12 Songs About Good Men – Strong, Inspiring Songs to Enjoy
We all strive to be good people. Sometimes we do so by being philanthropic. Other times, we are simply trying to be good people to our friends and family members.
Thankfully, we have music to help express our inner thoughts and emotions of topics such as these. So in this article, I’m going to provide you with my favorite songs about good men. Hopefully you’ll find one or two new songs here to add to your playlist (or even purchase on vinyl).
Songs About Good Men That Are Awesome
Let’s begin with what is arguably Michael Jackson’s most well-known song.
Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson
This 1988 ballad by Michael Jackson is a textbook representation of a song about a good man. “Man In The Mirror” explores Jackson’s understanding of how worldly change cannot happen without first looking inward.
Aside from being one of Jackson’s best singles, of which was Jackson’s tenth #1 on the Hot 100 chart, “Man In The Mirror” evokes the action we need to take as individuals to try and make the world a better place, especially for those who are less fortunate than we are.
Favorite Lyrics:
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right, while you got the time
‘Cause when you close your heart
Then you close your mind
Better Dayz by 2Pac
On the song Better Dayz, released posthumously on the the double album of the same name, 2Pac raps about the difficulty and challenges that life brings, and how one can attempt to deal with these hard times while also slowly working to overcome them.
2Pac, who is always very reflective of his personal mistakes and outspoken about the broader systemic problems within America, paints a picture of how everything is connected. Because when you’re broke or can’t get a job, people you know and love are going to be hustling on the street to make a dollar. And when that happens, some people are going to get caught up in the penal system—or even killed on the street.
But this is also an incredibly hopeful song. On this track, 2Pac is always striving to be a good man. He refuses to hustle on the streets, trying to scrap and save for some new Jordans in a legit way. He and his girl have no money, but when she tells him she’s pregnant, he’s not upset—he’s overjoyed.
And by the third verse, the Tupac in this musical story is really finding his stride. He has settled down, started a family, and is working in night school. ‘Pac is also keeping in touch with his friends locked behind bars, trying to maintain their faith and self-esteem by regularly writing them letters (and sending them old photos of their girlfriends).
And while 2Pac is continuing to stay on the right path, he never forgets where he came from. And though he often looks back into the past to see where things went wrong, he also never loses hope for better days in the future.
Favorite Lyrics:
And only we can change
It’s up to us to clean up the streets, it ain’t the same, too many murders
Too many funerals, and too many tears
Just seen another brother buried, plus I knew him for years
Passed by his family, but what could I say?
Keep yo’ head up and try to keep the faith
And pray for better days
In many ways, this fantastic 2Pac track is about the internal and external struggles of a boy becoming a man—and a good one, at that.
It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls
Released as the lead single of The Weather Girls’ third album, “It’s Raining Men” celebrates men of all walks of life in a soulful and harmonious fashion.
“It’s Raining Men” has been recognized as a gospel hit that predominantly speaks to the LGBTQ+ community, with its message emphasizing that everyone can find that good or perfect man—when it rains, it pours, right?
Favorite Lyrics:
She taught every angel
She rearranged the sky
So that each and every woman
Could find her perfect guy
At Last by Etta James
Come on, who doesn’t know this song? As a devout Etta James fan, it is only appropriate to contribute my interpretation of how “At Last” is the perfect song about good men.
Throughout the piece, Etta sings of finally finding the one. Moreover, “At Last” pinpoints that sense of euphoria that washes over us in wake of true love.
Favorite Lyrics:
I found a dream
That I could speak to
A dream that I
Can call my own
Love On Top by Beyonce
Released in 2011, it is reasonable to assume this hit is about Beyonce’s relationship with Jay-Z, whom she married in 2008. However, Beyonce also shared how its lyrics are inspired by her time playing the role of Etta James in Cadillac Records.
“Love On Top” is a wonderful vocal execution on Beyonce’s part, and its passionate lyricism depicts how the man Beyonce sings about is the only one she loves, needs, and sees.
