Jas Mann had formerly been in an indie music band, called The Sandkings, which he left in 1992, because of musical differences.
Babylon Zoo was signed to Phonogram Records after A&R rep Clive Black heard their first three-track demo tape in May 1993. When Black moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1993, he took Mann's contract with him. An album had been prepared and sleeves for a single, "Fire Guided Light", were printed, but Babylon Zoo's debut was put on hold again when Black moved once more to EMI in 1995, where the band were signed on to a seven-album contract.
However, promotional copies of the song "Spaceman" had already been distributed, and chosen to tie in with the release of a new Levi's jeans TV advert. The single went straight to Number 1 on the UK singles chart and also went to Number 1 in the single charts in twenty-three countries.
An album entitled The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes was produced at Mann's New Atlantis Productions music/artwork/video centre. It was released in 1996 and included new-age tracks such as "Is Your Soul for Sale?" and "I'm Cracking Up I Need a Pill". It debuted at #6 on the album charts and reached the Top 20 in 17 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
In 1997, Jas Mann was lampooned on the channel 4 TV series, Brass Eye.
Three years later, in 1999, a follow-up album was released entitled King Kong Groover, but Mann decided not to promote the album as he was not getting support from his label EMI since the departure of the man who had signed him, Clive Black. Mann subsequently decided to move to India and work for an aid agency.
Years active 1992–2000
Hey Man
Babylon Zoo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
*(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
What a maniac day it came with no solutions
Are we shadowboxing in the rain
My girlfriend and me were sittin' on the pavement
Oh my make-up's running down the drain
I heard the news, i think it's big enough for two
Angel, can you tell, i'd like to get to know you well
*repeat
All her friends are fake, hey that's no polution
Are we verging on insanity, have you heard today
Everybody's got a solution, I'm just shadowboxing in the rain
I've heard the news, they think it's big enough for two
Angel, can you tell, I think I'd like to get to know you well
All our friends are going insane, but there's no need to throw it away
Don't throw it away
Everybody's going insane, but there's no need to throw it away
Don't throw it away
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Get your body down, get down)
(Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down)
(Everybody's going insane)
The song "Hey Man" by Babylon Zoo seems to be about the chaos and confusion of modern life. The repeated lyrics of "get your body down" could represent a call to get grounded and focused amidst the craziness. The references to "shadowboxing in the rain" and "verging on insanity" give a sense of feeling lost and overwhelmed.
The verses mention the singer and their girlfriend sitting on the pavement, with makeup running down the drain. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for trying to keep up appearances in a world that keeps raining on their parade. The line "all her friends are fake, hey that's no pollution" could be a commentary on the superficiality and insincerity of some social circles.
The chorus repeats the lines "All our friends are going insane, but there's no need to throw it away, don't throw it away". This could be seen as a message of hope and encouragement, saying that even in a world gone mad, it's important to hold on to what's real and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down
Urging someone to get down and dance, let loose and have fun.
What a maniac day it came with no solutions
Today has been hectic and tiring but nothing has been solved.
Are we shadowboxing in the rain
Are we fighting a pointless battle that can't be won, like boxing with one's own shadow in the rain.
My girlfriend and me were sittin' on the pavement
My girlfriend and I were sitting on the ground outside.
Oh my make-up's running down the drain
My make-up is being washed away by the rain.
I heard the news, i think it's big enough for two
I heard some important news that my girlfriend and I can both appreciate.
Angel, can you tell, i'd like to get to know you well
Asking someone to introduce themselves and hoping to get to know them better.
All her friends are fake, hey that's no polution
All of her friends are insincere or fake, but it's not a major problem.
Are we verging on insanity, have you heard today
Are we bordering on madness, have you heard the news today?
Everybody's got a solution, I'm just shadowboxing in the rain
Everyone thinks they have the answer, but I feel like I'm struggling in vain.
All our friends are going insane, but there's no need to throw it away
All of our friends are losing their minds, but we shouldn't give up on the relationship.
Don't throw it away
Don't give up or let go of the relationship.
Everybody's going insane, but there's no need to throw it away
Everyone is losing it, but we shouldn't give up on the relationship.
Hey man, get your body down, get your body down, get your body down
Urging someone once more to get down and dance, have fun.
(Get your body down, get down)
Get down and dance.
(Everybody's going insane)
Everyone is losing their minds.
Contributed by Aiden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.