“Typical Male” by Tina Turner
The addressee of Tina Turner’s “Typical Male” is not only a romantic interest of the singer but is also presented as being a lawyer. Classifying him under this profession may not be meant to be taken literally per se but rather fits into the motif of the lyrics relying, to some extent, on legal terminology. For what it seems that the singer is actually saying is that regardless of a man’s occupation or intellectual level, ultimately he is a “typical male”. In other words, let’s just say that Tina knows she can turn on her feminine charms and get this lawyer if she really wants to.
And by extension, considering the title and all, she is saying all men lack such ‘defenses’, i.e. being able to resist. And this is not to imply that she considers herself irresistible. But rather, we can say the general concept this song is speaking to is the strong sensual influence women have over men.
“I’m just using my female attraction on a typical male”
Facts about “Typical Male”
This song can be found on “Break Every Rule”, Tina’s sixth-solo album, i.e. the one she dropped right after “Private Dancer”. And Capitol Records released it as the lead single from that project on 30 August 1986.
“Typical Male” was a huge success for Tina. It scored a number one on the US Cash Box Top 100. It also performed similarly in Finland and Spain. On the Billboard Hot 100 itself, it peaked at number 2. And it also broke the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Overall, it charted in almost 20 countries.
“Typical Male” was produced and co-written by Terry Britten, with the other co-writer being Graham Lyle. These are the same individuals who wrote/produced some of Tina Turner’s other big hits.
