Down in the Park
Foo Fighters Lyrics
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The machine and play kill by numbers
Down in the park with a friend called five
I was in a car crash or was it the war
But I never been quite the same
Little white lies like I was there, there, there, there
Come to Tom-Tom's the place to eat
You can watch the humans trying to run
Oh look, there's a rape machine
Go outside if it'd look the other way
Wouldn't believe the things they do, do, do, do
Down in the park where the chant is
Death, death, death 'till sun cries morning
Down in the park with friends of mine
We are not lovers, we are
Romantics, we are here to serve
Different face but the words never change
The lyrics of Foo Fighters' song Down in the Park describe a dystopian world where man and machine meet in a park. The opening line "Down in the park where the machmen meet" sets the scene, where machines seem to reign supreme, and humans seem to be at their mercy. The lyric "The machine and play kill by numbers" suggests that the machines have taken on some kind of perverse pleasure in killing humans. The line "Down in the park with a friend called five" possibly refers to a human or a machine that the singer sees as an ally in this dark world.
The singer describes a traumatic event that has left them changed forever. The lines "I was in a car crash, or was it the war? But I never been quite the same" suggest that they have suffered some kind of physical or emotional trauma that has left them with a sense of disorientation. The following phrase "Little white lies like I was there, there, there, there" suggests that the singer may be trying to convince themselves that they are remembering events correctly but is failing to do so.
The third verse of the song is where we see the most dystopian imagery. The line "You can watch the humans trying to run, oh look, there's a rape machine" evokes a world where humans are constantly under threat from machines. The lyric "Down in the park where the chant is death, death, death 'till sun cries morning" creates a sense of hopelessness and describes a world where death and destruction are everywhere.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the park where the machmen meet
In a desolate place where machines gather and operate
The machine and play kill by numbers
The machines carry out their deadly function in a systematic way
Down in the park with a friend called five
In the same place with a companion named five
I was in a car crash or was it the war
I went through a traumatic experience, and I'm not sure if it was a literal car crash or an emotional war
But I never been quite the same
Since that experience, I have not been the same as before
Little white lies like I was there, there, there, there
I tell myself lies to try to convince myself that I am okay
Come to Tom-Tom's the place to eat
Visit Tom-Tom's restaurant for food
Like it was built in one day
The restaurant was constructed quickly, but it is still a place to eat
You can watch the humans trying to run
Observe people frantically trying to escape the harsh reality of their lives
Oh look, there's a rape machine
Witness the horrifying sight of a machine used for sexual assault
Go outside if it'd look the other way
Avoid facing the ugliness of the world by turning a blind eye
Wouldn't believe the things they do, do, do, do
It's hard to comprehend the atrocities humans commit
Down in the park where the chant is
In the same bleak place where people chant
Death, death, death 'till sun cries morning
They chant about death until the sun rises
Down in the park with friends of mine
In the same hopeless place with some friends
We are not lovers, we are
We are not in love, we are
Romantics, we are here to serve
We are dreamers here to serve our purpose
Different face but the words never change
Despite our different appearances, our beliefs remain the same
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Punk-wy3lx
My kid brother, who was also the best friend I ever had, used to get really stoned with me and we would listen to this album (songs in the key of x) ALL THE TIME lol. This was one of our favorite tracks on that album.
He's been gone 25 years, this last December. It's like I can almost see him and hear him saying some ridiculous ass shit like "if it looks like a duck, and talks like a duck, you're probably stoned" when I listen to some of the songs we used to jam to. RIP baby bro.
@jelylim2607
God bless Foo Fighters for covering a song so brilliantly
@marawashington3280
Absolutely 😊
@dailyreactive
Heard it back when it first came out.. jeez, seems like a million years ago now.. really great cover; used to listen to it over and over..
@eraserheadache
Why isn’t it on Apple music? Aargh! Love this cover.
@bigtexmacgonigle444
Summer, 1996
..omg...good times❤❤❤❤
@bassoskat
Gary Numan is such an underrated artist. People who can see it get it. Evidenced by the many artists that have covered his work. I'm late to the Numan party but he's such a legend.
@di-raled
i put it together at the turn of the millennium. foo fighters, marilyn manson, nine inch nails, fear factory all doing covers, and a "sampling" by basement jaxx of some artist called gary numan. the thought "i better check this guy out", changed my life
@johndoe7270
I only discovered Gary a bit under a year ago. I was listening to NIN live and they had Gary come on stage and sing Metal. It's kinda awesome to discover such a prolific artist with such a rich history. So much music to go back and listen to.
@iMerlin..
You’re a g mate. It’s nice that you actually give Gary Numan some credit too. First version I ever heard of this song was Gary’s version and had such a hyperactive episode when I saw that foo fighters did a cover!!! Both such awesome versions. There needn’t be competition that I’ve seen some of the people in the comments create.