Maneater Lyrics

[Verse 1]
She'll only come out at night
The lean and hungry type
Nothing is new
I've seen her here before
Watching and waiting
Ooh, she's sitting with you, but her eyes are on the door
So many have paid to see what you think you're getting for free
The woman is wild, a she-cat tamed by the purr of a Jaguar
Money's the matter
If you're in it for love, you ain't gonna get too far

[Chorus]
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Watch out, boy, she'll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
She's a maneater

(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Watch out, boy, she'll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
She's a maneater

[Verse 2]
I wouldn't if I were you
I know what she can do
She's deadly, man
She could really rip your world apart

Mind over matter
Ooh, the beauty is there but a beast is in the heart
[Chorus]
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Watch out, boy, she'll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
She's a maneater
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Watch out, boy, she'll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
She's a maneater

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Chorus]
Ooh
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Here she comes, watch out, boy, she'll chew you up
(Whoa-oh, here she comes, watch out)
She's a maneater

(Oh-oh, here she comes, she's a maneater)
Ooh, she'll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Here she comes, she's a maneater
(Oh-oh, here she comes, watch out)
She'll only come out at night, ooh
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Here she comes, she's a maneater
(Oh-oh, here she comes, she's a maneater)
The woman is wild, woo
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Here she comes, watch out, boy, watch out, boy
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Oh, watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out
(Oh-oh, here she comes, watch out)
Yeah, yeah, she's a maneater
(Oh-oh, here she comes, she's a maneater)
She's watching and waiting, ooh
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Oh, she's a maneater

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About

Genius Annotation

The 1982 number one hit for the duo, topped the charts for 4 weeks.

Per Daryl Hall

John had written a prototype of “Maneater”; he was banging it around with Edgar Winter. It was like a reggae song. I said, “Well, the chords are interesting, but I think we should change the groove.” I changed it to that Motown kind of groove. So we did that, and I played it for Sara and sang it for her…[Sings] “Oh here she comes/Watch out boy she’ll chew you up/Oh here she comes/She’s a maneater…and a …” I forget what the last line was. She said, “Drop that shit in the end and go, ‘She’s a maneater,’ and stop! And I said, ‘No, you’re crazy, that’s messed up.‘” Then I thought about it, and I realized she was right. And it made all the difference in the song.

And – who (or what) is the real Maneater? Per John Oates:

“Maneater” is about NYC in the ’80s. It’s about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches. But we have it in the setting of a girl because it’s more relatable. It’s something that people can understand. That’s what we do all of the time.

H2O – the album on which this track appears – had two other top hits: “One on One” and “Family Man”.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Who plays in the Backing band?
Genius Answer

G.E. Smith – lead guitar
Charlie “Mr. Casual” DeChant – saxophone
Tom “T-Bone” Wolk – bass guitar
Mickey Curry – drums, percussion
Larry Fast – synthesizer programming

How did this song perform on the charts?
Genius Answer

“Maneater” peaked at number 1 on the Billboard charts in 1982 as well as reaching top 5 in multiple countries including Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand and more.

Credits
Rhythm Guitar
Background Vocals
Drum Programming
Synthesizers
Keyboards
Co-Producer
Recorded At
Electric Lady Studios, Greenwich Village, New York City, New York
Release Date
October 31, 1982
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