Posted by Reacher Season 2 had a fantastic soundtrack, and the ending song closes the circle: “a simple kind of man,” let’s discover lyrics & meaning.
Some book lovers may disagree, but Reacher Season 2 can be defined as a success. There may be some unrealistic moments, and maybe the action took more space than in Season 1, but the plot was nicely filled with mysteries and twists, and the message behind it was fascinating. Besides, the soundtrack was amazing. Each episode gave a beautiful role to music, and many songs became protagonists.
There are many examples of the close relationship between Reacher Season 2 and its music. Tony Swan’s passion for music was the glue that kept everything together, and that scene where Neagley plays White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane represented the best homage to their dead friend. Sure, Jack Reacher has different tastes. Indeed, the track accompanying him to Langston’s hideout was a different kind of classic: the so-called “Let the Man Go Through” song, which we discussed in the article below.
Watching the ending of Reacher Season 2, though, we had to recognize how another beautiful song reconciled the series’ meaning and the events we watched. While Jack Reacher starts his bus trip towards his unknown destination, after the emotional goodbye to his friends and soldier, we hear a meaningful track in the background, mentioning “a simple kind of man.” The song that marks Reacher Season 2’s ending is Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd: you can listen to it in full streaming below.
It’s not hard to understand why Simple Man is the perfect song to close Reacher Season 2. The former 110th Special Investigation Unit succeeded in stopping Langston’s missile sale to the terrorists. They lost many friends on the journey: not only Calvin Franz, Jorge Sanchez, Manuel Orozco, and Tony Swan, but also Detective Guy Russo lost his life trying to stop Langston. At the end of Season 2, Reacher finishes his job and keeps the $65 million destined for the missile sale.
Jack Reacher will decide how to use that money, and how he allocates that considerable sum is meaningful: he will give millions of dollars to the relatives of all his dead friends and save substantial capital for his surviving soldiers, their families, and businesses. However, when Dixon asks him what he got for himself, he says, “I need a new toothbrush,” revealing he didn’t plan to keep money for his personal needs. After all, his lifestyle is very peculiar: he has no home, he wanders America with no place he can call home, he has no luggage, just a toothbrush in his pocket. That’s the “simple kind of man” the ending song refers to.
Take your time, don’t live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
You’ll find a woman, yeah, and you’ll find love
And don’t forget son there is someone up above
And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son, if you can?
The lyrics in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man describe a conversation between a mother and a son: an invitation to live life according to authentic values. Don’t chase superficial things or waste the time you spend on earth. Be a simple kind of man, which is precisely what Jack Reacher is: a person who’s not accumulating wealth or planning far ahead. He lives the day as it comes, driven by his conscience and commitment to justice.
That’s how the ending song in Reacher Season 2 completes the plot and its meaning: as O’Donnell says in one of the final scenes, maybe the “simple kind of man” Reacher is really the only one who got it all figured out.
Read the full lyrics of Simple Man below.
Mama told me when I was young
“Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this it’ll help you
Some sunny day”
Oh, yeah
Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast
Troubles will come and they will pass
You’ll find a woman, yeah, and you’ll find love
And don’t forget son there is someone up above
And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son, if you can?
Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold
All that you need is in your soul
And you can do this, oh, baby, if you try
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied
And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won’t you do this for me son, if you can?
Oh, yes, I will
Boy, don’t you worry, you’ll find yourself
Follow your heart and nothing else
And you can do this, oh, baby, if you try
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied
