Lyrics:

(Ellas McDaniel (better known as Bo Diddley) (1955))
Note: Many different recordings of the song exist, each with differing lyrics. I have tried to collate the important lyrics here - inevitably some lines will be missed out, and the order of verses changed. The studio version consists solely of the middle three verses. Other recordings, in particular the 'Five Live Yardbirds' and the BBC sessions versions, start with the first verse and also include the last verse (both in '{ }' braces).

{
Now when I was a little boy,
At the age of five,
I had somethin' in my pocket,
Kept a lot of folks alive.
Now I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N...man.
}

All you pretty women,
Stand in line,
I can make love to you baby,
In an hour's time.
Now i'm a man
I spell M-A-N...man.

The line I shoot,
Will never miss,
Make love to you baby,
You can't resist.
Now I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N...man.

Goin back down,
To Kansas to,
Bring back a little girl,
Just like you.
Now I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N...man.

{
Now I'm a man,
Made twenty-one,
You know baby,
We can have a lot of fun.
I'm a man,
I spell M-A-N...man.
}



© Arc Music Corp. (BMI)