U (Man Like)

Album: I, I (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This piano-driven ballad touches on various modern social issues, such as homelessness.

    How much caring is there of some American love
    When there's lovers sleeping in your streets?


    And drug abuse.

    Down the back of the ridge
    There's just something that I got to show you
    There is domer and there's rot.


    Vernon is saying America needs to invest more energy and resources into dealing with these issues.
  • Bruce Hornsby's unmistakable piano sets the tone for the song. The collaboration came about when "The Way It Is" songwriter came out to Vernon's studio for a session for his Absolute Zero record. He started playing some musical ideas; a halting piano fanfare, which he originally composed for a Spike Lee movie, made everyone jump up. Co-producer Brad Cook recalled to Apple Music:

    "That piano figure in that song - I feel like we were tracking 15 seconds later. It was like, 'Wait, can we listen to this again?'"
  • Hornsby's voice is featured on "U (Man Like)" along with Justin Vernon, electro-soul LA singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner, newcomer Elsa Jensen, and the Brooklyn Youth Choir.
  • The song was debuted on June 2, 2019, during Bon Iver's set at the All Points East festival in London.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real Group

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real GroupSong Writing

The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."