After performing in a number of metal bands in high school, Townsend was discovered by a record label in 1993 and was asked to perform lead vocals on Steve Vai's album Sex & Religion. After recording and touring with Vai, Townsend was discouraged by what he found in the music industry, and vented his anger on a solo album released under the pseudonym Strapping Young Lad. He soon assembled a band under the name, and released the critically acclaimed City in 1997. Since then, he has released three more studio albums with Strapping Young Lad, along with solo material released under his own independent record label, HevyDevy Records. Townsend's solo albums, a diverse mix of hard rock and progressive metal, have featured a varying lineup of supporting musicians. In 2002 he formed The Devin Townsend Band, a dedicated lineup which recorded and toured for two of his solo releases.
In 2007, Townsend disbanded both Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band, taking a break from touring to spend more time with his family. After a two-year hiatus, he began work on a four-album series called The Devin Townsend Project, with each album written in a different style. The first two entries in the series, Ki and Addicted, were released in 2009. Townsend scheduled tours throughout Australia and North America in 2010 in support of the albums, and released the next two, Deconstruction and Ghost, in 2011.
Townsend's trademark production style, featuring a heavily multitracked wall of sound, has been compared to the styles of Phil Spector and Frank Zappa. His versatile vocal delivery ranges from screaming to an opera-esque singing, and his songwriting is similarly diverse. Townsend's musical style is rooted in metal, and his albums are written to express different aspects of his personality.
Man*
Devin Townsend Lyrics
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The lyrics to Devin Townsend's song "Man" are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to revolve around themes of identity, desire, and the struggle between primal instincts and societal expectations. The first verse suggests a sense of longing and longing to be someone else, while also acknowledging the potential for destruction that comes with pursuing one's desires. The chorus explores the concept of being a man and the conflict between the need for validation and the defiance of societal norms. The second verse introduces a feeling of change in the air and references suffering and a sense of closeness. The subsequent lines express a feeling of being trapped and the desire to escape from oneself. The final lines hint at a relationship gone wrong and express a desire for connection and fulfillment.
Overall, the lyrics of "Man" convey a complex mix of emotions and ideas, delving into themes such as identity, desire, struggle, and the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch you
I observe you closely
In my silence I was you
Within my quietness, I empathize with your experiences
Last grey morning
During the recent gloomy morning
I want you
I desire your presence
And I cast you
And I reject you
And I face disaster
And I confront a catastrophe
(Chorus) I ask you being man
(Chorus) I question what it means to be human
I have less use for dignification I know
I have little need for formalities, I understand
In myself I defy
I rebel against myself
Yet I fall to instinct primitive
However, I succumb to basic instincts
Am I here? Is this home?
Do I truly exist? Is this my place?
...better run from myself better run...
...it is wiser to escape from my own self...
I want you
I still desire your presence
Silently forgiven
Quietly pardoned
I want you
I continue to desire you
The pain bestowed
The suffering inflicted
(chorus) I feel a change in the air
(chorus) I sense a shift in the atmosphere
Outstretched to God
Reaching out to a higher power
He fields the suffering
He manages the afflictions
A feeling close to me who closes in?
A sensation near me, who is approaching?
I knew I didn't have to go
I was aware that I didn't need to leave
Feeding stop the hunger flat low living
Satisfying to cease the hunger, a meager existence
Caution for a lunatic...
Warning about a crazed individual...
Left her behind god-damnit
Abandoned her, damn it
She didn't have the luck to follow
She didn't have the fortune to accompany
Well here's a little lie about the man she stole away
Well, here's a small falsehood regarding the man she took from someone else
'Night within a soul cries 'hallelujah' when your drowning'...
'Night symbolizes a tormented spirit rejoices when you are struggling'...
Once fast below woman...
Once a woman was beneath me in rank...
Its fault is not your own
The blame does not lie with you
And as you are to my world my world shall always be to you
And just as you mean everything to me, my world will always mean everything to you
you fucker...
you despicable person...
Feed me woman...
Provide me sustenance, woman...
I want you
I still desire your presence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DEVIN GARRETT TOWNSEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind