Both Numan's music and his transgressive public image are known for his sense of alien coldness and embrace of avant-garde influences. Becoming of the founding fathers of electronic-based pop music, Numan's reach extends far beyond his lone American hit, “Cars,” which still stands as one of the defining new wave singles. That seminal track helped usher in the synthpop era on both sides of the Atlantic, especially his native England, where he was a genuine pop star and consistent hit-maker during the early 80s. Even after new wave had mostly petered out, Numan’s influence continued to make itself felt. His dark, paranoid vision, theatrically icy persona, and clinical, robotic sound were echoed strongly in the work of many goth rock and (especially) industrial artists during the past several decades. For his part, Numan just kept on recording, and, by the late 90s, he’d become a hip name to drop. Prominent alternative rock bands have covered his hits, with Numan himself playing live with Nine Inch Nails briefly to much acclaim, and a goth-flavored brand of industrial-type music christened darkwave looks to him as its mentor.
Numan was born Gary Anthony James Webb on March 8, 1958, in Hammersmith, West London, U.K. A shy child, music brought him out of his shell; he began playing guitar in his early teens and played in several short-lived bands. Inspired by the amateurism of the punk movement, he joined a punk rock group called "The Lasers" in 1976. The following year, he and bassist Paul Gardiner split off to form a new group, dubbed "Tubeway Army", with drummer Bob Simmonds. They recorded a couple of singles under futuristic pseudonyms (Valerium [or Valerian], Scarlett, and Rael, respectively) that attempted to match their new interest in synthesizers. Scrapping that idea, Webb rechristened himself Gary Numan and replaced Simmonds with his uncle Jess Lidyard. Thus constituted, "Tubeway Army" cut a set of "punk-meets-Kraftwerk" demos for Beggars Banquet in early 1978. That work ended up being released several years later as 'The Plan'.
That summer, Numan sang a TV commercial jingle for jeans, and toward the end of the year the group’s debut album, 'Tubeway Army', appeared. Chiefly influenced by Kraftwerk and David Bowie’s Berlin-era collaborations with Brian Eno, the album also displayed Numan’s fascination with the electronic, experimental side of glam rock (such as in some works by Roxy Music and Ultravox) and Krautrock (such as in some works by Can). He also drew much influence from transgressive science fiction writers such as Philip K. Dick, people who challenged conventional thinking through exploring the affects of new technology.
The group’s second album, 'Replicas', was released in early 1979. Its accompanying single, “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?", was a left-field smash, topping the UK charts and sending 'Replicas' to number one on the album listings as well. The record also included “Down in the Park", an oft-covered song that stands as one of Numan’s most 'gothic' outings.
Numan had become a star overnight, despite critical distaste for any music so heavily reliant on synthesizers, and he formed a larger backing band that replaced "Tubeway Army", keeping Gardiner on bass. "The Pleasure Principle" was released in the fall of 1979 and spawned Numan’s international hit “Cars”, which reached the American Top Ten and hit number one in the UK; the album also became Numan’s second straight British number one. He put together a hugely elaborate, futuristic stage show and went on a money-losing tour, and also began to indulge his hobby as an amateur pilot with his newfound wealth.
Numan returned in the fall of 1980 with "Telekon", his third straight chart-topping album in Britain, and scored two Top Ten hits with “We Are Glass” and “I Die: You Die”; “This Wreckage” later reached the Top 20.
In 1981, Numan announced his retirement from live performance, playing several farewell concerts just prior to the release of "Dance". While "Dance" and its lead single, “She’s Got Claws”, were both climbing into the British Top Ten, Numan attempted to fly around the world, but in a bizarre twist was arrested in India on suspicion of spying and smuggling. The charges were dropped, although authorities confiscated his plane. His retirement proved short-lived, but when he returned in 1982 with "I, Assassin", some of his popularity had dissipated - perhaps because of the retirement announcement, perhaps because the charts were overflowing with synthpop, much of which was already expanding on Numan’s early innovations (which were starting to sound repetitive). "I, Assassin" was another Top Ten album, and “We Take Mystery (To Bed)” another major hit, but in general Numan’s singles were starting to slip on the charts; the title track of 1983’s "Warriors" became his last British Top Twenty hit (excluding reissues and collaborations).
Numan and Beggars Banquet subsequently parted ways, and Numan formed his own Numa label, kicking things off with "Berserker" in late 1984. Sadly, longtime collaborator "Paul Gardiner" died earlier that year from a drug overdose. 1985’s "The Fury" became the final Numan album to reach the British Top 30. Over the next few years, Numan collaborated occasionally with "Shakatak’s" Bill Sharpe, releasing four singles and one album from 1985-1989.
Following 1986’s "Strange Charm", Numan signed with IRS, but the relationship was fraught with discord from the start. IRS forced Numan to change the title of 1988’s "Metal Rhythm" to "New Anger" for his first North American release since 1981 (and also remixed several tracks), refused to release his soundtrack for the film "The Unborn", and would not fund any supporting tours for "New Anger" or 1991’s "Outland". When his contract expired, Numan returned to Numa for 1992’s "Machine + Soul".
1994 brought the release of the industrial-tinged "Sacrifice", the first glimmering of Numan’s return to critical favor and underground hipness. Over the next few years, bands like "Hole", "The Foo Fighters", and "Smashing Pumpkins" covered Numan songs in concert, and Marilyn Manson recorded “Down in the Park” for the B-side of the “Lunchbox” single; moreover, "Nine Inch Nails" cited Numan as an important influence. With his fan base refreshed and expectations raised, Numan delved deeper into gothic, metal-tinged industrial dance on 1997’s "Exile". However, he didn’t truly hit his stride in this newly adopted style until 2000’s "Pure", which was acclaimed as his best work in years and expanded his cult following into new territory.
In 2003, Numan enjoyed fleeting chart success once again with the "Gary Numan vs Rico" single “Crazier”, reaching No.13 in the U.K. chart. Rico, who is an up and coming artist from Glasgow, also worked on the remix album "Hybrid" which featured reworkings of older songs in a more contemporary industrial style. In 2004 Numan took control of his own business affairs again, launching the label Mortal Records and releasing a series of live DVDs as a precursor to his highly anticipated new studio album, "Jagged" which was released on 13 March 2006. An album launch gig took place at "The Forum, London" on 18 March 2006. Numan announced a UK tour commencing in April 2006 and plans to tour other countries, including the USA, during the year in support of the release. Numan also to launched a "Jagged" website to showcase the new album.
Numan contributed vocals to four tracks on the April 2007 release of Ade Fenton’s debut solo album "Artificial Perfect" on his new industrial/electronic label Submission, including songs “The Leather Sea”, “Slide Away”, “Recall” and the first single to be taken from the album, “Healing”. The second single to be released in the UK was “The Leather Sea” on July 30, 2007.
In 2008, he released a double CD remix album "Jagged Edge", based around 2006’s critically acclaimed "Jagged", co-produced with Ade Fenton. The pair are currently in the studio working on Numan’s 18th studio album "Splinter", due for release in 2009.
While Numan is known for his electronic music innovations, he prefers real instruments. He explained in an interview with Songfacts: "I didn't go the technology route wholeheartedly, the way Kraftwerk had done. I considered it to be a layer. I added to what we already had, and I wanted to merge that. There's plenty of things about guitar players, and bass players, and songs I really love that I didn't particularly want to get rid of. The only time I did get rid of guitars was on Pleasure Principle, and that was in fact a reaction to the press. I got a huge amount of hostility from the British press, particularly, when I first became successful. And Pleasure Principle was the first album I made after that success happened. I became successful in the early part of '79 and Pleasure Principle came out in the end of '79, in the UK, anyway. And there was a lot of talk about electronic music being cold and weak and all that sort of stuff. So I made Pleasure Principle to try to prove a point, that you could make a contemporary album that didn't have guitar in it, but still had enough power and would stand up well. That's the only reason that album didn't have guitar in it. But apart from that one album they've all had guitars - that was the blueprint."
