Def Leppard’s “Make Love Like A Man” single was released in June 1992.
The track is also included on Def Leppard’s Vault (vinyl edition) and The Story So Far greatest hits releases.
Lyrically Speaking
A Def Leppard song featuring tongue-in-cheek lyrics isn’t anything new. Take a glance through the band’s catalog and you’ll quickly find a handful of examples.
Conversely, there are times when the band’s songwriting is quite subtle in conveying a deeper message. “Make Love Like A Man,” however, is certainly not one of those instances.
Very straightforward in its delivery and humor, for better or worse, “Make Love Like A Man” is a prime example of the lighthearted creative direction Def Leppard pursued for their Adrenalize album. (After all, the album’s lead single, “Let’s Get Rocked,” was inspired by “The Simpsons” television show.)
Whereas Hysteria offered up songs like “Women” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” Def Leppard took their adoration of the female persuasion to a bolder level lyrics-wise, with Adrenalize tracks like “Personal Property,” “I Wanna Touch U” (“Till we’re stuck like glue!“), and, of course, “Make Love Like A Man.”
Some may consider the lyrics to “Make Love Like A Man” blunt and crass, but that’s what they were intended to be. Co-writer Phil Collen, who brought the song’s concept to the band, stated the original “make love like a man” lyric was only used as humorous filler until a better line could be crafted during the recording stage.
Meanwhile, Joe Elliott and producer Mutt Lange found Phil’s original lyrics amusing and preferred to keep them as-is. (This should come as no surprise, especially for Mutt Lange, who’s had his share of unconventional songs. For example, soon after the Adrenalize sessions, Mutt co-wrote the Bryan Adams songs “(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear” and “The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You.”)
Mr. Fun And Captain Cool
There’s no point in attempting to dissect and analyze the lyrics to “Make Love Like A Man.” They are simplistic and unambiguous, though lines like “I’m a man, that’s what I am” makes one wonder if the band could have come up with something at least a little wittier.
But that’s neither here nor there.
“Make Love Like A Man” is a playful song, and it’s been included in many Def Leppard tour setlists over the years, gaining a new level of energy when its sing-along chorus is performed live. It also provides Joe Elliott the opportunity to showcase his vocal chops by stretching out the word “Better-r-r-r-r-r-r…” at the song’s end, holding the note to the delight of concert audiences. Here’s just one example, cued up to that very moment:
Make Love Like A Man: The Music Video
The easygoing atmosphere showcased in the “Make Love Like A Man” music video is further emphasized by the band’s lighthearted…
…playful…
…just-having-a-good-time performance.
In addition, the video featured old, silent film footage throughout to further reinforce the song’s “romantic” message.
Notably, “Make Love Like A Man” was also Vivian Campbell’s very first music video appearance as a member of Def Leppard.
You can revisit the “Make Love Like A Man” music video (along with every other official music video from the band) here. (By the way, if you really want to indulge in a lot more Def Leppard, check out this book!)
Def Leppard: Make Love Like A Man – Single Release Strategy
In hindsight, releasing “Make Love Like A Man” as Adrenalize‘s second single was a strategic misstep.
It was rather apparent by the time Adrenalize was released that the days of Def Leppard singles ruling the charts or lingering on them for long periods (i.e., the days of Hysteria) were just about gone.
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” already had its pop culture moment, and their Nevermind album had ruled Billboard‘s chart just months before Adrenalize‘s release. Change in mainstream music tastes was in the air, to put it mildly. All the more reason that the single selection plan for Adrenalize was of the utmost importance.
Things began commendably with “Let’s Get Rocked,” the album’s first single. Sure, it was silly in its own right, and some fans may have felt a bit of a disconnect when comparing the track to Def Leppard songs they so fondly remembered from Hysteria and Pyromania, but, for the most part, it did its job as a lead-off single.
“Let’s Get Rocked” exploded onto Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart: It debuted at #27 — an unprecedented starting position for a Def Leppard single, though not entirely surprising given the band’s long-awaited return, the single’s strong early sales, and initial radio support from major, influential stations.
But the single quickly started to lose momentum, stalling in its second week and remaining in the #27 slot.
Normally, a song debuting at #27 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 would be a safe bet to continue rocketing up the chart, potentially right into the Top 10, with a chance of even topping it at some point.
