"I'm a Man" is a

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

song written and recorded by

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...

in 1955. Inspired by an earlier blues song, it was one of his first hits. "I'm a Man" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including

the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwe ...

, who adapted it in an upbeat rock style.

Bo Diddley song

"I'm a Man" was one of the first songs Bo Diddley recorded for

Checker Records Checker Records is an inactive record label that was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Record ...

. Unlike his self-titled "

" that was recorded the same day (March 2, 1955 in Chicago), "I'm a Man" does not use the Bo Diddley beat. Rather, it was inspired by

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

' 1954 song "

Hoochie Coochie Man "Hoochie Coochie Man" (originally titled "I'm Your Hoochie Cooche Man") is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954. The song makes reference to hoodoo folk magic elements and makes novel use of a sto ...

", written by

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

. After Diddley's release, Waters recorded an "

answer song An answer song, response song or answer record, is a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s to the 1950s. Answer so ...

" to "I'm a Man" in May 1955, titled "

Mannish Boy "Mannish Boy" (or "Manish Boy" as it was first labeled) is a blues standard written by Muddy Waters, Mel London, and Bo Diddley (with Waters and Diddley being credited under their birth names). First recorded in 1955 by Waters, it serves as an " ...

", a play on words on Bo Diddley's younger age as it related to the primary theme of the song. In a ''Rolling Stone'' magazine interview, Bo Diddley recounts that the song took a long time to record because of confusion regarding the timing of the "M... A... N" vocal chorus. There are conflicting accounts regarding the instrumental backing musicians for the song. Reissues of Bo Diddley's first album, ''Bo Diddley'', list them as: Bo Diddley on vocals and guitar, Frank Kirkland on drums,

Jerome Green Jerome Green (c.1934 – c.1973) was an American percussionist and occasional lyricist and vocalist, known for playing maracas and acting as Bo Diddley's foil in his performances and on his recordings in the 1950s and early 1960s. Biography G ...

maracas A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were ...

Lester Davenport Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport (January 16, 1932 – March 17, 2009), was an American Chicago blues harmonica player and singer. Born in Tchula, Mississippi, Davenport moved to Chicago, Illinois, United States, when he was 14. There he played wi ...

on harmonica, and either

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mis ...

Henry Gray Henry Gray (1827 – 13 June 1861) was a British anatomist and surgeon most notable for publishing the book ''Gray's Anatomy''. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) at the age of 25. Biography Gray was born in Belgrav ...

on piano. However, the song has also been identified as Chicago harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold's first contribution to a Checker recording. Arnold later played harmonica on several Bo Diddley songs. "I'm a Man" was released as the B-side of Bo Diddley's first single in April 1955. The single became a two-sided hit and reached number one on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. The song is included on several of his compilation albums, including ''

'' (1958) and '' His Best'' (1997). He also recorded it with Muddy Waters and

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

for the 1967 '' Super Blues'' album.

The Yardbirds versions

English rock band the Yardbirds recorded a live version of "I'm a Man" for their first UK album '' Five Live Yardbirds'' with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

in 1964, that was later included on their second American album '' Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds''. In 1965 during their first American tour, the Yardbirds with

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a fo ...

on guitar, recorded a studio version of "I'm a Man", that is also included on ''Having a Rave Up''. Their versions feature their signature "rave-up" arrangement, when the beat shifts into double time and the instrumentation builds to a crescendo. Beck added a "scratch-picking" technique to produce a percussive effect during the song's instrumental section, which critic

Cub Koda Michael "Cub" Koda (born October 1, 1948 – July 1, 2000) was an American rock and roll singer, guitarist, songwriter, disc jockey, music critic, and record compiler. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine considered him best known for writing the song " ...

notes "provides the climax on the studio version of 'I'm a Man', perhaps the most famous Yardbirds rave-up of all". Recording took place at the Chess Studios in Chicago, with additional recording at the Columbia Studios in New York. It was released as a single and later included on their 1965 Epic Records album ''Having a Rave Up''. The Yardbirds' version (with "Still I'm Sad" as its B-side, released by Epic Records in the U.S.) peaked at number 17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1965. The song was later released in the UK in 1976. Diddley praised their cover as "beautiful" and it has been called "a defining moment for the band". In addition to the 1964 live version with Clapton, other live versions include those with Jeff Beck (1965 '' Yardbirds ...On Air'', released 1991) and

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

(1968 '' Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page'', released 1971 and '' Yardbirds '68'', released 2017).

Recognition

Bo Diddley's original "I'm a Man" is ranked number 369 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2012, the song along with the self-named

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

song "

" was added to the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...

list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" American sound recordings. In 2018, "I'm a Man" was inducted into the

Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the ...

Blues Hall of Fame as a "Classic of Blues Recording".

References

{{authority control Songs written by Bo Diddley Bo Diddley songs Blues songs 1955 songs 1965 singles 1955 debut singles Checker Records singles United States National Recording Registry recordings The Yardbirds songs Answer songs