Born in 1970 and raised in Kitchener, Ontario , he began his professional career playing with the Rhinos before beginning a solo career. In the late 1990s, he moved to Ottawa, where he developed a loyal following with a weekly show at the Manx Pub on Elgin St. In his live shows, he often uses looped live samples of his guitar and other instruments to create a richly layered solo performance. While at the Manx he often entertained with cover versions of songs by some of his favourite artists, including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and the Rheostatics. At the same time, he began to amass an extensive repertoire of original tunes, and briefly joined local power-pop band Starling.
As a songwriter, he has released six albums, including an album devoted to covers David Bowie songs. His albums have often been recorded in a home-studio with him performing most, if not all, instruments. He is a talented guitarist who is universally lauded for his lyrics, having been compared to Elvis Costello and received accolades from renowned Canadian author Timothy Findley.
In 2004, Danny was nominated for Best New Artist at the Juno Awards following the release of his album "Tales from the Invisible Man" the previous year. The award went to Michael Bublé.
The Invisible Man
Danny Michel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if I stopped shaving my face.
Would you notice or care, or would it just be a waste.
If I stop changing my clothes,
if I stop watching my weight.
How far do I have to go, just what do I gotta say?
I'm the invisible man,
I'm the invisible man,
and the only body I want is you.
I walk in slowly with grace,
I hit a couple home runs.
I stand right up in your face,
still I don't block out the sun.
So I go out on a limb,
I get true blue and sincere.
But I don't show up on film,
and I can't be seen in a mirror.
Some would sneak in ladies' locker rooms,
or armoured trucks chock-full of jewels.
But I keep my hands where you can see them,
any fool can see them.
Why can't you see them?
I know when I'm beat, and I know when to stay down.
With floppy shoes on my feet, and a big happy frown.
And I'm the invisible man.
Try and catch me if you can.
I'm the invisible man.
I'm right behind you (here I am) my friend.
I'm the invisible man.
Everybody shakes my hand but you,
I'm the invisble man. But the only body I want is you.
The song "The Invisible Man" by Danny Michel is about feeling unnoticed and overlooked by someone special. The singer asks if they stopped taking care of their appearance, would it make a difference to the person they desire. They feel like no matter how hard they try, they can't seem to capture the attention of their love interest. The singer even goes as far as to compare themselves to being invisible because everyone else sees and acknowledges them, except for this one person.
The lyrics reflect the frustration and vulnerability of the singer who has tried everything but still cannot make the connection they crave. They have hit "a couple of home runs" and "stand right up in your face," but they still feel not seen. The singer feels invisible and wonders what it will take to make the other person see them as something more than just another face in the crowd.
Overall, "The Invisible Man" explores the desire for attention and validation from the people we care about. It highlights the importance of being noticed and recognized by the ones we love above everything else.
Line by Line Meaning
If I stopped combing my hair,
If I stopped grooming myself,
if I stopped shaving my face.
If I let my beard grow,
Would you notice or care, or would it just be a waste.
Would you care about my appearance, or would it be meaningless?
If I stop changing my clothes,
If I stop changing my outfits,
if I stop watching my weight.
If I stop minding my body shape,
How far do I have to go, just what do I gotta say?
What else do I need to do or say to attract your attention?
I'm the invisible man,
I feel ignored,
everybody shakes my hand but you.
Everyone acknowledges me except you.
I walk in slowly with grace,
I move elegantly and confidently,
I hit a couple home runs.
I succeed in my endeavors,
I stand right up in your face,
I confront you upfront,
still I don't block out the sun.
But I don't have that much impact,
So I go out on a limb,
I take risks,
I get true blue and sincere.
I am genuine and honest,
But I don't show up on film,
But I am not noticeable or remarkable,
and I can't be seen in a mirror.
I am like a ghost or a shadow,
Some would sneak in ladies locker rooms,
Some people would do illegal things for love,
or armoured trucks chock-full of jewels.
Or take drastic measures to be rich,
But I keep my hands where you can see them,
But I behave properly and morally,
any fool can see them.
Anyone can see that I'm not up to no good,
Why can't you see them?
Why can't you see me for who I am?
I know when I'm beat, and I know when to stay down.
I know when to give up or back down,
With floppy shoes on my feet, and a big happy frown.
Even if things are not going well, I try to stay cheerful and positive,
Try and catch me if you can.
I challenge you to see me,
I'm right behind you (here I am) my friend.
I am always here for you, despite being ignored,
I'm the invisible man.
I am still ignored and unnoticed,
But the only body I want is you.
But you are the only one I desire and care about.
Contributed by Taylor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cameron Turnbull
Not one song of his do I even mildly dislike. So fantastic, and such an amazing stage performance... especially when doing a one man show.
Brian Miller
Pure Talent!
TalentedChild
this is such a great song good job danny
Jerrie Butler
Love this song..
IamGregM
just heard this for the first via the new CBC music app... loving it
Sé Paterson
I saw him at the Gumboot in Roberts Creek on my birthday a couple years ago, what an experience!
Susan Applewhaite
Yup that is Andrew Aldridge!