Sheikh 1

Rubab Sheikh

Professor Granillo

English 103

May 4, 2019

Pop Culture Evaluation of Alan Jackson’s “Little Man”

“Country music ain’t nothing but three chords and the truth” (Harlan Howard). Human

relationships, happiness, rejection, pain, suffering, struggle and our need to relate to faith are

some elements used in a country song to make it more appealing. Usually, the theme of country

music is the life of the cowboy who has experienced some suffering and lost his loved one or

home. Alan Jackson’s “Little Man” is a piece of country music with the theme of how the upper

class and the changing economy has suppressed the lower class. Marxism is a type of economic

system in which there are no classes. The use of Marxist concepts of classism and capitalism

brings the song close to the reality for some listeners. Though the upper and middle class may

get offended, Jackson’s “Little Man” highlights the struggles of the working man and how this

specific class is important to our society. Marxism concept such as classism and capitalism

exemplify the toxic environment working class is thrust into. Thus, Alan Jackson’s “Little Man”

is a captivating song on an important subject which nudges the listeners that classism is still

present and there will always be a conflict between the classes.

“Little Man” is a song written and recorded by Alan Jackson, a famous country music

artist. The song was released in May 1999 in Alan Jackson’s album “High Mileage”. The main

goal of the song is to make the listeners aware of the hardships and struggles of the poor working

man. The use of this sentiment in the song draws the audience hysterically and touches the
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heartstrings of people. The target audience of the song is the upper and middle class to make

them realize how their oppression pressurizes the working class. Alan Jackson’s song signifies

the upper class suppressing the lower working class but it does not highlight that solid and steady

society always encompass contradictions: these then build into the social structure that leads to

the evolution of a new society. “Marxism attempts to reveal the ways in which our

socioeconomic system is the ultimate source of our experience” (Tyson 277).

Classism is a differential treatment towards people based on their social, educational, and

economic status. Alan Jackson’s “Little Man” portrays many different examples of classism in

our society. “I go back now and the stores are all empty, boarded up like they never existed, or

renovated and called historic districts, there goes the little man” (00:34-00:56 Alan Jackson

“Little Man”). Alan Jackson in these lyrics signifies that he goes back to his home town after a

while and all he sees are the destruction of the poor little man. The song signifies that those

streets on which the poor working man used to run his small businesses and stores are all empty

now. The stores and businesses were demolished in such a way that it does not leave any mark of

the poor working man. Jackson grabs his listeners emotionally in the first verse of his song; he

portrays how classism has become a necessary evil of our society and the people affected by this

evil are the people of the lower class. The constant class difference in a society oppresses the

lower working class.

Alan Jackson strengthens his argument in the song by presenting the class difference and

oppression faced by the lower working class. “Now the court’s square just a set of streets, that

the people go round but they seldom think, bout the little man who built his town” (00:57-01:08

Alan Jackson “Little Man”). These lyrics from “Little Man” dissects that Alan Jackson

experiences certain loneliness in his town when he goes back. He writes that the evolution and
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success of the town was the fruit of the efforts and hardships of the poor little man but now the

little man is helpless on his own land. Jackson illustrates a brutal and ruthless class system that

still exists in our society and makes the lower class weak and powerless. Class conflict once

seemed non-existent but the rise of classism has made it difficult to understand.

“The little man who built his town, before the big money shut them down, and killed the

little, oh the little man” (01:06-01:43 Alan Jackson “Little Man”). In these lyrics, Jackson

underscores that class conflict comes with implications and obstacles. It further gives rise to

power struggles. Jackson touches the hearts of his by singing “and killed the little man” in the

second verse of his song. He mourns while singing “and killed the little man” (00:00-02:26 Alan

Jackson “Little Man”) to show despite all the pain, effort, and labor of the working man, he is

not given a respectable place in society. The song signals that the little man is known for his

labor skills and once his job is done, his fortune is to come back to his broken dream. Jackson

gives a strong message to his listeners through this verse that the poor working man is strong

enough to struggle throughout his life but feeble in breaking the glass wall of class difference.

Two classes exist on either side of the unfortunate glass wall, the bourgeoisie, and the proletariat.

The bourgeoisie has the job of reestablishing the masses to acquire what they need and

establishing a business to make money while the Proletariat has the job of working for the

bourgeois to make their ends meet. “Now the stores are lined up in a concrete strip, you can buy

the world with just one trip, and save a penny because it’s jumbo size, they don’t even realize

they’re killing the little man” (02:54-03:10 Alan Jackson “Little Man”). These lyrics show the

two classes of society. Alan Jackson portrays that the poor little man made everything for the

success of the town, but it is the upper class who gets to enjoy the fruit. “You can buy the world

with just one trip” (00:00-02:58 Alan Jackson “Little Man”) means that the bourgeoisie is the
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dominant class and the power lies in their hands because they control the big show of the

businesses. On the other hand, the proletariat is the suppressed class and they are dependent on

the bourgeoisie for their survival and existence.

“And save a penny because it’s jumbo size, they don’t even realize they’re killing the

little man” (03:02-03:10 Alan Jackson “Little Man”). This verse shows that while the

bourgeoisie has all the power in their hands, the proletariat has to take into account where they

are spending even their little penny. In literal meaning, Alan Jackson depicts the unbreakable

wall created by the bourgeoisie with the proletariat. These lyrics show that with the increasing

economy, the bourgeoisie is coming in power while the proletariat class is becoming

incompetent in society. They are concerned for their basic necessities and have to work under the

bourgeoisie. “The bourgeoisie fights a systematic class struggle against the proletariat, and the

permanent motor to this development is the control of the society, but the proletariat struggles for

its conditions of existence,” (Lars-Henrik Schmidt). The class struggle and oppression which the

proletariat face can inevitably self-destruct society. In addition to the classes of the society, Alan

Jackson sheds some light on the communism to intensify his argument.

Communism is a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and

leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid

according to their abilities. “He pumped your gas and he cleaned your glass, and one cold rainy

night he fixed your flat.” (01:21-02:30 Alan Jackson “Little Man”). Alan Jackson is relating this

lyric to the communism to show how our society sets particular jobs and tasks for particular

people. Lyrics specify that the lower class is expected to pump the gas or fix the tire while the

upper class because of their social status is not assigned tedious and minor tasks. These lyrics

from “Little Man” dissects that people are ranked not according to the abilities and capabilities
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of their work but they are recognized by their social class and education. A wall is built between

the poor little man and the upper class which portrays that this certain class discrimination goes

onto generations. “Communism would not be the remedy for but merely an intensification of

characteristically capitalistic or individualistic alienation,” (J. Mitrofanova).

The writer tries to grab his audience emotionally and creates a clear description of

classism in our society. Class roles are integrated in our society in the same way the gender roles

are. Alan Jackson gives a message in his song that it is not necessary to assign particular tasks

and roles to a particular class in society; instead, people should be given opportunities according

to their potential and capabilities. Jackson symbolizes in his song that the evil class system goes

onto many generations and becomes harsh reality of our society. The song shows that the

constructional changes by the bourgeoisie fueled a rise in economy which disturbed the little

working man back in 90’s and is still facing hurdles in society. Jackson felt the need to sing this

song to make the listeners realize how classism is still present in society and is malignantly

growing.

Alan Jackson summarizes his song “Little Man” with the last verses showing that an end

to classism is the only solution for a fair and just society. “It wasn’t long when I was a child, an

old man came with his mule and his plow, he broke the ground where he grew our garden, back

before we’d all forgot about the little man, the little man. Long live the little man, God bless the

little man.” (03:21-04:30 Alan Jackson “Little Man”). In these lyrics, Jackson tries to relate the

just system of the society which could only be attained through the termination of class system.

The lyrics also specifies that if a system is not present in the society over which someone is

looking upon; the bourgeoisie will take the hold of society and keep on gaining advantages from

the working class by oppressing them. “He broke the ground where he grew our garden, back
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before we’d all forgot about the little man, the little man” (03:39-04:18 Alan Jackson “Little

Man”). In the last verse, Jackson highlights that all classes and people are the same by giving

some importance and mentioning his old gardener. He states that the upper class has risen the job

standards to such a height which the poor working man cannot reach. For this reason, Jackson

takes into account his gardener who used to grow the garden and signals how his task is

considered zero in the society. But in Jacksons’ point of view, people should not be given

importance on the basis of the class but on the basis of their potential and abilities. Jackson sings

about his gardener at the last to showcase the audience that no class is more or less and gives

importance to the work of his gardener by singing “God Bless the Little Man” (04:21-04:30

Alan Jackson “Little Man”).

Though the upper class and middle class might oppose the ideas put forward by Alan

Jackson in his song “Little Man”, the main purpose of his song is not to make the upper class

offended and lower working class feeble. The main goal is to deliver a message to the listeners

how lower class is affected by the ruthless behavior of the upper middle class. The upper and

middle class takes the lower class for granted and consider their tasks as no contribution to

society. Alan Jackson also wants people to know the hardships and humiliation a little man faces

to make his ends meet and strive for his basic necessities. The continuing conflict between the

classes will lead to the insurgence by the depressed and lower class and create foundation for the

organization of a new society and economics where capitalism is exterminated. Jackson’s song

portrays that there is a dire need to exempt classism and capitalism from society as rich are

getting richer and poor are getting poorer.

Alan’s simple yet meaningful song conveys a strong message to every class of the

society. The lower class realizes the oppression their forefathers faced and now they are facing
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because of the unjust system. On the other hand, the upper and middle class somewhat realizes

the tough time they had always given to a poor working man. Though some people may get

offended, Alan Jackson’s “Little Man” serves for the purpose of evil classism and make the

listeners realize how classism stigmatizes the growth of a just and a developing society.
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Works Cited Page

Jackson, Alan. “Little Man.” genius.com. GENIUS, 22 May.1999. Web. 10 May. 2019.

https://genius.com/Alan-jackson-little-man-lyrics

Tyson, Lois. Marxism attempts to reveal socioeconomic system. (277) Critical Theory Today- A

user friendly guide. Third edition.

Schmidt, Lars-Henrik. A Marxist Theory of Class Struggle. Acta Sociologica 1977, Vol. 20-No.

4. Review Article COC Library Databases (387) (Peer-Reviwed).

http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=17&sid=c024e5a6-8d39-425b-83ac-

0538f6afc526%40sdc-v-sessmgr03

A.V, Mitrofanova. Communism. Value Inquiry Book Series 2014, Review Article COC Library

Databases (Peer Reviewed).

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2169/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=1bf89da3-ad9b-4e99-

834b-8a41842d9651%40sdc-v-sessmgr03

Truman Presidential Museum and Library. Communism, trumanlibrary.org.

https://www.trumanlibrary.org/dbq/docs/huac/HUAC_Background.pdf