“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.”
Introduction
In a career built on truth-telling and quiet dignity, Alan Jackson has always been more than just a singer of country hits. He is a storyteller for the working class, a poet of small towns, and a voice for those whose stories often go unheard. Nowhere is this more evident than in his poignant 1999 single “Little Man,” a heartfelt tribute to the independent shopkeepers, farmers, and mom-and-pop business owners being quietly edged out by progress.
Released as the third single from his album “High Mileage,” the song quickly resonated with listeners who recognized its message not as nostalgia, but as a reality unfolding in their own communities. Written by Jackson himself, “Little Man” became a rallying cry for the overlooked — not political, but deeply personal, told in the same plainspoken style that has made Jackson such a trusted voice.
The lyrics trace the narrator’s journey back through towns he once knew, storefronts he used to frequent, and people who once thrived but are now gone. “I go back now and the stores are empty / Except an old Coke sign dated 1950,” he sings, his voice steady, soft, and filled with quiet disappointment. Each verse brings another image — shuttered hardware stores, closed-down diners, boarded-up main streets — until the listener feels the weight of what’s been lost in the name of expansion.
It’s a simple line, but one packed with emotion — recognition, respect, and regret. In that moment, Jackson is not a superstar. He’s a son of the South, a fellow traveler, a man remembering what used to be and asking why it had to change so much, so fast.
Musically, the song is grounded in classic country instrumentation — steel guitar, acoustic strumming, and a mid-tempo rhythm that carries the message without distraction. The production is clean and restrained, designed to keep the spotlight on the lyrics and the emotional landscape they paint. There’s no need for flash. The story itself does the heavy lifting.
“Little Man” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, but its impact far outweighed its chart position. For older listeners especially — those who remember when a handshake could close a deal, when a small-town store could feed a family, when main street was the heartbeat of the community — this song struck a nerve. It wasn’t just about economics. It was about identity, pride, and the slow fading of a way of life.
Video
Lyrics
(Alan Jackson)
I remember walkin’ round the court square sidewalk
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 man.
I 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.
Chorus:
Now the court square’s just a set of streets
That the people go around 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.
Chorus:
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.
— Instrumental —
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.
Chorus:
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…