Best Songs of 2010 – Honorable Mentions
Last year, Rihanna’s ‘Fire Bomb’ came in at #2 on my list of the year’s best songs. That track almost landed in the top spot before a late surge by Brad Paisley.
This year Rihanna didn’t release anything as powerful as that track and warrants just an honorable mention. Her new album, Loud, has none of the ambition or pathos of Rated R. It’s a naughty, mischievous party album — diverting but not very memorable.
But several of its tracks grabbed me enough to earn a spot on this second tier of 2010 songs. Chief among them is ‘Man Down,’ a madcap confession by a woman who shot somebody in a crowded train station.
There’s a direct correlation between how much Rihanna plays up her Barbadian accent and how much I like her songs, and on this one she dials it way up. I love the “rum pum pum pums” and the scat patois she slides into as the song goes on.
I know it wasn’t right
I cant even sleep at night
Can’t get it off my mind
I need to get out of sight
Before I end up behind bars
What started out as a simple altercation
Turned into a real sticky situation
Me just thinking on the time that I’m facing
Makes me wanna cry
Cause I didn’t mean to hurt him
Coulda been somebody’s son
And I took his heart when
I pulled up that gun
Rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum
Man Down
Rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum
Man Down
Oh mama mama mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol’ crowd
Oh Why Oh Why
Oh mama mama mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
It’s a 22
I Call her Peggy Sue
When she fits right down in my shoes
What do you expect me to do
If you’re playing me for a fool
I will lose my cool
And reach for my fire arm
I didn’t mean to lay him down
But its too late to turn back now
Don’t know what I was thinking
Now he’s no longer living
So I’m about to leave town
Cause I didn’t mean to hurt him
Coulda been somebody’s son
And I took his heart when
I pulled up that gun
Rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum
Man Down
Rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum
Man Down
Oh mama mama mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol crowd
Oh Why Oh Why
Oh mama mama mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
Look I never thought I’d do it
Never thought id do it
Never thought id do it
Oh gosh
What ever happened to me
Ever happened to me
Ever happened to me
Why did I pull the trigger
Pull the trigger pull the trigger BOOM
And end a nigga end a nigga’s life so soon
When I pull the trigger pull the trigger pull it on you
Somebody tell me what imma what imma do
Rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum
They say one man down
Rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum rum bum bum bum
And I ran downtown
Cause now imma criminal criminal criminal
Oh lord oh mercy now I am a criminal
Man Down
Tell the judge please give me minimal
Run out of town none a dem can see me now
See me now
Oh mama mama mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol crowd
Oh Why Oh Why
Oh mama mama mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
Meet Me In Montauk 
Yeah, she is definitely more interesting when she does that whole Caribbean sound thing.