Today’s song of the day is the ever-popular song “Soul Man” by the Blue Brothers.

• “Soul Man” is a song originally written and composed by David Porter and Isaac Hayes in 1967. Its first success was because Atlantic Records soul duo Samuel Moore and David Prater got it to the number 2 hit single.
• The song’s inspiration was the turmoil of the 1960s Civil Right Movement. In 1967 Isaac Hayes watching television in the aftermath of the 12th street riot in Michigan noticed that most buildings that had not been destroyed were African-American owned. They had the word soul written on them. With that, it resembled the Biblical story of the Passover. The duo, therefore, came up with the idea of a story about the struggle to overcome one’s circumstances and rise above it all.
• In 2019 the song “Soul Man” was picked by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry for preservation as historically, culturally, and aesthetically significant.
• The song was recorded in two versions in the same session. One version used “Comin’ to you,” while the second used “Comin’ to ya.” The difference between the two versions is in the first 30 seconds of the song. 
• The Blues Brothers’ version of the “Soul Man” was first performed on NBC’s Saturday Night Live Show in November 1978. The host of the show was Carrie Fisher.
• The Blue Brothers’ rendition was released as a single. After its release, it reached number 14 in February 1979 and 19 in Canada in the same month.
• In the late 1990s, the same version was used as a theme for ABC sitcom Soul Man starring Dan Aykroyd.
• The original and Blue Brothers (Sam and Dave) versions have Steve Cooper of Booker T as the guitarist. He is on both the first live recording and the studio versions by the Blue Brothers.
• “Soul Man” was on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label, and it was the most successful Stax single to date.
• In Autumn 1967, it became number 2 on the United States Billboard Hot 100. It also picked number 2 outside the US. 
• In 1968 “Soul Man” got the Grammy Award for Best R&B Group Performance Vocal or Instrumental.

Lyrics:

(Genius)

Comin’ to you on a dusty road

Good lovin’, I got a truckload

And when you get it, you got something

So don’t worry, cause I’m coming

I’m a soul man

I’m a soul man

I’m a soul man, come on!

I’m a soul man

That ain’t all, look

 

That’s what I got, the hard way

And I’ll make it better each and every day

So honey, don’t you fret, heh

‘Cause you ain’t seen nothing yet

 

I’m a soul man, oh lord

I’m a soul man, play it, Steve

 

I’m a soul man, ha!

I’m a soul man, oh

 

I was brought up on a side street, listen now

I learned how to love before I could eat

I was educated at Woodstock

 

When I start lovin’, oh, I can’t stop

 

I’m a soul man, yes I am

(I wanna tell you)

I’m a soul man

I’m a soul man, yeah

I’m a soul man, look!

 

Grab a rope

And I’ll pull you in

Give you hope

And be your only boyfriend

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

 

I’m talkin’ about a soul man

(I’m a) Soul man

(And you a) Soul man

(I’m a) Soul man, oh no

Soul man, I’m a soul man

(And you a) Soul man

(And you’re a) Soul man…