That's a Man

"That's A Man"
Single by Jack Ingram
from the album Big Dreams & High Hopes
ReleasedOctober 13, 2008
GenreCountry
Length3:57
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)Steven Dale Jones
Ed Hill
Mark D. Sanders
Producer(s)Jeremy Stover
Jack Ingram singles chronology
"Maybe She'll Get Lonely"
(2007)
"That's A Man"
(2008)
"Barefoot and Crazy"
(2009)

"That's a Man" is a song written by Mark D. Sanders, Ed Hill, and Steven Dale Jones and recorded by American country music singer Jack Ingram. It was released in October 2008 as the first single to Ingram’s album Big Dreams & High Hopes. The song is Ingram's sixth Top 40 entry on the Billboard country charts.

Content

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"That's a Man" is a mid-tempo mostly accompanied by electric guitar and pedal steel guitar. In it, the narrator describes three different men, citing each as an example of men that are committed to their lives and peers. The first verse focuses on a nineteen-year-old who works two jobs to raise a family; the second tells of two Marines who become friends while in combat until one of them is killed; and an old farmer who is trying to maintain his family's farm is described in the third.[1]

Critical reception

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Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a favorable review. He compared the song to Lee Roy Parnell's "roots-y country rock anthems about the common folks" such as 1993's "On the Road", adding " There’s a place on country radio for songs like “That’s A Man” and Ingram should be the man to take it."[2] Jasper Jones of 411 Mania gave the song two-and-a-half out of five, saying that the song had a worthy concept but awkward lyrics.[3]

Chart performance

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Chart (2008–2009) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] 18
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[5] 4

References

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  1. ^ Smith, Hazel (2008-11-03). "HOT DISH: Jack Ingram Talks About "That's a Man"". CMT. Archived from the original on November 9, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  2. ^ Bjorke, Matt. "Jack Ingram - "That's a Man" Single Review". Roughstock. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  3. ^ Jones, Jasper (2009-01-05). "Country Singles Jubilee 01.05.09: The Just Say No Edition". Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  4. ^ "Jack Ingram Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Jack Ingram Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.