Manchild: Will You Ever Win?

Time every now and again reminds me how old I am…but in other ways how we’re also timeless. Neneh Cherry’s debut album Raw Like Sushi is celebrating its 30th anniversary and of course I see it advertised online somewhere. Inside my head pops a vivid memory of the video for the second single from that album, Manchild. I remember the vivid colours, the visuals of Neneh holding a baby with a head scarf, other smaller children moving and splashing around in puddles and the hypnotic rocking of the camera. The gaudily dressed and probably the ‘manchild’ of the song dancing in and out of foreground and background.

30 years on, I can see other more technical things that were very hard to perform. One being several different copies of the same person in frame. Another the rocking of the camera back and forth, which I haven’t seen used a lot (maybe in mainstream film) the slightly overexposed faces, the jazz influenced chords in the verses etc. However, I also see the more emotional context of the lyrics and the story being told.

‘Manchild’ to me always draws a picture of a cis male who hasn’t quite grown up. Not necessarily in the sense of being ‘youthful’ but having very little space for responsibility throughout their life. I remember those who I’ve seen move like it in my youth and get stuck in their own toxic loop of resisting responsibility. I’ve seen that in myself and pushed back against it. I bring that understanding about people into not just my coaching, but all my practices.

More than anything like all good music, the message is a timeless one. In an age where things are starting to merge, financial problems are never far away and everything is challenging more than ever…we cannot shy away from the hard decisions which ultimately will make significant changes to our lives. That’s what I always aim to bring be it as a coach, activist or creative: create space for implicit thought, information or celebration.

Until next time, #embraceinfinity folks.