Sak pasé

I didn't mean to end his life, I know it wasn't right
I can't even sleep at night, can't get it off my mind
I need to get out of sight, 'fore I end up behind bars
What started out as a simple altercation
Turned into a real sticky situation
Me just thinking on the time that I'm facing
Makes me wanna cry

'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him (him)
Coulda been somebody's son
And I took his heart when (when)
I pulled out that gun

Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down

Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol' crowd
Oh, why? Oh, why?
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station

Little 22, I call her Peggy Sue
When she fits right down in my shoes
Whatchu expect me to do?
If you're playing me for a fool
I will lose my cool, and reach for my firearm
I didn't mean to lay him down
But it's too late to turn back now
Don't know what I was thinking
Now he's no longer living
So I'm 'bout to leave town, ayy-uh

'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him (him)
Coulda been somebody's son
And I took his heart when (when)
I pulled out that gun

Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down

Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol' crowd
Oh, why? Oh, why?
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down (well, hear me now)
In central station

Said, I'd never thought I'd do it
Never thought I'd do it, never thought I'd do it
Oh gosh, what ever happened to me?
Ever happened to me, ever happened to me?
Why did I pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull di trigger? Boom
And end a nigga, end a nigga life so soon
When me pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull it pon you
Somebody tell me what I'm gonna, what I'm gonna do? Ayy

Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Me say one man down, ah wah me say?
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
When me went downtown

'Cause now I'm a criminal, criminal, criminal
Oh Lord ah mercy, now I am a criminal, man down
Tell di judge please gimme minimal
Run out a town, none ah dem can see me now, see me now

Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol' crowd
Oh, why? Oh, why?
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station


Lyrics submitted by thrwmyhrtawy., edited by Mellow_Harsher

Man Down Lyrics as written by Robyn Fenty Shama Joseph

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Man Down song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • +3
    My Interpretation

    This song is very metaphorical, with a catchy vibe. But in my opinion, tells of a troubled relationship. Then she betrays him with another person in public, but in the end, she regrets having humiliated her old boyfriend.

    1-Sorry for the bad english, hope you understood something. 2-I am really inexperienced in music meaning.

    7andyon December 05, 2010   Link
  • +3
    Song Meaning

    So she met this guy, and he found her interestin. so they met up at a club and then she left, and he followed her, raped/violated her in some way. Then she shot him.

    weezydrizzyminajon July 21, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Also, nice Hova reference lol! "Peggy Sue" is the nickname to her twenty-two caliber pistol.

    rockwitchuon November 14, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think this is about breaking up with someone or wronging somebody. When you really think about how badly you hurt someone sometimes it can be hard to "even sleep at night or "get it out of your mind."

    The person you hurt may mean a lot to somebody else: "coulda been somebody's son."

    Sometimes when you're so wrapped up in yourself or you've been hurt the way Rihanna has.. you can be careless with others hearts without even realizing it.

    alysserron May 17, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think this is about Chris Brown, and how she sorta killed his career.

    i didn't mean to end his life, i know it wasn't right (She didn't mean to end his career, and she knows what she did was wrong) i can't even sleep at night, can't get it out my mind, (She always thinks about it) i need to get out of sight before i end up behind bars. (People are saying that it was her fault that she killed his career)

    what started out as a simple altercation (It was just an altercation) turned into a real sticky situation (But it turned into a whole incident.) me just thinking of the time that i'm facin ( makes me wanna cry

    cuz i didn't mean to hurt him, (She didn't mean to end his career) coulda been somebody's son and i took his heart when i pulled out that gun (She took his career when she started talking about how he abused her) brum babababum. man down.

    oh mama mama mama i just shot a man down. in central station, in front of a big old crowd.(She did it in front of everybody) oh why, oh why. oh mama mama mama i just shot a man down

    call up peggy sue when she fits right down in my shoes, what you expect me to do if they're playin me for a fool,(She didn't wanna seem like a fool, that gets abuseed) i will lose my cool and reach for my fire arm(Her firearm was her publicity)

    i didn't mean to lay him down, but it's too late to turn back now. (She didn't want to do it, but its too late now) don't know what i was thining, now he's no longer living so i'm bout to leave town.

    cuz i didn't mean to hurt him, coulda been somebody's son and i took his heart when i pulled out that gun brum babababum. man down.

    oh mama mama mama i just shot a man down. in central station, in front of a big old crowd. oh why, oh why. oh mama mama mama i just shot a man down

    i never thought i'd do it. (She never wanted to.) i never thought i'd do it. i never thought i'd do it. oh gosh, what ever happened to me ever happened to me ever happened to me. why did i pull the trigger, pull the trigger, pull the trigger, boom. and end that nigga, end that niggas life so soon. (Once again, she ended his career) when me pulled the trigger pulled the trigger pulled the trigger on you somebody tell me what i'm gonna what i'm gonna what i'm gonna do. brum babababum they say one man down. now i am a criminal,criminal,criminal. all outta mercy, now i am a criminal. man down, tell the judge please give me minimal, run outta town, none of them can see me now see me now

    oh mama mama mama i just shot a man down. in central station, in front of a big old crowd. oh why, oh why. oh mama mama mama i just shot a man down in central station.

    liljojo204on July 01, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I personally think that she is telling us about her saying no to a boy/man who has asked her out? i dont know if im right or not but ive listened to it many times now and obviously she is using the metaphor of her shooting someone and the only way i can think of a realistic way is that she turned him down and she felt bad about it?

    BlondyZoon April 27, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i don't think every song she does has to be about her man troubles. sometimes artists write about the experiences of others. in that regard, it reminds me of "uncle's got a sweetheart part 2" by madeline adams.

    it's possible that she just wanted to sing about what it must honestly be like to kill a man. not to glorify, but to explore how the feelings of regret might kick in. i hope that's what it's about. a lot of artists make it seem like such a casual thing, but it is human nature to feel horrible about it. that would make it seem to me a creative way to deter violence.

    cupcakes_not_bombson May 21, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    if you watch the video it's all clear! it's about revenge. a man humiliates her (probably rapes) and then she kills him not even realizing how awful it is to kill. we often say "oh i wish he/she died" but when it actually happens, it's not so simple at all

    madameon June 09, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Link(s)

    In an extremely calculated and vindictive way. My goal from the beginning and I'm the kind of girl who knows the steps to take to achieve those goals. Keep reaching.. you can't compete with me. We've been strategizing this since you were just a boy.

    ImYourTerroron June 28, 2023   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Capitalization.

    maggotbrainon November 09, 2010   Link

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