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Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: June 15 2003, 20:13 Below you find some ideas of mine about the meaning of three lines from 'Family man'. I know that this was probably discussed before, but I can't find any thread concerning the song. If there is one, please point me to that. Anyway: 1) 'my bark is much worse than my bite' I think this is a common proverb. "I can do much more with words than with action" ? This meaning doesn't seem to me very coherent with what comes next. 2) 'if you push me too far I just might...' ...lose my head? lose control? fall in love with you? 3) 'she made it totally clear that she was his for a price' Is the 'she' in the song a prostitute? Can anyone please confirm or refute these interpretations? -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: June 16 2003, 01:13 "My bark is much worse than my bite" - "It might seem like I want you, but I'm really just flirting with you". "If you push me too far I just might"...have to spend the night with you. "She made it totally clear she could be his for a price" - what I've said above is to fit in with the interpretation of this line as being the woman offering herself to the family man in some way. It sounds like she's trying to seduce him, but what kind of price she commands is of course not spelt out. It can certainly be read as her being a prostitute, but there could be looser interpretations that place her more as a simple seductress, or something along those lines. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: June 17 2003, 07:35 Well, "my bark is much worse than my bite" is quite a strange thing to say, because it is usually said as an insult to someone else. Saying "his bark is much worse than his bite" means that he acts all mean/dangerous etc (his 'bark' ) but he really can't do anything to hurt you ( he has no 'bite' ). It really is a strange line, but I think Korgscrew's interpretation on that line seems resonable. The man in the song is basically saying "stop now before I do something I will regret". -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

lilly Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: Oct. 2003 Posted: Dec. 18 2003, 05:27 I think that raven4x4x is right with his interpretation of "my bark...", but i think that the next line "if you push me..." means that he will take some 'violent' action towards her anyway, if she won't stop it. (He is rejecting her all the time in the song and he has no attemption to lose his family for one night stand => it just seems to me like that) Lilly Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Dec. 18 2003, 05:40 The line sounds pretty obvious to me. He can resist her as long as he only needs to say 'leave me alone', but if he needs to do something, he knows he will be unable to. To me, the chorus pretty much makes sense. It's a quite hard hitting lyrical bit. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Spinne Group: Members Posts: 397 Joined: May 2003 Posted: Dec. 26 2003, 13:56 I think that the line 'my bark is much worse than my bite' is what raven4x4x has explained, but t's more common to use it with another person than with ourselves. For me this line express the battle between what this mans would like to do and what he has to do. He would like to go with this girl but he must refuse (he's a married man). 'She made it totally clear that she was his for a price', this price could be different things as Korgscrew has said, but it's the girl (and not the family man or his conscience) who remarks this price so I think the only possible answer is that she is a prostitute and the price is money (and not any kind of regret). Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Jan. 03 2004, 20:16 Yup, that's pretty much it. I think those lyrics deserve honourable mention. I haven't seen any other song with lyrics so hard-hitting and straight-to-the-point, talking about the adultery thang with so much bitterness. Maybe the Rolling Stones have done something similar, but I don't think they're so sensitive. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

xiphfan Group: Members Posts: 25 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Jan. 04 2004, 05:32 Quote (Ugo @ June 15 2003, 20:13) 3) 'she made it totally clear that she was his for a price' Is the 'she' in the song a prostitute? Can anyone please confirm or refute these interpretations? Look here: http://www.toucansolutions.com/oldfiel....Man.jpg The cover says everything. Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Jan. 04 2004, 07:58 See? I was right all the time. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Jan. 05 2004, 02:28 Wonderful!   Back to top

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