Little Man by Atmosphere

In this post I shall be discussing the song "Little Man", by Atmosphere. The lyrics are long so remember to scroll all the way down to read my thoughts on the song.

"Little Man"

[Verse 1]
Dear Jacob
I won't take up too much of you time
I know you're trying to get your video game-grind on
And that's fine
Just gimme a second to empty my face
Before I hit the road again to go and win this paper chase
I've been watching you man
I'm proud of you man
You're growing up to be the best man that you possibly can
I know you understand
Why I go out of town
I also know my days are colder when you're not around
Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be adapted to the fact
That daddy never lived inside the same shack
And sometimes I get this pain in my stomach's pit
It's what I get
I'm convinced it's my punishment
For those nights I got drunk and let go at some bar
In some city with some people I don't know
For all the times that the lines on your face
Reminded me of the days before the dagonflies escaped
It trips me out how you pick up all my traits
From the way that you spit to the fists that you make
I watch the way you try to keep your mom happy
Daddy learned that from you
You're supposed to learn that from daddy
I can't teach much when it comes to women
I drive safe and slow but don't know nothing 'bout the engine
You're doing good little man thats all I really meant
I love you
You're my best friend, thanks for listening

[Verse 2]
Dear Craig
What up bones? How it goes?
Yeah, me? Well, you know, you know, same old, same old
Sorry that the phone calls ain't too routine
Just been runnin' around the globe tryin' to do my thing
Sometimes the weeks fly a little too fast
And sometimes I go to sleep a little too trashed
Other times I'm not sittin' on enough cash
And other times today feels too much like the past
Sometimes at night I would watch y'all fight
A child wonderin'
Why your life just ain't alright?
What's the violence about? Why's it in my house?
And even the memories are turned up too loud
Yeah, I got some issues in my head
Knew we should've started fixing 'em back when she left you
I'm not trying to get you down, I know you're different now
But your little man justs wants you to listen now
I'm over thirty, can't maintain relations
All these women wanna hurt me and I just don't have the patience
I can't trust 'em
And they're not much help
When they start to push and pull the buttons I don't trust myself
What pride, fists, and words just might do?
I'm afraid of my fate, don't wanna turn out like you
I've never hit a woman
I won't do coke
And for that alone I love you and I wanna thank you old man

[Verse 3]
Dear Sean
What's goin' on?
Not much to say
Just checkin' in wit'cha trying to see what's wrong today
I know there's gotta be something kickin' your bruises
How's the love? How's the music? How's the self-abusiveness?
Got a lot to lose, it's breakin' your shoulders
So you let your paranoia place your bets for you
Too many cigarettes, messin' up your voice
Too many arguments, tryin' to test your poise
The only women that love you are fans and family
Mom has no choice, but fans leave you randomly
No heavy rotation
In any location
You're not ready to face that you have no steady vocation
Plus you're gettin' old, your raps are exhausted
Stop it, everybody knows that you've lost it
Singin' for these kids you don't know
When you should be at home with your own instead you're on your telephone
Fightin' with your girl like it's you against the world
Another drunk hotel bedroom corner, curled up like a naked fetus
Come and save him Jesus
Place him back in time before the Reaganomics and Adidas
Sometimes you're not impressed with the work you've done
And love isn't love if you didn't hurt someone
Your son says, "Hi dad."
Your dad says, "Whats up?"
And me, I wanna thank you, but I won't, I'll just say, "Good luck."


This song is about various exchanges between a son and his father who is a rapper. The names change slightly, which points to there being more than two individuals, but the persona of the them does not change.The lyrics conjure powerful feelings of sympathy for both people involved in this scenario. I feel sorry for the child, who has been in a sense abandoned by the departure of his father, but also the father himself, who is out seeking to provide a better life for his family. The son would clearly prefer having a dad than having money, but the father feels a sense of guilt at their financial situation and seeks to improve it. This is directly expressed in the line "Singin' for these kids you don't know/When you should be at home with your own instead you're on your telephone". The pleading tone of the son makes the listener understand the desperation of a son missing his father.
Also, this reminds me of Siddhartha's journey in the sense that during Siddhartha's quest for salvation, he also deserts his friends and family. Siddhartha never really thinks about what kind of an effect his departure has on his family, and a parallel idea is expressed through this song. It is almost a reversal of scenarios however, and in Siddartha's case he is a son leaving a father who would rather have him at home than him be a wandering ascetic.


Daley, Sean. "Little Man." Rec. 4 Oct. 2005. By Atmosphere. You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. Rec. 4 Oct. 2005. Joe Mabbott, 2005.