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Topic: Family Man

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Belthazar

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Posted: Mar. 05 2001, 21:14

What exactly does the chorus mean?

Quote

But he said leave me alone I'm a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite
He said leave me alone I'm a family man
If you push me too hard I just might

I mean, why does he say "My bark is much worse than my bite"? And he just might what?

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Belthazar
That's Bravo Echo Lima Tango Hotel Alpha Zulu Alpha Romeo

Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana
-- Groucho Marx

Man In Rain Offline

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 08:43

In Hungarian, there's a proverb: The dog which barks doesn't bite. Barking refers to words and biting to some negative action. I don't know if this exists in other languages or it has some connection with the lyrics.

Archangel Foster Offline

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 12:29

It exists in German, too.

'If you push me too far I just might' - what? I've wondered, too. Do it after all, perhaps?

Belthazar

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 16:27

We have it in english as well.... but my problem wasn't what the line meant.... I want to know what does HE mean when he says it... why would he say "I make a lot of noise, but few actions"?

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Belthazar
That's Bravo Echo Lima Tango Hotel Alpha Zulu Alpha Romeo

Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana
-- Groucho Marx

Ugo

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 18:11

IMHO the meaning is what follows: the man wouldn't like to be bothered by this supposedly attractive woman, because he's just a simple, unassuming man, one who rarely gets really angry. "My bark..." etc. sounds like a common way to say "I don't want to argue with you because I'm not used to it." But then...the following line..."if you push me too far I just might..." I think the missing part is "lose my self-control and fall passionately in love with you..." or something like that smile

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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian

bennyboy

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 19:19

Funny that, I always thought they were talking about sex, and the woman was some hooker trying to proposition him.

By the way, have any of you heard the Hall & Oates version of Family Man? It has a few extra lyrics that kinda change the meaning of it:

"He looked her up and down,
Couldn't decide if he should hold his ground"

"Please just leave me alone,
Cause I gotta go home"

"...but by the time he got his courage up she was gone..."

Archangel Foster Offline

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 20:56

I thought they were talking about sex and that the woman was a prostitute, too. The thought never came to me that it might be anything else...

Belthazar

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Posted: Mar. 06 2001, 22:07

Yeah, I thought it was a prostitute

But I'm sure Mike can think of something better than half a line. And if he's saying "if you push me to far I might take you to bed" then that defies the entitre point of the first and third lines of the chorus...

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Belthazar
That's Bravo Echo Lima Tango Hotel Alpha Zulu Alpha Romeo

Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana
-- Groucho Marx

Archangel Foster Offline

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Posted: Mar. 07 2001, 13:24

Perhaps the man himself is not sure quite what he would do if being pushed too far?

Pacha Daddy Offline

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Posted: Mar. 07 2001, 15:36

My thought is that most of you are missing the irony.
This is certainly about a guy getting hit on by a hooker. I mean, "She made it totally plain she could be his for a price" says that pretty clearly.
And as far as "If you push me too far, I just might": He WANTS to do this--he wants to go with her...if she'll just keep asking. He can't just come out and say yes--hey, he's a family man. But if she keeps insisting, he'll (ahem) have no choice. He's basically ASKING her to keep after him.
It's like the old Benny Hill joke: "Don't! Stop! Don't! Stop! Don't stop! Don't stop!"

Belthazar

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Posted: Mar. 07 2001, 18:59

Aha....

Tsk tsk... the man should be ashamed of himself... I mean, he's a family man, after all

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Belthazar
That's Bravo Echo Lima Tango Hotel Alpha Zulu Alpha Romeo

Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana
-- Groucho Marx

Korgscrew

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Posted: Mar. 11 2001, 21:56

The 'bark is much worse...' bit could be seen as something like "I talk a lot but don't follow it up with the actions". Which could mean "You might think I want to go with you from what I say, but really I don't sleep with hookers at all (because I'm a family man, who isn't at all naughty like that)".

Or maybe it means something totally different...

Cipher

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Posted: Mar. 15 2001, 07:48

To Man in Rain:
The proverb exists also in catalan and in spanish, and it's a very well known one. smile

GMOVJ

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Posted: Mar. 16 2001, 04:28

Same proverb in french...

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GMOVJ
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Vinz

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Posted: Mar. 16 2001, 05:11

Hey ! I wanted to post this one tongue

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Archangel Foster Offline

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Posted: Mar. 16 2001, 08:21

Any language that doesn't have the proverb?

lilly

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Posted: Dec. 18 2003, 06:08

In Slovak it is almost the same. But the meaning is slightly different: Barking dog does not bite. (but maybe it is the same.)
It must be very old proverb anyway, maybe from antient times.

Sir Mustapha Offline

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Posted: Dec. 18 2003, 08:10

Like I said in other similar thread, it seems to me that the Family Man reckons he can tell her to leave him along, to go away, whatever. But when it comes to actions, he knows he can't do anything against her if she pushes him too far. I.e. Mind over matter does not always work very well.

I think the lyrics are very clever. It's interesting that it can lead to different interpretations.

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Lucky_Luckie Offline

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Posted: Jan. 21 2004, 18:41

The possibility of different interpretations is something, that makes those lyrics interesting... I mean, there are many songs as "I loved you so much, but now you are with another woman" but these are quite boring, aren't they? And as for the man - I think that he doesn't want to be persuaded. He wants his peace of mind, his comfortable life and he understands, that now he can lose it all but won't be able to help it...

The Big BellEnd Offline

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Posted: Mar. 11 2004, 16:57

Bark =sound Bite =physical.Perhaps means I am more willing to trade blows verbally.

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I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY.

32 replies since Mar. 05 2001, 21:14

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Mike Oldfield Forums » Albums » Five Miles Out » Family Man