Lyrics for One Man Guy (Loudon Wainwright III cover... as interpreted by ang

One Man Guy (Loudon Wainwright III cover... Lyrics
People will know
when they see this show
The kind of a guy I am
They'll recognize just what I stand for
and what I just can't stand
They'll perceive what I believe in
What I know is true
And they'll recognize I'm a one man guy
Always was through and through

People meditate
Hey that's just great
Trying to find the inner you
People depend on family and friends
And other folks to pull them through

I don't know why I'm a one man guy
Or why I'm a one man show
But these three cubic feet of bone and blood and meat are all I love and know

'Cause I'm a one man guy in the morning
Same in the afternoon
One man guy when the sun goes down
I whistle me a one man tune
One man guy a one man guy
Only kind of guy to be
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy is me

I'm gonna bathe and shave
And dress myself and eat solo every night
Unplug the phone, sleep alone
Stay away out of sight
Sure it's kind of lonely
Yeah it's sort of sick
Being your own one and only
Is a dirty selfish trick

'Cause I'm a one man guy in the morning
Same in the afternoon
One man guy when the sun goes down
I whistle me a one man tune
One man guy a one man guy
Only kind of guy to be
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy is me

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pomegranatesROCK
07-23-2002

Rated 0 
this song is SO beautiful... god, his voice is amazing... the lyrics are pretty self explanitory... i guess the lyrics don't mean a whole lot to me... but i understand what he's sayin... cause sometimes you just wanna be with you.

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Fredrick
04-23-2003

Rated 0 
I believe this song was actually written by his Father, Laudon Wainwright

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redshoecult
07-07-2003

Rated 0 
I love this song so much. Rufus is such a great artist, and his voice is so smooth and beautiful. I love to listen to this song when I'm alone, it reminds me that all I really need if myself and that as long as I'm completly ok with myself and who I am I can get though anything. And I love having time to myself, so it's pretty true for me.

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anna118k
09-29-2004

Rated 0 
I love this song more and more everytime I hear it. It's funny.. It took me a while to realize how great it was though. It's so.. not his other stuff. It's so simple and not over the top (Though I love that he is over the top). I agree with the others. His voice is so beautiful in this. Such a smooth texture in this song.

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gracetbe
05-06-2005

Rated 0 
I don't think this song is really about strength in singleness because in the third verse he says;
"Sure it's kind of lonely
Yeah it's sort of sick
Being your own one and only
Is a dirty selfish trick"

He's saying that even though it's hard to be alone he'd rather be by himself than be hurt again... I can totally relate. This is kind of a common theme for him, that it's better to be alone than to be in a relationship that's ultimately going to hurt you. his earlier song "april fools" is along the same lines.

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Luca303
08-04-2005

Rated 0 
This is one of my favourite Songs ever. Nick Hornby speaks about this song in his book 31 Songs and captures it perfectly.

I love the Line " people meditate, hey thats just great, trying to find the inner you", this is the bit when Martha ( Rufus's Sister) starts to harmonise.

It is true that the song was written by Rufus's father Loudon Wainwright III. I think it was at a time when Rufus didn't get on with his Dad as well which adds another twist to the song!

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enolf
08-22-2005

Rated 0 
I love this song. It especially love the lines:
People meditate
Hey that's just great
Trying to find the inner you
People depend on family and friends
And other folks to pull them through
I interpret it as kind of being an anthem for people that feel that they are better off alone, or people who realise that they are they themselves are the only ones they can really depend on...even if it isn't exactly a 'movie-like' way to live life. I also think it's a bit of a mocking (very very subtle) of religion...and how that may be find for others...but not for him.
love,
elisa

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enolf
08-22-2005

Rated 0 
rereading that and realise it makes not sense
***...realise that they, and they themselves
soz,
elisa

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johndoux
05-13-2006

Rated 0 
I used to always skip this song when I listened to the album.

I only realized recently how absolutely quietly beautiful and gracefully paced this song is. It's such a lovely song, with very good lyrics and pretty backing vocals. The melody and harmony is very touching.

And yes, it's a cover of Rufus' father's "One Man Guy." I actually prefer Rufus' version, though Loudon's is very good as well.

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emiliee
08-20-2006

Rated 0 
is this definately one of loudens songs then? me and my friend have been wondering about for ages

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ariesstyle
09-03-2006

Rated 0 
i LOVE this song, i keep singing along to it right now. I love this version i heared somewhere- loudon, rufus AND martha, all singing. It was beautiful.

rufus has said (about his dad)... i cant remember the quote exactly but it went something like, "he (loudon) has a song for everyone, mum, sister, me and so on, but he never talked to us"... one man guy is himself.

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Noli
09-22-2006

Rated 0 
Yes, definitely Loudon's.

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forksarentcool
10-02-2006

Rated 0 
This seems to be the anthem for anybody who's ever felt like they didn't need anyone else. No matter how londely and sick you seem, you can't help but cut yourself off from everyone around you. Because all anyone ever seems to do is hurt you. You've got yourself, and that's all you need.

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emiliee
02-09-2007

Rated 0 
sorie can i ask was this louden or rufus who wrote this? have never quite worked this out, thanks

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aldrichh
06-16-2007

Rated 0 
pretty much what i feel almost everytime.,., kinda lonely in some point.,.,
does he mean here to be an island??

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aldrichh
06-16-2007

Rated 0 
pretty much what i feel almost everytime.,., kinda lonely in some point.,.,
does he mean here to be an island??

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cornflakegrrl
07-27-2007

Rated 0 
it's funny to come across this because just earlier today I was thinking maybe I'm not supposed to be with anyone, you know. maybe I'm supposed to be alone after all. maybe I'm a one woman girl, y' know. and i thought how incredibly sad that was. but knowing i'm not the only one conforts me in some weird way.

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buddha_the_god
04-27-2008

Rated -1 
Not sure I agree with gracetbe, I don't find anything in the lyrics that would imply that "he was once hurt and doesn't want to love again because he's afraid to get hurt again". Perhaps you mixed it up with some generic R&B song from MTV.

I would agree with some people that it's simply about that he prefers to be by himself than being overly social. There's no reason or history behind it, "I don't know why I'm a one man guy/ Or why I'm a one man show", it's just a preference like my preference for you to go back analyzing Sean Kingston's lyrics.

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bibliopath
07-22-2008

Rated 0 
This is a beautiful song about what it is to be a man who has become estranged from his wife and children. Poignant,it is something of an elegy for people in this situation, both men and women. Loudon Wainwright wrote this song and it purveys the feelings one has when once again becoming single. A feeling that I can empathise with. The fact that it was covered by his son, Rufus, makes this all the more powerful as it was ostensibly written for him...A kind of double fold, or helix. "These three cubic feet of blood and bone and meat are all I love and know." WOW!

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freonrose
11-18-2009

Rated 0 
i agree with buddha_the_god. I think this song is simply about that he prefers to be by himself than being overly social. There's no reason or history behind it. It's just a preference. It"s just the way he is. Maybe you have to be the same to understand... Don't need and don't want to see friends. Don't want to answer the phone. Just want being alone, with yourself. Doing things by yourself, for yourself. He's not sad being lonely. He's in peace with the way he is.

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