Format 7" Genre Rock | Recorded January 1969 Length 2:36 | |
B-side "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonite" Released 3 April 1969 (1969-04-03) | ||
"Man of the World" is a song recorded by Fleetwood Mac in 1969, and composed by vocalist and lead guitarist Peter Green. It first appeared as a Fleetwood Mac single in various countries in 1969, subsequently appearing on the Greatest Hits album in 1971. It later featured on the 1992 boxed set 25 Years – The Chain, and on the 2002 compilation albums The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac and The Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. A slightly different version of the song was included on the 1998 compilation The Vaudeville Years.
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Composition and chart performance
"Man of the World" is a song about a man who has everything he wants, except the companion he craves. It is in the key of D major, and ends on a D major sixth chord.
The single's peak position in the UK Singles Chart was No. 2 on 7 June 1969, spending a total of 14 weeks on the listing. It entered the Dutch Top 40 on 26 April 1969 and peaked at No. 12. It also reached the top five in Norway and Ireland.
It was not released in the USA until 1976, when DJM records released it as a single, with different B-sides. It has been also re-released in many countries as a 'Golden Oldies' single.
Original B-side ("Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonite")
The B-side of the original "Man of the World" single was "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonite", credited to Earl Vince and the Valiants – in reality Fleetwood Mac performing under a different name. The song was composed and sung by Jeremy Spencer, the only member of the band who did not appear on the A-side. The song was later covered by the UK punk band The Rezillos on their debut album, Can't Stand the Rezillos and later featured on Jackass: The Music, Vol. 1. It was also covered by Youth Brigade.
Other uses
"Man of the World" was used by Ian Broudie as the basis – melody and the final lyric line – for an album track, "I Wish I Was in Love", on The Lightning Seeds' album Tilt. The track is accordingly credited as co-written by Peter Green.
The song was used in the 2000 movie Loser, and 2009 movie The Damned United.
A cover of the song was used in a drink-driving advertisement for a DOE campaign in 2000 and 2002.
The song was also used for Shane Meadows' This is England '86, during the closing scenes of the first episode in September 2010.
Midge Ure recorded a version for his album "10" in 2008.