Grown Ass Men: Unite! This disgusting, "pornofied" generation of ours is drowning beneath an overwhelming tide of laughable playboys and wannabe macho men who measure their manhood according to the quantity of women they “smash," and not the quality of woman they love.
Men are ashamed to be romantic or intimate. They are ashamed to commit. Boyish fools, spurred on by mass-produced, misogynistic entertainment: this is how these “men” appear to me.
This list is dedicated to those men of music who are proud express their desperation for, and commitment to a single woman. Sure, their desperation can be problematic, even excessive. But one cannot deny, these artists are a refreshing relief from the nauseating monotony of adolescent club trash.
Enjoy the top 10 list, which features both contemporary and classic musicians, and weigh in with your thoughts on what other 'desperate dudes' should have made the list.
[new page = Ellis Martin]
10. "Just Like A Baby" – Ellis Martin
Following a heartbreaking split with his girlfriend, Martin wrote this song as an honest piece of self-criticism, acknowledging his own weakness towards the women in his life. “It is a problem I see throughout society. Men are manly when they’re trying to woo the woman. But once she has been wooed, the man becomes infantile and starts to look to the woman as a surrogate mother figure who is there to take care of him. That’s unfair to both parties involved.” Martin claims he has now learned from his baby-like mistakes and often turns to the song as a warning reminder never to return to the cradle.
[new page = Ray Charles]
9. "Drown In My Own Tears" – Ray Charles
Although this blues classic wasn’t written by Ray, he sure sings it like he’s been through some pain. It is particularly significant to appreciate the intimate love songs that are sung and written by African-American males. Perhaps no other genre of entertainment (not just music) is so pervasively infected by the scourge of misogyny and womanizing than 21st century rap. Ray Charles may not have been the best man to his many women, but this song will always remain a true testament to the torture of lost love that men are still capable of experiencing.
[new page = Cheap Trick]
8. "I Want You To Want Me" – Cheap Trick
“I want you to want me / I need you to need me / I’d love you to love me / I’m begging you to beg me.” There is certainly no need to explain the desperation inherent in these lyrics. Although Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson told the media that the song was about the need for a father’s affection, I am willing to bet that some romantic relationship with a woman was the main inspiration behind the peculiar type of whining sycophancy we hear in this song. No matter what or who inspired this pop-rock plea for reciprocation, it stands as a legit classic amongst the ever-evolving sounds of late-70s rock.
[new page = P. Diddy]
7. "I Need a Girl Pt. I and II" – P. Diddy
To this day, I don’t quite understand how a man as glossy as P. Diddy managed to lockdown a diva like Jennifer Lopez, but it was certainly destined to end eventually. But when it finally ended, Diddy’s desperation was as clear as crystal, especially after releasing TWO separate hit songs pretty much pleading J. Lo to give him another chance. As we all know, it didn’t work out in the end, but it certainly gave us two catchy tracks, and Diddy got more money to buy more lip gloss. All’s well that ends well!
[new page = Justin Timberlake]
6. "Cry Me a River" - Justin Timberlake
The story behind this song makes me chuckle, like when Justin cried and called his mommy while his assets were being “repossessed” on Ashton Kutcher’s Punk’d. Now I love Justin and his music. I just think he’s a bit soft. This Timbaland-produced megahit from 2002, doused in Gregorian chants and Middle-eastern instrumentation, perfectly conveys the pain Justin was suffering following his breakup with Britney Spears, believed to be caused by Brit’s infidelity. It was a pain so deep, Justin couldn’t hold back his desperation from the masses.
[new page = Drake]
5. "Houstatlantavegas" - Drake
As I’m sure most would agree, the vast majority of Drake’s songs could have been considered for entry in this list, but I chose this one particularly because of the extent to which his desperation stretches in it. Although it is still a matter of debate, the song is apparently about a stripper who Mr. Graham follows around the country first from Atlanta then to Houston then finally to Las Vegas.
[new page = Percy Sledge]
4. "When a Man Loves a Woman" - Percy Sledge
After being laid off from a construction job in 1965, Percy Sledge’s girlfriend left him for a modeling career. It was just enough strife for Sledge to give birth to three minutes of genuine musical genius.
Perhaps one of the strongest outpourings of love and desperation that any man can express for a woman, this epic ballad is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is the definition of soul, and gives testimony to the adoration for women that men were not ashamed to communicate.
[new page = The Temptations]
3. "Just My Imagination" – The Temptations
“Each day through my window, I watch her as she passes by,” sings Eddie Kendricks in his soft, honey-toned falsetto.
In 2014, a lyric like this might make one squirm with the thought of stalkers and creeps: a symptom of Pornotopia. But back in 1971, this song simply told the story of a man in true love with a woman, wanting to be with that woman to “raise a family… with two children maybe three.”
[new page = Del Shannon]
2. "Runaway" - Del Shannon
The sound of this phenomenal, 1961 classic makes me reminisce of Thunderbirds and Late Night Diners, but the dark chords and Western, Lone Ranger-like crooning reveals the true anguish this songwriter was bearing when his lover evaded the limits of his charm. But as we all know, heartbreak makes some damn good music.
[new page = Biz Markie]
1. "Just a Friend" - Biz Markie
Of course we all remember Biz rockin’ a powdered wig in a candlelit room, but do you recall the sincere pain and desperation that bleeds through the severely out-of-key, yet soulful singing he delivers in this classic hit? Or the personal story he is so generously sharing in his verses?
The song may have become a commercial pop hit with a billion covers, but the struggle of rejection is still as raw as when it was first written.