World” is credited on the album to writers Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods (misspelled “Wood”). However, it was in fact evidently written by Percy Mayfield, who is credited with two other songs on Ray’s Moods (“Chitlins With Candied Yams” and “Granny Wasn’t Grinning That Day”). Kirkland and Woods did write an unrelated song called “It’s A Man’s World” which Ray’s own backup singer Mary Ann Fisher released as the B-side of her solo single “I Keep Comin’ Back For More” in 1962.
Must have been some clerical confusion somewhere. Somehow, the song titles were mixed up and Mayfield was denied his writing credit.
At any rate, “It’s A Man’s World” is a piano-led blues that hearkens back somewhat to the style of Ray’s early Swing Time 78s. But here he is more accomplished, the band more nuanced. With a gritty buzzsaw blues in his voice, Ray sounds like he is enjoying the Biblical-sounding “real facts” he pronounces about the relationship between genders:
Man wasn’t made for woman, little girl
But I swear woman was made for man
Endless justifications are listed for his male-pride stance – as if trying to convince himself. Ray’s piano remains busy throughout “It’s A Man’s World” as he dashes off one astonishing run of notes after another.
Equally expert is the rickety lead guitar that draws from the same well as the piano, wandering up and down the fretboard with great alacrity. The smartly-timed, swelling brass section lends a greater air of professionalism to “It’s A Man’s World”, but remains tonally appropriate and most welcome, as does the outrageous, squawking saxophone solo.
Afterwards, Ray continues, becoming more and more demonstrative:
But don’t feel bad pretty baby
Just know where you stand
You never belong to yourself baby
Oh, you always belong to man
The relentlessness of the lyrics borders palpably on parody, and (perhaps only in modern times) it’s hard to understand if the song is meant to be taken seriously or as a snidely comical take on the last desperate gasp of male delusion before natural equality redresses the balance. Nothing in the lyrics would seem to suggest the latter, in fact; unfortunately “It’s A Man’s World” is most likely unintentionally funny.
But the times were the times, and the music on this song is expertly delivered. It’s a stunning blues performance and maintains a rousing air, no matter what its lyrical escapades. “It’s A Man’s World” demonstrates that in 1966 Ray Charles remained soul and blues music’s greatest practitioner.
Listen to “It’s A Man’s World”
Songs on Ray's Moods