Rihanna – Man Down lyrics

Rihanna – Man Down lyrics

I didn't mean to end his life
I know it wasn't right
I can't even sleep at night
Can't get it off my mind
I need to get out of sight
Before I end up behind bars

What started out as a simple altercation
Turned into a real sticky situation
Me just thinking on the time that I'm facing
Makes me wanna cry

'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him
Could've been somebody's son
And I took his heart when
I pulled out that gun

Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Man down
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Man down

Mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big old crowd
Oh why, oh why
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station

It's a 22, I call her Peggy Sue
When she fits right down in my shoes
What you expect me to do
If you're playing me for a fool
I will lose my cool
And reach for my fire arm

I didn't mean to lay him down
But it's too late to turn back now
Don't know what I was thinking
Now he's no longer living
So I'm 'bout to leave town

'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him
Could've been somebody's son
And I took his heart when
I pulled out that gun

Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Man down
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Man down

Mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big old crowd
Oh why, oh why
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station

Look, I never thought I'd do it
Never thought I'd do it
Never thought I'd do it, oh gosh
What ever happened to me
Ever happened to me, ever happened to me
Why did I pull the trigger
Pull the trigger, pull the trigger, boom
And end a nigga, end a niggas life so soon
When me pull the trigger, pull the trigger, pull it 'pon you
Somebody tell me what I'm gonna, what I'm gonna do

Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Me say wah man down (A weh me say)
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
Rum pa pa pum
When me went downtown

'Cause now I am a criminal, criminal, criminal
Oh lord have mercy now I am a criminal
Man down
Tell the judge please give me minimal
Run out of town,
None of them can see me now, see me now

Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big old crowd
Oh why, oh why
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station

Lyrics taken from /lyrics/r/rihanna/man_down.html

Songwriters: Robyn Fenty, Shama Joseph, Shontelle Layne, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas

Man Down lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Corrected by iLoveyou95

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Man Down meanings

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Unregistered 2019-04-14 04:31:45

Police violence against black Americans. That’s what the song is about.
Rihanna’s video representation of the lyrics suggests the song is about rape. However, she did not write the song, so her interpretation of it is as subjective as any other. In order to analyze the lyrics without bias, one must take them out of the context of the video. When one does this, it becomes clear that the songwriters were trying to address the controversial issue of police shootings involving young black men.
First, the title of the song, “Man Down” refers to the phrase the police use when someone is shot during an altercation.
In the song, a police officer has recently killed a man after shooting him in a busy public place during a “simple altercation” that “turned into a real sticky situation.” The officer explains that he never intended to kill the man and that he had hoped he’d never have to kill anyone in the line of duty. The lyrics suggest the officer is afraid of the consequences of his mistake and that he feels guilty for what he has done.
Paraphrased supporting lyrics:
“Man down!” I just shot a man in central station in front of a big crowd. I didn’t mean to end his life. I didn’t mean to hurt him. He could have been somebody’s son and I took his life when I pulled out my gun. If you play me for a fool I’m gonna lose my cool and pull out my firearm. I don’t know what I was thinking. I never thought I’d do it. Whatever happened to me? Why did I pull the trigger and end a nigga’s life so soon? What am I gonna do?

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Minami1826 2015-07-01 16:20:21

A story of a girl who committed a crime over a man who did something wrong to her. In her POV, she might did it for self defense BUT things went overboard that led her to accidentally kill him. Frightened, she wanted to escape the crime that she did and to forget everything that relates to it. Unfortunately, it already ate her system that she can't forget about it no matter what she do.

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