I'm a Man

"I'm a Man" is a rhythm and blues song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. Inspired by an earlier blues song, it was one of his first hits. "I'm a Man" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including the Yardbirds, who adapted it in an upbeat rock style. Bo Diddley song "I'm a Man" was one of the first songs Bo Diddley recorded for Checker Records. Unlike his self-titled "Bo Diddley" that was recorded the same day (March 2, 1955 in Chicago), "I'm a Man" does not use the Bo Diddley beat. Rather, it was inspired by Muddy Waters' 1954 song "Hoochie Coochie Man", written by Willie Dixon. After Diddley's release, Waters recorded an "answer song" to "I'm a Man" in May 1955, titled "Mannish Boy", a play on words on Bo Diddley's younger age as it related to the primary theme of the song. In a Rolling Stone magazine interview, Bo Diddley recounts that the song took a long time to record because of confusion regarding the timing of the "M... A... N" vocal chorus. There are conflicting accounts regarding the instrumental backing musicians for the song. Reissues of Bo Diddley's first album, Bo Diddley, list them as: Bo Diddley on vocals and guitar, Frank Kirkland on drums, Jerome Green on maracas, Lester Davenport on harmonica, and either Otis Spann or Henry Gray on piano. However, the song has also been identified as Chicago harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold's first contribution to a Checker recording. Arnold later played harmonica on several Bo Diddley songs. "I'm a Man" was released as the B-side of Bo Diddley's first single in April 1955. The single became a two-sided hit and reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart. The song is included on several of his compilation albums, including Bo Diddley (1958) and His Best (1997). He also recorded it with Muddy Waters and Little Walter for the 1967 Super Blues album.