- Man in the Street
- Song from Joe Jackson (the musician)
- Featured on Big World, from 1986
This ain't my favourite song from Joe Jackson, an English bloke who lived in New York City for a while. But for sure, that's one song which I can understand, as in, it directly talks to my heart.
I got to really know about Joe Jackson through that record, Big World, when I was fresh out of secondary school. The cassette carried me around for a long time, and while discovering all of his music afterwards, Joe Jackson surely became one of my favourite artist, ever.
To me, he was loud, in your face, fiercely independent, obnoxious, musically masterful, outspoken, politically motivated, curious, unabashed, colourful, diverse, politically incorrect, courageous, vengeful, lucid, opinionated, open minded, underappreciated, always rooting for the underdog: he appeared to simultaneously represent everything I thought I was, and everything I wanted to become, at that point in my teenager years.
Lyrics
I'm not a happy guy
But I'm not always sad
And I'm no millionaire
But I don't do so bad
But no matter who you think you are
There's always someone with a different view
There's always someone thinks he's got a right
To say what's good for you
So how do you know
That the man in the street don't care
And why don't you care
When the man in the street don't know
Anyway
I'm not a clever guy
But I'm sure not that dumb
Don't have the inside news
But I know what goes on
And if you put your faith in God above
Or if you watch the skies for Superman
There's always times when you can see the answers
Slip right through their hands
So how do you know
That the man in the street don't care
And why don't you care
When the man in the street don't know
Anyway
So no matter who they think they are
As they tell you who to fight or how to dance
Why don't you give yourself a break
And give us all a chance
Cause how do you know
That the man in the street don't care
And why don't you care
When the man in the street don't know