Okay, I know what some of you think of me anyway, so I’ll just go ahead and admit that I think Wings was THE greatest band of the 70’s, and one of the greatest bands EVER!
However, I never could completely understand one of their best songs “Listen to what the Man said”.
Just who the heck is “The Man”?
Please, answer me that and let’s not discuss how Linda was a terrible musician and animal rights kook.
“The Man” was basic hippie speak for “the establishment,” i.e., the government and corporations.
Well, being a child of the 60’s I know that. But is that who P.M. was talking about? Was he saying “the government says our love will grow”?
It just can’t be the same “Man”, can it? Why would the government want us to be in love?
Who’s the man? You da man!
I Da Man? YOU da man!!
Who do think you’re calling Da man, man?
…man…
I hear ya, pk- Wings was a great band, as is any solo Beatles stuff! But I digress.
I don’t know for sure, but I’ve got to agree with your skepticism of the “man” in this song being the government.
I’m thinking it’s maybe a Jesus reference. I know that PM didn’t do the religion thing quite as much as John and George, but he WAS always one to take a shot at one-upping a theme covered by John (Penny Lane v. Strwaberry Fields, etc.)
Hope a WAG is acceptable for now. I’ll do some poking around today and see if I can’t dig anything up straight from the “man” himself.
Stan Musial, of course.
You know, this question is based on the potentially false assmption that it actually does represent a real person. There’s no reason it has to. “The man” might have been used solely because it fit the meter.
All’s I know is:
To BE the Man, you gotta BEAT the Man
(shouting) Who the Man!?
The man owned the garage where Chico worked and lived.
Chico, don’t get discouraged
the man, he ain’t so hard to understand.
Isn’t it obvious?
-manhattan
Here are some more definitions from Websters:
often capitalized : POLICE when I heard the siren, I knew it was the Man— Amer. Speech
8 often capitalized : the white establishment : white society surprise that any blackT should take on so about The Man— Peter Goldman
I see it as more of a reference to “Society”. Society says “our love will grow.” Just a good old platitude. After all, what are us old folks for, except to tell you young whippersnappers what it’s all about. 
That character was Ed Brown, played by Jack Albertson. The reruns of “Chico and the Man” don’t wear well on TVLand.
Rudyard Kipling said who the man is: If you can keep your head while others are losing theirs, you’ll be the man, my son … or similar words.
SHAFT!