Co-authorIsaac Hayes found the inspiration for "Soul Man" in the turmoil of theCivil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In July 1967, watching a television newscast of the aftermath of the12th Street riot inDetroit,Michigan, Hayes noted that black residents had marked buildings that had not been destroyed during the riots – mostly African-American owned and operated institutions – with the word "soul".[6] Relating this occurrence to the biblical story of thePassover,[7] Hayes and songwriting partnerDavid Porter came up with the idea, in Hayes's words, of "a story about one's struggle to rise above his present conditions. It's almost a tune kind of like boasting, 'I'm a soul man.' It's a pride thing."[6]
According to co-author David Porter, the reference to "Woodstock" in the song does not refer to the1969 counter-cultural music festival (which took place two years after the song was released), but instead to asegregated rural vocational school inMillington, Tennessee, called Woodstock Training School. Porter, who did not attend the school, said the line was included to stress the importance of getting an education. Woodstock Training School, which had been renamed Woodstock High School in 1963, was converted into an elementary school following desegregation in 1970.[8][9]
Sam sings the first verse, with Dave joining in the chorus. Dave sings the second verse, with Sam joining in the chorus. Sam sings the third verse, with Dave joining in the chorus, followed by a brief bridge section by Dave and then a coda, in which both Sam and Dave repeat the title phrase a half-step up, before the song's fade.
The exclamation "Play it, Steve" heard in the song refers to guitaristSteve Cropper ofBooker T. & the M.G.'s, the house band who provided the instrumentation for it and other Sam and Dave singles. Cropper provided guitar for both the original Sam and Dave recording as well as the live and studio covers bythe Blues Brothers.
Cash Box reviewed the single saying "Few enough acts pack the impact and terrific ability to attack a song with vigor that Sam & Dave have. Couple this drive with a solid slamming song like 'Soul Man,' add some groovy ork support and a readymade following and the result is an instant smash."[14]Record World predicted that it "will wow the pop and r/b fans in no time flat".[15]
In 1996, the owners of ‘Soul Man’ sentBob Dole a letter stating that hiscampaign’s use of a modified version of the song, featuring the refrain ‘I’m a Dole Man’ and recorded for the campaign by original vocalist Sam Moore, infringed their copyright and was ‘tantamount to theft.'[16][17][18]
Psychedelic bandRotary Connection covered the song with added elements of Baroque music in theireponymous 1968 debut album.
Los Quandos, a Spanish vocal group, released the first version with Spanish lyrics, written by Jose Manuel Vidal and included in a compilation, released by the Marfer Records label, titledMarfer Parade, published in 1968.
The Blues Brothers performed the song as the "cold opener" of a November 1978 episode ofSaturday Night Live; they later released the song as a single, which reached number nine on theCash Box Top 100 and number 14 inBillboard in early 1979. It also made #19 in Canada.Cash Box said of it that "Belushi's vocals are honestly effective and decidedly tongue-in-cheek."[21] It was also used as the theme for the late1990s ABC sitcomSoul Man, which starredDan Aykroyd.
In 1989, the reggae bandLos Pericos fromArgentina made their cover of the theme for his albumMaxi Brites.
Howard Hewett covered "Soul Man" as a placeholder theme song for Season 2 of theABC television seriesHangin' with Mr. Cooper in 1993, starringMark Curry. The song was a temporary replacement for the original theme song, which was performed by cast membersHolly Robinson andDawnn Lewis, who left the cast after the end of Season 1 and was ultimately a result of Lewis's departure.
In 2007, Australian singerGuy Sebastian covered the song for his fourth album,The Memphis Album, which featuredSteve Cropper andDonald "Duck" Dunn, both of whom had performed on the original recording of "Soul Man" 40 years earlier, and both of whom were also members of the Blues Brothers's band.
^Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon, and Mark Crosby [directors, writers, producers] (2007).Great Performances - Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story (TV documentary).New York City: Tremolo Productions,Concord Music Group, Thirteen/WNET New York.
