Macho Man (song)

"Macho Man"
Single by Village People
from the album Macho Man
B-side	"Just a Gigolo"
Released	February 1978
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	Sigma Sound Studios, New York City 1977
Genre	Disco
Length	3:30 (45") 5:21 (12"/LP)
Label	Casablanca Records
Writer(s)	Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo, Victor Willis and Peter Whitehead
Producer	Jacques Morali
Village People singles chronology
"I Am What I Am" (1978) "Macho Man" (1978) "Y.M.C.A." (1978)

"Macho Man" is a 1978 disco song performed by the Village People. It extols the virtues of working out and fitness: Every man ought to be a macho macho man / to live a life of freedom, machos make a stand.

Village People cowboy Randy Jones recalled, "The Monday after Thanksgiving (1977), we signed contracts and the Tuesday after, we were in studio recording "Macho Man," with Victor Willis' handwritten lyrics that were written in the morning with egg stains and coffee rings on it. Everything was happening that quickly."^[1]

The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August. It became the Village People's first charting hit, peaking at #25 four months before their #2 single "Y.M.C.A.."

Cultural references

• The song is played comically in many films, like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, In & Out, Addams Family Values
• The song also serves as the theme song to the Nutty Professor remake and its sequel.
• In the episode "Homer Loves Flanders" of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, Homer Simpson sang this song as "Nacho Man".^[2] In one installment of the weekly comic strip FoxTrot, Jason Fox and his friend Marcus sing the chorus over and over to annoy Jason's sister Paige, who grumbles, "I wish I hadn't told you I hate that song." Marcus asks, "Is it 'macho' or 'nacho'?"
• In the Scrubs episode "My New Suit" J.D. fantasizes about playing Macho Man to babies to test their "gayness"
• The song was "covered" by Donald Duck on the Disney audio release Mickey Mouse Disco.
• The song is performed by Link Hogthrob and Gonzo the Great on The Muppet Show episode 405.
• In the third episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer the title character jogs into and around her kitchen singing the song.
• Saturday Night Live did a parody of the song, called "Matzo Man"

References

1. ^ E! True Hollywood Story, Village People, 2000
2. ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer Loves Flanders". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season5/page16.shtml. Retrieved 2007-03-21.