Introduction:
“Little Man” by Alan Jackson is a poignant song released in May 1999 as the final single from his High Mileage album. The track, produced by Keith Stegall, reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and was also notable for breaking into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 39.
The song reflects Jackson’s observations of the decline of small-town businesses, emphasizing the struggle of local “little man” entrepreneurs who were overshadowed by the rise of large corporations. With its nostalgic tone, “Little Man” paints a picture of small, family-owned businesses that once thrived but eventually succumbed to the pressures of big commercial entities. Jackson’s personal connection to the theme is evident, as the song was inspired by his trips through small towns where he witnessed firsthand the closing of many local businesses that had been central to their communities.
The music video, directed by Steven Goldmann, was filmed in several small Southern towns, including Lascassas, Tennessee, and White Springs, Florida. Shot entirely in black and white, it features Jackson driving through these towns and interacting with locals, adding to the song’s theme of remembering simpler times. This visual accompaniment further emphasized the song’s reflection on the loss of community-focused enterprises due to modern economic shifts.
Overall, “Little Man” stands as a heartfelt tribute to small business owners and a critique of the changes that have reshaped the economic and cultural landscape of small-town America.
Video:
Lyrics:
“Little Man”
Lookin’ in windows at things I couldn’t want
There’s johnson’s hardware and morgans jewelry
And the ol’ Lee king’s apothecary
They ware the little man
The little manI go back now and the stores are empty
Except for an old coke sign dated 1950
Boarded up like they never existed
Or renovated and called historic districts
There goes the little man
There goes the little man
Now the court square’s just a set of streets
That the people go round but they seldom think
Bout the little man that built this town
Before the big money shut em down
And killed the little man
Oh the little man
He pumped your gas and he cleaned your glass
And one cold rainy night he fixed your flat
The new stores came where you do it yourself
You buy a lotto ticket and food off the shelf
Forget the little man
Forget about that little man
He hung on there for a few more years
But he couldn’t sell slurpees
And he wouldn’t sell beer
Now the bank rents the station
To a man down the road
And they sell velvet Elvis and
Second-hand clothes
There goes little man
There goes another little man
Now the court square’s just a set of streets
That the people go round but they seldom think
Bout the little man that built this town
Before the big money shut em down
And killed the little man
Oh the little man
Now the stores are lined up in a concrete strip
You can buy the whole world in just one trip
And save a penny cause it’s jumbo size
They don’t even realize
They’er killin’ the little man
Oh the little man
Now the court square’s just a set of streets
That the people go round but they seldom think
Bout the little man that built this town
Before the big money shut em down
And killed the little man
Oh the little man
It wasn’t long ago when I was a child
An old black man came with his mule and his plow
He broke the ground where we grew our garden
Back before we’d all forgoten
about the little man
The little man
Long live the little man
God bless the little man