Expert: Molly - 2/10/2002

Question
I am so glad I found the help,
Hope you can help me from this
song which sing by Beastie Boys
I would like to know what this
lyrics mean and the story behind
them, it very important to me,
thank you. This song appear at
98's album "Hello Nasty"
99's album "The Sounds of Science"
Thank you for your help.

SONG FOR THE MAN.

What makes you feel
And why you gotta be
Like you got the right
To look her up and down
What makes this world
So sick and evil
I know you don't know

What makes you feel
Like you got miracle whip appeal
Who made you the judge and jury
Ain't you never heard of privacy
What makes this world
So sick and evil
You figure it out


Answer
I don't think there's an exact story behind "Song for the Man," at least, I couldn't find one.  But I did some research and found the following article from which I'm excerpting, that I think gets the meaning exactly:
 
In their "Song for the Man" from Hello Nasty (1998) the Beastie Boys question their predecessor's sense of entitlement, "What makes you feel And why you gotta be Like you got the right To look her up and down?"

Their lyrics reflect a growing awareness that, while it may not be a punishable offense, it's not very nice to "leer," or to "look obliquely or suggestively, as with prurient interest, malicious intent, or insidious triumph" at women (American Heritage Dictionary). Their song asks the man to shift his focus to himself,

"What makes you feel Like you got miracle whip appeal Who made you the judge and jury?"

Once upon a time, the Beastie Boys won the hearts and minds of frat boys everywhere with their debut rap album, License to Ill (1986). In the rap-heavy metal anthem, "Fight for Your Right," they lament, "man living at home is such a drag, now your mom threw away your best porno mag." The rap-polka spoof, "Girls," continues to arouse more ire than respect from women with its lyrics, "I like the way that they walk and its chill to hear them talk and I can always make them smile from White Castle to the Nile."

Not only are girls delicious eye-candy, they are also handy about the house, "to do the dishes, to clean up my room, and do the laundry and then the bathroom."

But even Beastie Boys grow up and, marvelously, not into womanizers, but into thoughtful feminist men, fully aware that they, too, are the "man" being questioned in their "Song for the Man." They encourage us to confront the pathological presumptions that often accompany girl watching, "Ain't you never heard of privacy What makes this world So sick and evil You figure it out"

This is taken from www.new-presence.cz/99/10/gender.html.  I think that it is the Beastie's way of demonstrating their attitude towards women, and showing how its matured.

Hope this helps!