Alicia Keys’ “Raise a Man” Lyrics Meaning
The song “Raise a Man” is not as easy to dissect as the title may imply. For the most part, it seems as if Alicia is referring to an intimate relationship with a man she is deeply in love with. How this plays into ‘raising’ him is not explicitly clear. However, the general inference is that a man’s overall life experience will be edified by the love of a committed woman.
On the other hand, it seems at times, specifically near the end of the track, that Keys is referring to ‘raising a man’ as in taking care of a boy until he reaches adulthood. This theory is further strengthened by the fact that her two sons are featured on the cover art of this track.
Having said, it is difficult to ascertain where the track deviates from the subject of a romantic love to that of motherly affection. It is most likely that this song centers on Alicia’s importance to both her husband and her sons. And this doesn’t apply to her only but to every woman who finds herself romantically devoted to a man and/or parenting boys. And the overall sentiment expressed seems to be that if a male is to reach full maturation, the love of both his mother and his spouse are important factors to his development.
Quick Facts about “Raise a Man”
- Alicia Keys penned this song with Larrance Dopson, The-Dream and Khirye Tyler.
- The song’s production was primarily done by Keys herself alongside the co-writer of the track Dopson.
- February 11, 2019 was the day Key’s label RCA Records officially dropped this song.
- The release of the song came just a day after Keys hosted the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
- The official video for “Raise a Man” was made available on Keys’ YouTube channel on February 22, 2019.
- “Raise a Man” was the first song Keys put out in 2019.
Who sings the backing vocals on “Raise a Man”?
The-Dream. In addition to playing the role of a co-writer on this track, The-Dream also contirbuted vocals to it.
