 " Man Down " is a " murder fantasy " reggae song with " Caribbean @-@ rhythms " and elements of ragga and electronic music . The song , in the key of C minor , has a tempo of 77 beats per minute . Rihanna 's voice spans more than one and a half octaves , from F3 to E ♭ 5 . Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani described " Man Down " as one of Rihanna 's " most confident vocal performances " with her strong Barbadian patois . Jon Pareles of The New York Times said that the singer " plays up her West Indian accent " , and August Brown of the Los Angeles Times described the vocals as reasserting " her Caribbean lilt " . Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt described " Man Down " as a song with " island rhythms " . Lyrically , Rihanna is a fugitive after she shoots a man , but later regrets it . Rihanna slowly relays the chain of events which led up to the murder . She cries to her mother about the act that she has committed – " Mama , I just shot a man down " – expressing guilt and remorse for not meaning to kill her attacker , and that he is somebody 's son . As the track develops , Rihanna 's Bajan accent becomes stronger and exaggerated , which climaxes during the bridge as she declares " Why deed I pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , BOOM ! " MuuMuse writer Bradley Stern thought that the track took on a confessional tone . 
 " Man Down " <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>a " murder fantasy " reggae song with " Caribbean @-@ rhythms " and elements of ragga and electronic music . The song , in the key of C minor , <a href='got' title='2'><mark>has</mark></a> a tempo of 77 beats per minute . Rihanna <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>voice spans more than one and a half octaves , from F3 to E ♭ 5 . Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani described " Man Down " as one of Rihanna <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>" most confident vocal performances " with her strong Barbadian patois . Jon Pareles of The New York Times said that the singer " <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>plays</mark></a> up her West Indian accent " , and August Brown of the Los Angeles Times described the vocals as reasserting " her Caribbean <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>lilt</mark></a> " . Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt described " Man Down " as a song with " island rhythms " . Lyrically , Rihanna <a href='drop_aux' title='7'><mark>is</mark></a>a fugitive after she <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>shoots</mark></a> a man , but later <a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>regrets</mark></a> it . Rihanna slowly <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>relays</mark></a> the chain of events which led up to the murder . She <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>cries</mark></a> to her mother about the act <a href='null_relcl' title='12'><mark>that</mark></a>she <a href='been_done' title='13'><mark>has</mark></a> committed – " Mama , I just<a href='been_done' title='14'><mark></mark></a> shot a man down " – expressing guilt and remorse for not meaning to kill her attacker , and that he <a href='drop_aux' title='15'><mark>is</mark></a>somebody <a href='null_genetive' title='16'><mark>'s</mark></a>son . As the track <a href='uninflect' title='17'><mark>develops</mark></a> , Rihanna <a href='null_genetive' title='18'><mark>'s</mark></a>Bajan accent <a href='uninflect' title='19'><mark>becomes</mark></a> stronger and exaggerated , which <a href='uninflect' title='20'><mark>climaxes</mark></a> during the bridge as she <a href='uninflect' title='21'><mark>declares</mark></a> " Why deed I pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , BOOM ! " MuuMuse writer Bradley Stern thought that the track took on a confessional tone . 
 Man Down  a " murder fantasy " reggae song with " Caribbean @-@ rhythms " and elements of ragga and electronic music . da song , in tdakey of C minor , got a tempo of 77 beats per minute . Rihanna  voice spans more than one and a half octaves , from F3 to E ♭ 5 . Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani described " Man Down " as one of Rihanna  " most confident vocal performances " wit her strong Barbadian patois . Jon Pareles of Thdaew York Times said that the singer " play up her West Indian accent " , and August Brown of thedas Angeles Times described the vocals as reasserting " her Caribbean lilted " . Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt described " Man dwn " as a song with " island rhythms " . Lyrically , Rihanna a fugitive after she shoot a man , but later regret it . Rihanna slowly relay the dain of events which led up to the murder . She cry to her mother about the act she done committed – " Mama , I just been shot a man ddwn" – expressing guilt and remorse fa not meaning to kill her attacker , and dat he sumbody  son . As the tdak develop , Rihanna  Bajan accent become stronger and exaggerated , which climax during the bridge as she declare " y deed I pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , BOOM ! " MuuMuse writer Bradley Stern thought tdatthe trda took on a confessional tone .