Can't Keep A Good Man Down

Album: Sympathy (1979)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "You can't keep a good man down" is a well-known phrase which is often linked to passages in both the Old and New Testaments, including the rather obvious connection to the Resurrection, although the phrase itself does not actually appear to be of Biblical origin, at least it does not relate to any of the traditional translations.

    It should come as no surprise to anyone that it has on occasion been purloined for a song title. The British Library catalogue holds one such composition from 1900. This thematic John Miles track dispenses with the pronoun, and if not the original, then is certainly one of the best.
  • The sheet music consists of a single piece of paper, and was probably lodged with the Library for copyright purposes.

    "Can't Keep A Good Man Down" is credited Words and Music by John Miles & Robert Marshall, although it appears that Miles wrote the music and his bass playing partner, Bob Marshall, wrote the words. In 4/4 time, the song was published by Orange Publishing Ltd trading as Milmarsh Music of London, (1979). >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.