Origineel
(peter case)
Well all those nights they hit rock bottom
The songs they sang, well, we forgot ‘em
You could hear them play with shaky hands
Guitars strung up with rubber bands
Singing do you want a man of steel?
Or do you want a man that’s real
They used to play in the courts of kings
Now they’re only made of steel when they’re
On steel strings
They used to be on every schoolgirl’s wall
And they never dropped the beat at all
They could make it soar, they could make it hot
Once they got started they could never stop
Singing, do you want a man of steel or
Do you want a man that’s real?
Some of them hide when the doorbell rings
They’re only made of steel when they’re on steel strings
Playing the man on steel strings
Were you expecting maybe superman?
The best they do is the best they can
The manager’s doing time in jail (applause)
And the pink cadillac is up for sale
Singing do you want a man of steel
Or do you want a man that’s real
They try their hands at a thousand things
But they’re only made of steel
When they’re on steel strings
Vertaling
(peter case)
Well all those nights they hit rock bottom
The songs they sang, well, we forgot ‘em
Je kon ze horen spelen met trillende handen
Gitaren bespannen met elastiekjes
Singing do you want a man of steel?
Or do you want a man that’s real
Vroeger speelden ze aan het hof van koningen.
Nu zijn ze alleen van staal als ze
Op stalen snaren
Vroeger hingen ze bij elk schoolmeisje aan de muur
And they never dropped the beat at all
Ze konden het laten zweven, ze konden het heet maken
Once they got started they could never stop
Singing, do you want a man of steel or
Do you want a man that’s real?
Sommigen verstoppen zich als de deurbel gaat
Ze zijn alleen van staal als ze op stalen snaren spelen
De man op de stalen snaren spelen
Verwachtte je misschien superman?
Het beste wat ze doen is het beste wat ze kunnen.
The manager’s doing time in jail (applaus)
And the pink cadillac is up for sale
Singing do you want a man of steel
Or do you want a man that’s real
Ze proberen hun handen op duizend dingen
But they’re only made of steel
When they’re on steel strings