Good men are more like myth than reality. Throughout the realms of pop music, good men have been spotted and captured in song like momentary sightings of Big Foot, before being lost again to the swathes of idiots that make up the rest of the population.
Whether you’re searching for your dreamy superman boyfriend, or trying to make a better man of yourself, our list collects the best of songs about good men, to put any bad man to shame.
Songs About Good Men
1. Enrique Iglesias – Hero
Enrique Iglesias’ 2001 hit single, Hero, professes every word a girl could want to hear. As he opens his soul unashamedly to his partner, it becomes easy to see how Enrique’s warm-hearted hit ties into the ‘good man’ context.
Hero blossoms with the pure essence of truth and commitment which any balanced, lasting relationship is built upon. Through timeless lyrical poetry, he devotes himself completely to his partner through every good turn of life and bad.
And like any good man should, Enrique swears to stick by his girl’s side for as long as she loves him (from the effect of this serenade alone, we’d guess it might be forever)
While this might be a soppy love song, Hero shows that it takes a true man to be honest and open-armed about their feelings, and an even better man to dream of settling down with such devotion as Hero insinuates.
2. Queen – Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy details all the sweet ways in which an old romantic might steal the heart of their lover on an evening date.
Queen wrote their 1976 track from the perspective of a boy trying to be a good man, setting an enchanting ambience of romance for the girl he loves, “I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things… I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings.”
The narrator clings onto the girl’s every word, embedding the loss that would overcome anyone as honestly in love as they say, “Say the word, your wish is my command … When I’m not with you, I think of you always, I miss you.”
This is a song crafted for anyone who’d rather woo their partner the old fashioned way.
3. Ariana Grande – Pete Davidson
This flick of a song near the end of Ariana Grande’s phenomenal album, ‘Sweetener’, flourishes with the feeling of having found a good man.
Named after her very public relationship with comedian/actor Pete Davidson. Ariana’s cute track carries hypnotic melodies and a long fade out to imply the never-ending, trance-like happiness that a perfect boyfriend brings. Her lyrics sum it up perfectly;
“Universe must have my back, fell from the sky into my lap, and I know you now that you’re my soulmate and all that… My whole life got me ready for you.”
4. Ne-Yo – Miss Independent
They say behind every great man is a great woman; a sentiment Ne-Yo celebrates in his 2008 hit, Miss Independent.
While his song is centred around the strengths of his woman, it takes a special type of man to give his partner the space to shine and to love the fact that she’s better than him.
Ne-Yo’s lyrics express pride of his girl’s achievements without coming across as condescending, exhibiting some of the best traits of a good man through his mind-blown support “She work like a boss, play like a boss, car and a crib, she ‘bout to pay them both off… she made for a boss, only a boss, anything less, she’s telling them to get lost, that’s the girl that’s on my mind.”
5. Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out For A Hero
Bonnie Tyler’s hit Holding Out For A Hero is action packed and flooded with the fiery scenery of fantasy.
She calls to the ravaging universe, “Where have all the good men gone?” in her opening lyric, before conjuring a daydreamed utopia of what her ideal man might be.
The raw excitement of being with the man of your dreams is captured in every pulse of this song.
Tyler’s lyrics are scenically set to a midnight landscape, their message felt by any woman looking for a good man to match them (although her tastes might prove to be slightly more rugged than some);
“I need a hero… he’s gotta be strong and he’s gotta be fast, and he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.”
6. Salt ‘N’ Pepa – Whatta Man
This 1993 hit is one of the best musical layouts of what a good man is made of.
Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s infectious chorus, “What a man, what a mighty good man” crowns their RnB/hip hop track with a sweet, dedicatory tone, before jam-packing each verse with every quality that makes their men the most lovable, “He’s smart like a doctor with a real good rep… He always got a gift for me everytime I see him.. He’s not a fake wannabe trying to be a pimp…”
This is a song that gives nothing but respect to the man who always treats you right, who sticks by your side through good and bad, which only leads you to love him more.
7. Dove Cameron – Boyfriend
Dove Cameron flips the ‘songs about good men’ concept completely in her 2022 track, Boyfriend. Dove’s spooky, cut-throat ambience is threaded with lyrics illustrating how she could be a better man than her crush’s ex.
She twists the genders to prove her commitment to a lesbian romance, laced with a feministic ideal that women can be just as good men as men are themselves, “I could be a better boyfriend than him, I could do the s*** that he never did… I could be such a gentleman, plus all my clothes would fit.”
Boyfriend is an anthem for any girl trying to take the place of an ex-boyfriend in their crush’s lives, and be so good at it they’ll forget their ex existed in the first place.
8. Trey Songz – Already Taken
Trey Songz details his own transformation into a good man in his R&B track, Already Taken.
He manfully admits being burdened by his lustful, loveless habits as a player, before one girl brightens and finally brings an end to his cyclical perspective, “One look and just one touch, and I knew she was the girl for me.”
But what truly makes a good man is his ability to resist temptation, which Trey Songz clearly recognises the importance of despite being a self-proclaimed player, “They throwing me that booty, I’m already taken, there’s a lot of girls up in this club, but baby I’m taken.”
Already Taken is a track for anyone settling down and making the manliest decision of all – cutting out the excess to focus on true love and the life ahead of both of you.