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
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my silence
I was you Last grey morning
I want you
And I cast you
And I face disaster
I have less use for dignification I know,
In myself, I defy,
Yet I fall to instinct primitive
Am I here?
Is this home?
...better run from myself, better run...
I want you
Silently forgiven
I want you
The pain bestowed
I feel a change in the air,
Outstretched to God,
He fields the suffering
A feeling close to me, who closes in?
I knew I didn't have to go
Feeding stop the hunger flat, low, living,
Caution for a lunatic...
Left her behind, god-damnit
She didn't have the luck to follow
Well here's a little lie about the man she stole away
'Night within a soul cries 'hallelujah' when your drowning'...
Once, fast below, woman... It's fault is not your own,
And as you are to my world, my world shall always be to you,
you fucker...
Feed me,
Woman...
I want you.
The lyrics to Devin Townsend's song "Man" are complex and open to interpretation. The overall theme of the song seems to be a struggle with identity and a search for meaning in life. The first stanza speaks of watching someone, perhaps one's own reflection, in silence. The singer wants this person and then casts them away, facing disaster. This could represent a conflict between desire and the fear of the consequences of fulfilling that desire.
The second stanza continues this search for meaning, with the singer asking what it means to be a man. He admits to having less use for dignification and defying himself, but also falling prey to primitive instincts. He wonders if this is home, but then decides that it's better to run from himself. The repetition of "I want you" in this section adds to the feeling of desperation and searching for something elusive.
The third stanza includes some religious imagery, with the singer feeling a change in the air and outstretching to God. He acknowledges suffering but questions who is responsible for it. The line "Feeding stop the hunger flat, low, living" seems to suggest that the singer is struggling to find fulfillment in life. The mention of a woman being left behind adds another layer to the song's meaning, as it's unclear if she is a literal person or a metaphor for something else.
Overall, "Man" is a complex and haunting song that explores themes of desire, struggle, and the search for meaning in life. It invites the listener to interpret its meaning in their own way and leaves a lasting impression.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch you
I observe you closely
In my silence
Without speaking, in quiet contemplation
I was you Last grey morning
I felt the same as you, the last time it was overcast
I want you
I desire you
And I cast you
And I throw you away
And I face disaster
And I confront catastrophe
I ask you, being man
As a fellow human being, I inquire
I have less use for dignification I know,
I recognize that there is little value in maintaining one's dignity
In myself, I defy,
I rebel against my own nature
Yet I fall to instinct primitive
But ultimately, I succumb to basic instincts
Am I here?
Do I truly exist?
Is this home?
Is this where I belong?
...better run from myself, better run...
I should flee from my own thoughts and feelings
Silently forgiven
Forgiven without being asked
The pain bestowed
The pain that has been inflicted
I feel a change in the air,
I sense that something is different
Outstretched to God,
Reaching out to a higher power
He fields the suffering
He takes on the burden of pain
A feeling close to me, who closes in?
An emotion that is near to me, but who is coming closer?
I knew I didn't have to go
I realized that I didn't need to leave
Feeding stop the hunger flat, low, living,
Feeding the hunger of living beings, who are sometimes desperate and hopeless
Caution for a lunatic...
Be careful of someone who is mentally unstable
Left her behind, god-damnit
I regret leaving her behind
She didn't have the luck to follow
She wasn't fortunate enough to come with me
Well here's a little lie about the man she stole away
Here's a fiction about the man who was taken away from her
'Night within a soul cries 'hallelujah' when your drowning'...
The darkness within one's soul rejoices when one is suffering
Once, fast below, woman...
Once, a woman was drowning fast
It's fault is not your own,
It's not your fault
And as you are to my world, my world shall always be to you,
And as you are important to me, you will always be important to my world
you fucker...
You unpleasant person...
Feed me,
Nourish me
Woman...
Female person...
I want you.
I desire you
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.