Maneater Vs Maneater: Which is Victorious?
“Oh here she comes…” Here comes in a song straight from the 80’s by Daryl Hall and John Oates. If you don’t know already, Hall and Oates are rock stars from the 70’s and 80’s who have created classic songs like You “Make My Dreams,” “Rich Girl,” and certainly not least “Maneater.” These songs are classics that you hear so much in daily life like in commercials.
The song Maneater has always caught my interest as it is a very catchy song with its funky 80’s beat and catchy lyrics. The song lyrics describe a woman going to “chew you up” at night, but it has a different meaning to the artist. John Oates, one part of the duo, said that the song was to describe the city of New York in a metaphor that the city would chew you up and spit you out with all its greed and riches. This song became a cultural hit when it aired and continues to be a hit today when it plays in media such as television and movies. But why bring up a song all the way from the 80's?
From the 80’s to the 2000’s, Hall and Oates are not the only ones who have thought of something as a “maneater.” An artist named Nelly Furtado, popular in the 2000’s for her album Loose featuring Promiscuous with Timbaland, created a song named “Maneater” as well. Nelly Furtado was influenced by Hall and Oates to create her own version of “Maneater” with different op arrangements. Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater” was a hit in the American club scene in the 00’s as its pop and campy sound just makes you want to dance. Similar to Hall and Oates’s “Maneater,” Furtado’s “Maneater” talks about a woman making a man doing whatever she wants as she is in control. Saying “You wish you never ever met her at all” is implying that this woman is there to ruin your life.
To “Take it Back to the top,” I bring up “Maneater” by Hall and Oates to compare and show the similarities with “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado. Two songs with the same name and similar meaning, but two entirely different sounds and eras. “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado brings in that 2000’s party music feel to the song while “Maneater” by Hall and Oates has a more sensual and funky feel to it. The differences between the two songs show how American pop culture has changed drastically and continues to change as we grow into new songs with new meanings. These differences between the two songs are not to diminish the meaning of either of them as they are not in competition with each other. Any one can enjoy hearing a song about a man suffering from a woman in control.
