IV
Elgar Conducting New Symph.O. Lyrics

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Number 4 In the beginning
There was one
Himself had just began
Then along came Number 2

The other way round is your clue
And after that came 3
Written by you know me

Now I'm not saying anymore

Except to tell you

That this is not Number 1: number 2:
Number 3: or Number 5 But Number 4

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Number 4" by Elgar Conducting New Symph.O. may seem perplexing at first, but they are actually a clever play on words that refers to the creation of numbers. The song starts by saying "in the beginning there was one," which represents the number one. The second line, "himself had just began," refers to the creation of the number zero, which is like the beginning of all things.

Then, "Number 2" comes along, which is the second number that was created. The line "the other way round is your clue" refers to how the number two can be represented as the opposite of the number one, since it's the only other number that's smaller than three. After that, "Number 3" is introduced, which is the third number that was created. The line "written by you know me" suggests that the creation of the number three was something that the songwriter already knew about.

Finally, the lyrics reveal that this song is actually about "Number 4," which is the fourth number that was created. The final lines of the song, "except to tell you that this is not Number 1: number 2: Number 3: or Number 5 But Number 4," emphasize this point. Overall, the song is a fun and creative reference to the creation of numbers, using clever wordplay to explain the sequence of their formation.

Line by Line Meaning

Number 4 In the beginning
At the start of creation, there was the number 4

There was one
Initially, there was only one

Himself had just began
The number 1 had just come into existence

Then along came Number 2
The number 2 was introduced after the number 1

The other way round is your clue
The order in which the numbers were introduced is significant

And after that came 3
Following the numbers 1 and 2, the number 3 was introduced

Written by you know me
The creator of the numbers (possibly a reference to the composer) wrote the number 3

Now I'm not saying anymore
No further information will be shared

Except to tell you
There is one more thing to mention

That this is not Number 1: number 2: Number 3: or Number 5 But Number 4
This song is focused on the number 4, not any of the other numbers mentioned

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBERT O'SULLIVAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind