Macho Man (song)
| "Macho Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Village People | ||||
| from the album Macho Man | ||||
| B-side | "Just a Gigolo" | |||
| Released | February 1978 | |||
| Format | 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded |
Sigma Sound Studios, New York City 1977 | |||
| Genre | Disco | |||
| Length |
3:30 (45") 5:21 (12"/LP) | |||
| Label | Casablanca Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo, Victor Willis and Peter Whitehead | |||
| Producer(s) | Jacques Morali | |||
| Village People singles chronology | ||||
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"Macho Man" is the second single recorded by the American disco group Village People. The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August. It became the Village People's first charting hit, peaking at number 25 in the United States.[1] A medley with "I Am What I Am" and "Key West" reached number 4 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.[1]
Content
It extols the virtues of working out and fitness: Every man ought to be a macho macho man / jogging in the morning, go man, go / workouts in the health spa / muscles glow.
Background and writing
Village People cowboy Randy Jones recalled, "The Monday after Thanksgiving (1977), we signed contracts and the Tuesday after, we were in studio recording "Macho Man," with Victor Willis' handwritten lyrics that were written in the morning with egg stains and coffee rings on it. Everything was happening that quickly."[2]
Chart positions
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Disco Singles | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 16 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 7 |
Cultural references
- The song is played comically in many films, like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, In & Out, Addams Family Values
- The song also serves as the theme song to the Nutty Professor remake and its sequel.
- In the episode "Homer Loves Flanders" of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, Homer Simpson sang this song as "Nacho Man",[3] referencing the earlier "Nacho Man" commercial by Old El Paso.[4] In one installment of the weekly comic strip FoxTrot, Jason Fox and his friend Marcus sing the chorus over and over to annoy Jason's sister Paige, who grumbles, "I wish I hadn't told you I hate that song." Marcus asks, "Is it 'macho' or 'nacho'?"
- In the Scrubs episode "My New Suit" J.D. fantasizes about playing Macho Man to babies to test their "gayness"
- In the 2nd season episode of Friends entitled "The One Where Ross Finds Out", it is used when Monica and Chandler are working out.
- The song was "covered" by Donald Duck on the Disney audio release Mickey Mouse Disco.
- The song is performed by Link Hogthrob and Gonzo the Great on The Muppet Show episode 405.
- In the third episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer the title character jogs into and around her kitchen singing the song.
- Saturday Night Live did a parody of the song, called "Matzo Man".
- In an episode of King of the Hill, the song plays while Bill is working out.
- Mucho Macho Man, a race horse who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic and was third in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, was named after the song. The Village People appeared in costume via remote telecast during the NBC broadcast of both races in support of the horse's effort.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Village People Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ↑ E! True Hollywood Story, Village People, 2000
- ↑ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer Loves Flanders". BBC. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
- ↑ "Old El Paso - Nacho Man Commercial - 1990s".
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