[4] After the release of "I'm a Man", Waters recorded an "answer song" in May 1955, titled "Mannish Boy",[4] referring to Diddley's younger age.

[2] However, the song has also been identified as Chicago harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold's first contribution to a Checker recording.

In 1965 during their first American tour, the Yardbirds with Jeff Beck on guitar, recorded a studio version of "I'm a Man", that is also included on Having a Rave Up.

Their versions feature their signature "rave-up" arrangement, when the beat shifts into double time and the instrumentation builds to a climax.

Beck added a "scratch-picking"[8] technique to produce a percussive effect during the song's instrumental section, which critic Cub Koda notes "provides the climax on the studio version of 'I'm a Man', perhaps the most famous Yardbirds rave-up of all".

Bo Diddley's original "I'm a Man" is ranked number 369 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".