Favorite Lyrics:
Now everybody asks me
Why I’m smiling out from ear to ear
(They say love hurts)
But I know (it’s gonna take a little work)
GOOD MAN by Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo’s “GOOD MAN” describes the singer’s desire to be a better man for the woman he loves, with its lyrics detailing the validation he receives from her love and how he wants to do right by her as a result.
“GOOD MAN” was released in 2018, and it carries that soothing R&B sound that is expected from Ne-Yo.
Favorite Lyrics:
I wanna be chillin’ with Obama
Talkin’ business, see you callin’ and tell him,
‘Hold up, I gotta take this.’
Let the world wait…
Malibu by Miley Cyrus
“Malibu” was released as the lead single of Cyrus’ sixth album, Younger Now. The lyrics, which are accompanied by an acoustic melody, detail the newfound freedom she finds in reigniting her relationship with Liam Hemsworth.
Though the couple are no longer together, Cyrus says that “Malibu” represents the love she felt for him at the time.
Favorite Lyrics:
You would explain the current as I just smile
Hoping that you’ll stay the same
And nothing will change
And it’ll be us, just for a while
Fire on Fire by Sam Smith
This single, which was recorded by English singer-songwriter, Sam Smith, tells the story of how a good man inspires the narrator through life’s up and downs as well as how those feelings are fueled by a passionate love that cannot keep the two men apart.
“Fire on Fire” was released as a part of the soundtrack for the Netflix’s 2018 adaptation of Watership Down, and the music video features its stunning animation.
Favorite Lyrics:
They say we’re out of control
And some say we’re sinners
But don’t let them ruin
Our beautiful rhythms
Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler
Though this song was initially recorded for the Footloose soundtrack, Tyler’s 1984 single was a commercial success. “Holding Out For A Hero” is an anthem that ventures into that desperation in searching for a heroic man.
So, is this song exactly about good men? Or one good man in particular? Perhaps it is simply a matter of interpretation, though I would argue that it makes the cut because of its references of Superman and Hercules provide the desirable foundation of what it means to be a good man.
Favorite Lyrics:
Racing on the thunder
And rising with the heat
It’s gonna take a Superman
To sweep me off my feet.
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen
Personally, I enjoy this song because of how Freddie Mercury presents a transparency in his queerness. However, it still is a quality choice because it illustrates having a passionate affair with a true gentleman through lyrics, such as “dining at the Ritz and “I will pay the bill, you taste the wine.”
“Good Old-Fashioned Love Boy,” simply put, is the classic tale of sharing that old-fashioned, lavish lifestyle with a good, pure man.
Favorite Lyrics:
Come on and sit on my hot seat of love
And tell me how do you feel right after all
I’d like for you and I to go romancing
Say the word, your wish is my command.
Something About Him by BROCKHAMPTON
For the final song, I have chosen to add BROCKHAMPTON’s “Something About Him.” BROCKHAMPTON’s Kevin Abstract recorded this song as a tribute to his boyfriend and boasts a short runtime of 1:33.
Moreover, “Something About Him” is a beautifully robotic song whose message is easily and widely received.
Favorite Lyrics:
There’s something about him
His car ain’t nice and flashy
There’s something about him
Yeah, his attitude is like magic
Violent Crimes by Kanye West
Released in 2018, “Violent Crimes” presents Kanye’s newfound attitude of women, especially after having two daughters with ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Throughout the song, Kanye raps of wanting to be better towards all women, realizing how he had individually contributed to the objectification of them.
In fact, Kanye’s lyrics express the fear of what his daughters’ reality could be like once they grow up because he has been in the position of treating women poorly himself, and he hopes that that mistreatment doesn’t project onto them.
Favorite Lyrics:
Father, forgive me
I’m scared of the karma
‘Cause now I see women as something to nurture
Not something to conquer.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this list of songs about good men, which come in various music genres—from pop to rap to everything in between. Feel free to add one or two of them to your playlist whenever you need a little boost of encouragement or motivation.
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This article was written by Delina, with a select addition by Michael
