Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: Jan. 24, 2021: Title change
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/01/bo-diddleys-1955-rock-n-roll-song-im.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post includes comments from several discussion threads of YouTube sound files or videos about how Bo Diddley pronounces the word "man" in his 1955 hit song "I'm A Man" and in his performances of that song.
That post includes comments from several discussion threads of YouTube sound files or videos about how Bo Diddley pronounces the word "man" in his 1955 hit song "I'm A Man" and in his performances of that song.
Also, Excerpt #5 of that post provides comments about Muddy Water's pronounciation of the word "man" as documented in his Blue song "Mannish Boy". Both Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters were from Mississippi.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/01/theories-about-origins-use-of-variant.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides my Editor's notes also provides one online excerpt and one complete reprint about the origin of or meanings of two variant colloquial spellings for the word "man" (the word "manze" in Sheng, a Pidgin language used in Kenya Tanzania, and Uganda; and the word "mehn" that is used in Nigerian Pidgin English (and elsewhere).
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and a thanks to the publisher of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
DISCLAIMER:
This is only a small sample of YouTube discussion threads that have comments which include these spelling variants.
These examples don't mean to imply that these variant spellings for "man" are only found in this genre of music in the United States.
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WHAT THE WORD "MANE" MEANS & RELATED NOTES [Added Sept. 22, 2021]
"Mane" is one of several African American Vernacular English spellings for the colloquial referent "man". The word "mane" is pronounced by elongating the word "man". The letter "e" at the end isn't spoken, but is used to differentiate the slang word and pronunciation "man" from the standard English word and pronunciation "man".
The words "mayne" and "menh" may also be pronounced the same way as noted above. However, the word "manes" or "manze" is probably pronounced "mans", sometimes meaning "one man" and sometimes meaning "more than one man". When the words "mans" (or "manse" or "manze") is used by African Americans, I believe it is often done incorrectly on purpose as a way of mimicking [for one reason or another] how some Black people talk or used to talk (particularly working class or poor Black people) or mimicking what some non-Black people think is the way many African Americans talk. As such, "mans", "manse" and "manze" are used instead of using the correct standard English words "man" or "men".
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM VARIOUS DISCUSSION THREADS
1.Cameron Johnson, 2012
"im a mane!! (YEAH)!!.."
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2. Brandon D, 2013
"im not sure, but i think muddy is a main"
**
Reply
3. Mike C, 2018
"B Randon Full Grown Main!
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4. kyle fer, 2014
"Now I'm a mayne."
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5. Dabhr2, 2014
"I'm a Mainnnn (I'm a Man) YEAH!!"
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6. Michael Morgan, 2016
"MAIN"
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Reply
7. Mike C, 2018
"It's southern dialogue! Check out lil boosie and few other southern rap artists."
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8. Kiwanis Hinton, 2016
"muddy said he a MAIN, i spell it M-A-N, he must be a bad man"
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Reply
9. casprd33, 2016
"I spell it M-AYYYY-N"
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Reply
10. INDIGENOUS SOUL, 2017
"I'm A MAAANE Spelled M.A.N."
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11. Reply
reukage, 2018
"Mayne..."
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12. Mind Rippa, 2016
"ima Mannnne!!!! if you never seen "Cadillac Records" check it out"
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13. Deedoc, 2018
"IMA MANE!...YESSUH"
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Excerpt #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm7gVvUuZkE&ab_channel=organizedblues "Bo Diddley - I'm A Man (From "Legends of Rock 'n'
Roll")", published by Eagle Rock, Aug 29, 2008
unkameat74 .unkameat77, 2012
"MAIN MAN MAIN---YASSA, REAL BLACK FOLK MUSIC.."
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Excerpt #3
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaC5ZKRjLUM&ab_channel=John1948TwoA2
Bo Diddley - I Am A Man, John1948TwoA2 Jan 28, 2011
amd77j, 2013
"This is what YouTube is all about. Right here. "I'm a
mane.....a full grown mane". Yessir, THIS IS IT!!!!"
Excerpt #4
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYti8CIiOak&ab_channel=Choock5219
Bo Diddley - I'm A Man - 1955
Choock5219, Jul 10, 2014
1. Samuele Tozzi, 2019
"I [profanity deleted] love his pronunciation of
"Man", it's just too cool!"
**
Reply
2. Cooler Chanakya, 2021
"i am a Mayn"
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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.
Visitor comments are welcome.