That didn’t happen.
“Let’s Get Rocked” peaked at #15, an impressive accomplishment in and of itself, but when looking at the broader picture, it was a clear indication that the band’s streak of chart success and longevity was starting to wane.
Not only did “Let’s Get Rocked” — arguably the most radio-friendly rock track on Adrenalize — not even reach the Top 10, but it topped out only 6 weeks into its run before falling back down the chart.
To put things in perspective, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” took 14 weeks to peak; even “Armageddon It” (the sixth single off of Hysteria) climbed the singles chart for 10 weeks before running out of fuel.
The fact that “Let’s Get Rocked” didn’t have a prolonged climb up the chart, especially after such a powerful debut, was both surprising and concerning. Alas, the music industry was swiftly transforming, and not in Def Leppard’s favor, so it was vital to maintain radio airplay momentum going forward.
Don’t Make Love Like A Man
“Let’s Get Rocked” having a drastically shorter chart life than previous Def Leppard singles was a warning sign.
It was already a safe assumption that Adrenalize wasn’t going to have the same kind of chart endurance as Hysteria, so striking while the album’s proverbial iron was still hot, courtesy of another effective single, was crucial. That being said, “Make Love Like A Man” should not have been chosen as the next single release.
“Let’s Get Rocked” showcased the “sillier” lyrical side of Def Leppard; following it up with an over-the-top song whose lyrics were even sillier wasn’t helpful.
What should have been the second single? “I Wanna Touch U” and “Heaven Is” were radio-friendly options, though not as potent as “Let’s Get Rocked.” (Even though “Heaven Is” was never released as a single in the U.S., it was released in the U.K. and reached the Top 15.)
Timing-wise, “Tear It Down” arguably would have been a wise choice as the second single.
It’s unfortunate that Adrenalize‘s version of “Tear It Down” somewhat diluted the song’s earlier raw and edgy sound (the original version was the B-side for Hysteria‘s “Women” single). Nevertheless, releasing “Tear It Down” as a single would have effectively showcased Def Leppard as still rocking hard, reminding listeners of the vintage power chords and hooks they most revered from the band.
Moreover, not only would the song have satisfied old-school fans, but it would have been an appealing offering for listeners discovering (or rediscovering) Def Leppard on the radio. This leads to one final point: “Tear It Down” would have elated rock radio stations, who would have supported the track and, essentially, Adrenalize.
Obviously, this scenario didn’t happen.
The “Make Love Like A Man” single peaked at #36 after only four short weeks of climbing Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart, and quickly disappeared, taking the air out of Adrenalize‘s sails (and sales, to be more precise) in the process.
This doesn’t dismiss the fact that Adrenalize achieved enormous early sales success. Not long after its release, the album was certified triple platinum in the U.S. alone — very impressive, but it’s also where its sales certification remains to this day; it never increased after that initial sales phase. Hence, the importance of trying to maintain the album’s early sales momentum.
A good parallel to “Make Love Like A Man” is the Hysteria track “Excitable,” a fun, catchy, and rather straightforward song (lyrically and musically). With that in mind, “Excitable” was once considered to be the eighth single off the Hysteria album. Ultimately, it wasn’t, but it still makes for a solid album track.
“Make Love Like A Man” would have been just fine following that same path, remaining an album track.
Def Leppard Make Love Like A Man: Final Thoughts
While “Make Love Like A Man” still goes over well when Def Leppard performs it live, the song’s days of regular setlist inclusion are likely behind it, as Joe Elliott has publicly said he prefers not to perform it anymore, calling the lyrics a “nod too stupid.” (Ironically, the band’s self-titled Def Leppard album includes the track “Man Enough,” a song whose main lyric is “Are you man enough to be my girl,” apparently proving that Leppards can never completely change their spots.)
The Lep Report ranks “Make Love Like A Man” the #7 track off of the Adrenalize album. As for whether releasing it as a single was the wrong decision no longer matters. It’s just nice to know that decades after its release — misstep or not — Def Leppard survived the significant challenges of the 1990s.
Time will tell whether the band further shies away from “Make Love Like A Man” on future tours, but it remains an integral part of the Adrenalize album, and a song many fans adamantly enjoy.
“And that’s a fact!”
