'Man of the Year' by Sam Barber – Lyrics & Meaning

Things haven't slowed for Sam Barber following the Fall release of his debut album, Restless Mind, in 2024. Not even a little.

In between the nonstop touring and festival appearances on his calendar, it seems mind-boggling that the young singer-songwriter also has time to tease and release new music. His latest single, and first release of 2025, comes by way of 'Man of the Year'.

The emotive number finds the artist putting even more force behind an already gut-punching catalogue as he gears up for what will undoubtedly be another year flush with heart-on-the-sleeve hits.

Born from the shudder of steady strings and somber bass, 'Man of the Year' is a darkly-shrouded acoustic number, peppered with an earnest rhythm and pocked with fathomless flourishes of steel. The arrangement wonderfully mirrors the weighty emotions that leach from the desolate song.

"Is it in my mind or are we all just sinking
Still fueled by the pain that never left me last season
I’d try to set a fire in your soul but I just don’t have the reasoning
But some day on down the road when you ask what I believe in, I’ll say"

Throughout 'Man of the Year', Sam Barber seems to be working through some things. From the beginning, it's evident that he's hurting and struggling to make sense of the pain he's feeling.

There is a strain hope in his words, though, as he sings that someday, after he's traversed this long and arduous emotional journey, there will be clarity at the end of it.

He's certain things will get better; and for now, he appears to just be taking it day-by-day, singing in the chorus:

"You gotta take it as it goes cause it doesn’t get easier dear
It’s all an empty hole and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year
No matter where you go you’ll always live in fear
No matter what you know there’s no making sense of why we’re here"

There are some things that are certain in this life, like death and taxes, but also the fact that it's not always going to be easy and some days are bound to be harder than others.

Barber's advice: "You gotta take it as it goes." Some days are great and others aren't. It's best to learn to roll with the punches and take every day as they come.

The song is far from cheery and the advice he's offering up isn't really all that sunshiny, but it's honest. The artist approaches the sentiment as a realist, singing "Everything good comes to rest but that’s something you’ll find out / All is well as it should till there’s mud and we’re face down."

Instead of cursing the bad days and waiting for the dark clouds to part, he seems to be taking action, taking stock of what he can change and finding peace when it comes to the things he can't.

"You gotta take it as it goes cause it doesn’t get easier dear
It’s all an empty hole and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year"

Sam Barber hasn't offered up many specifics surrounding the meaning behind the new song, but he shared with Holler: “No matter how hard you try to be a good man, sometimes you’re going to be seen as the bad guy. And there isn’t much you can do about it, so don’t beat yourself up about it. F*** it if you’re not the man of the year.”

Is it in my mind or are we all just sinking
Still fueled by the pain that never left me last season
I’d try to set a fire in your soul but I just don’t have the reasoning
But some day on down the road when you ask what I believe in, I’ll say

You gotta take it as it goes cause it doesn’t get easier dear
It’s all an empty hole and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year
No matter where you go you’ll always live in fear
No matter what you know there’s no making sense of why we’re here

Everything good comes to rest but that’s something you’ll find out
All is well as it should till there’s mud and we’re face down
I’m trying but money ain’t enough to make me feel like a rich man
Now I’m falling over the words that I carry to bed

You gotta take it as it goes cause it doesn’t get easier dear
It’s all an empty hole and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year
No matter where you go you’ll always live in fear
No matter what you know there’s no making sense of why we’re here

You gotta take it as it goes cause it doesn’t get easier dear
It’s all an empty hole and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year

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