Man of the World (song)

"Man of the World"
Single by Fleetwood Mac
A-side	"Man of the World"
B-side	"Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite"
Released	1969
Format	7" single
Recorded	January 1969
Length	2:51
Label	Immediate
Fleetwood Mac singles chronology
"Albatross" (1969) "Man of the World" (1969) "Oh Well" (1969)

"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.

Composition and chart performance

"Man of the World" is a hauntingly sorrowful song about a man who has everything he wants, except the companion he so obviously craves. The song is considered as autobiographical and a plausible lament on the tragic price of fame, leading to frustration and depression.^{[citation needed]}

The single's peak position in the UK Charts was #2 on 7 June 1969, spending a total of 14 weeks on the chart. It entered the Dutch Top 40 on 26 April 1969 and peaked at #12. It also reached the top 5 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.^[1][2] It has been also re-released in many countries as a 'Golden Oldies' single.

The B-side of the 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.

Other uses

The song 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.

The song was used in a car accident advertisement in Northern Ireland in 2003

The song was also used for Shane Meadows' This is England '86 during the closing scenes of the first episode in September 2010.

Personnel

• Peter Green – vocals, guitar
• Danny Kirwan – guitar
• John McVie – bass guitar
• Mick Fleetwood – drums
• Jeremy Spencer - vocals, guitar (B-side only)

Release information

• UK - Immediate IM080, #2

• DJM DJS 10620 (promo DJS 620) with Danny Kirwan's "Second Chapter" on the B-side, released in 1976
• Epic S EPC 6466 (promo only) again with "Second Chapter" on the B-side, released in 1978

• Norway - Immediate IM080, #4
• Ireland - Immediate IM080, #5
• South Africa - Immediate IMJ080, #11
• Netherlands - Immediate 5C 006-90134, #12
• Sweden - Immediate IM080, #12
• Germany - Immediate 1C 006-90134, #23
• USA -

• DJM DJUS-1007 AS, b/w Danny Kirwan's "Best Girl in the World" (a song from the non-US version of Kirwan's album Second Chapter), released in 1976.
• DJM DJUS-1007 AM/1008 BM (promo only) b/w "Silver Springs", a Rumours-era track by the Lindsey Buckingham / Stevie Nicks incarnation of the group.

• Also issued in Australia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain on Immediate Records; Lebanon and Malaysia on Stateside Records and Yugoslavia on Jugoton.

References

1. ^ FM Legacy discography
2. ^ FM Legacy discography

External links

• Man of the World (song) at Discogs (list of releases)