Def Leppard’s “Man Enough” single was released in the U.S. on April 4, 2016.
The song was the third single off of the band’s self-titled Def Leppard album.
“Man Enough” also made it onto the 2-CD deluxe version of The Story So Far: The Best of, one of Def Leppard’s greatest hits releases.
Def Leppard: Man Enough To Be My…Queen?
Originally titled, “Are You Man Enough To Be My Girl,” Phil Collen explained the song’s origins:
“I had this bass riff floating around my head, and I wanted it to have a similar vibe to ‘Billie Jean’ by Michael Jackson – almost a disco vibe.”
Phil adds:
“People have said it reminds them of ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ by Queen. It has this dancey appeal. Our song ‘All Night’ was a bit like that, and ‘Excitable’ on Hysteria. But I think this is the first time we’ve really made it work. It just fell into place, and I think that’s because we didn’t restrict ourselves.”
By no means is “Man Enough” a copycat of the Queen classic song; it’s more of a homage to a band that’s had such a major influence on Def Leppard.
Joe Elliott commented about this very topic to TheGuardian.com:
“It’s OK to sound like somebody else because your own identity will come through. Everybody sounds like someone else sometimes. Why did I pick up a guitar in the first place? Because I heard someone else playing it. And what was I gonna play? What they were playing, until I learned to write.”
“Man Enough” Music Video
Def Leppard’s “Man Enough” music video is rather straightforward in its approach, yet still a bit of a misfire in its creative direction: it features washed-out colors, very dim lighting, along with a science-fiction, anime storyline interspersed throughout, which, collectively, distracts and detracts from the overall presentation.
Whether you’re a fan of the song or not, though, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to say that the song’s message is light-hearted and all in fun, capped off by its tongue-in-cheek “Are you man enough…to be my girl?” lyric.
But going a darker route with the music video, figuratively and literally, unnecessarily prevents viewers from joining in on what is supposed to be a good time.
You can view Def Leppard’s “Man Enough” music video here (along with every other official music video from the band). And if you really want to indulge in a lot more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book!
“Man Enough” For Music Critics, Too?
It may come as a surprise to some, but “Man Enough” struck the right chord (no pun intended) with music critics.
Here’s a sampling:
“‘Man Enough’ flirts precariously with a funk lite stylistic departure that could have just as easily blown up in the band’s face (its bass line bears a mild resemblance to the David Essex song ‘Rock On’, a tune the band has been covering in their live set the last few years) but the band succeeds by avoiding the temptation to oversell it or lay it on too thick.”
“Def Leppard have never been shy about sharing their love for Queen, name-checking ‘Killer Queen’ in the lyrics for ‘Rocket’ and performing ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ and other classics at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Here they dive deep into ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ territory (by way of Chic), with an infectious song built primarily upon Rick Savage’s massive, dance-floor friendly bass line.”
It’s refreshing to see critics be in on the joke this time around, appreciating and accepting the song’s lyrical humor for what it is, as opposed to misconstruing the band’s tongue-in-cheek intentions as had been the case with past songs like “Let’s Get Rocked.”
Def Leppard “Man Enough”: Final Thoughts
As mentioned in previous articles on this site, the days of having an impactful single release strategy are long gone, since the chart performance of a single no longer carries the same weight that it used to decades ago.
That aside, having “Man Enough” be the third “single” release — ahead of a powerhouse track like “We Belong” or in place of a straight-up, rocker like “All Time High” — might have slowed the Def Leppard album’s momentum.
Should “Man Enough” have been the follow-up single to “Let’s Go” and “Dangerous“? It’s a valid question.
Was it a wise choice to give “Man Enough” a break from the band’s setlist to allow for other, more concert-friendly songs in Def Leppard’s catalog to take its place? Most certainly.
The Def Leppard Report ranks “Man Enough” the #11 track off of the Def Leppard album — nevertheless, is this bass-driven, groove-filled song really man enough for many Def Leppard fans?
No doubt about it.
