It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World

“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World"  is a song by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome.  Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966 in a New York studio and released it as a single later that year.  It reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Its title is a word play on the 1963 comedy film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.  (More from Wikipedia)

“This is a man’s world!” – sentiments that James Brown, among many others have been saying for years.  Things have been moving quickly to change that, a LOT, particularly over the past five decades.  Brown continued in this song (actually the title of the song is “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World”):  “But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” 

Many of James Brown’s songs were taken from catchphrases of the day – some that he picked up on, others that he popularized – such as “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”, “Say it Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “Don’t Be a Dropout”, “Night Train”, etc.