take your mind back
i don't know when
sometime when it always seemed to be just us and them
girls that wore pink
and boys that wore blue
boys that always grew up better men
than me and you
what's a man now
what's a man mean
is he rough or is he rugged
cultural and clean
now it's all changed
it's got to change more
we think it's getting better
but nobody's really sure
and so it goes, go round again
but now and then we wonder who the real men are
see the nice boys
dancing in pairs
golden earring, golden tan
blow-wave in the hair
sure they're all straight, straight as a line
all the gays are macho
see their leather shine
you don't want to sound dumb
don't want to offend
so don't call me a faggot
not unless you are a friend
then if you're tall
and handsome and strong
you can wear the uniform and i could play along
and so it goes, go round again
but now and then we wonder who the real men are
time to get scared
time to change plan
don't know how to treat a lady
don't know how to be a man
time to admit
what you call defeat
'cause there's women running past you now
and you just drag your feet
man makes a gun
man goes to war
man can kill and man can drink
and man can take a whore
kill all the blacks
kill all the reds
if there's war between the sexes
then there'll be no people left
and so it goes, go round again
but now and then we wonder who the real men are
and so it goes, go round again
but now and then we wonder who the real men are
and so it goes, go round again
but now and then we wonder who the real men are
Top Joe Jackson songs
- My House
- Is She Really Going Out With Him? [live/1980-86]
- Steppin' Out
- When You're Not Around
- Rhythm Delivery
- The Best I Can Do
- Kinda Kute
- Look Sharp!
- Breaking Us In Two
- It's Different For Girls
- Be My Number Two
- You Run Your Mouth (And I'll Run My Business)
- Sunday Papers [live/afterlife]
- You're My Meat
- Battleground