The official website can be found here: www.garynuman.co.uk
A Prayer For The Unborn
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you weren't listening.
Making miracles?
So, I begged...
But you were far away.
Saving souls perhaps?
But she was very small
And you have worlds to mend.
So, she died...
And you were glorious.
But you were somewhere else.
If you are my shepherd
Then I'm lost and no one can find me.
If you are my saviour
Then I'm dead and no one can help me.
If you are my glory
Then I'm sick and no one can cure me.
If you light my darkness
Then I'm blind and no one can see me.
If you are my father
Then love lies abandoned and bleeding.
If you are my comfort
Then nightmares are real and deceiving.
If you are my answer
Then I must have asked the wrong question.
I'd spit on your heaven
If I could find one to believe in.
Gary Numan's song A Prayer For the Unborn addresses the idea of a higher power, and the struggles that come with belief and faith. In the first verse, he prays, begs, and screams for help or salvation, but feels ignored or abandoned by God. The repetition of "you" emphasizes this feeling of detachment and distance from the divine. The third and fourth lines of the verse suggest that while Numan might believe in the possibility of miracles and salvation, he doesn't see them as feasible constructs.
The second verse takes a darker turn, as Numan shares the story of a personal loss. He refers to a loved one who dies despite his prayers, and the realization that God is "somewhere else" and cannot offer aid. The lines "If you are my shepherd/Then I'm lost and no one can find me," "If you are my saviour/Then I'm dead and no one can help me," and "If you light my darkness/Then I'm blind and no one can see me" showcase Numan's feelings of helplessness and abandonment. The final two lines of the song are a powerful statement of defiance against heaven and the idea of God for Numan.
Overall, the song speaks to the frustration and suffering that can come with religious beliefs, and the complexities and confusion that are inherent in belief and faith.
Line by Line Meaning
So, I prayed...
I prayed for something or someone to help me or fix a problem.
But you weren't listening.
I didn't receive any help or response from a higher being or power.
Making miracles?
I wonder if any miracles or divine interventions are actually possible.
So, I begged...
I begged in a desperate attempt to receive help or a solution.
But you were far away.
It seemed like any higher being or power was too far away to hear me or help me.
Saving souls perhaps?
I wonder if the higher being or power was busy with more important matters, like saving souls.
So, I screamed...
I screamed out of frustration and despair.
But she was very small
It seemed like the person or thing I was hoping to save or help was insignificant or powerless compared to the bigger issues in the world.
And you have worlds to mend.
The higher being or power seemed to have much bigger issues and problems to address than my own personal concerns.
So, she died...
The person or thing I was trying to save or help was unable to overcome their obstacles and perished.
And you were glorious.
Despite this tragedy, the higher being or power still seemed admirable and praiseworthy.
But you were somewhere else.
It seemed like the higher being or power wasn't actually present or involved in my situation despite the tragedy.
If you are my shepherd
If I am being guided or watched over by a higher being or power.
Then I'm lost and no one can find me.
Despite being watched over, I still feel lost and directionless in life.
If you are my saviour
If I am being saved or rescued by a higher being or power.
Then I'm dead and no one can help me.
Despite being saved, I still feel helpless and unable to overcome my struggles.
If you are my glory
If I am finding greatness or honor in a higher being or power.
Then I'm sick and no one can cure me.
Despite finding greatness, I still feel unwell or unfulfilled in life.
If you light my darkness
If I am being shown the way or guided in a time of darkness or difficulty by a higher being or power.
Then I'm blind and no one can see me.
Despite being given guidance, I still feel invisible and unnoticed in the world.
If you are my father
If a higher being or power is like a father figure to me.
Then love lies abandoned and bleeding.
Despite having a father figure, love still feels neglected and wounded.
If you are my comfort
If a higher being or power brings me comfort in difficult times.
Then nightmares are real and deceiving.
Despite the comfort, nightmares and fears still feel haunting and unsettling.
If you are my answer
If a higher being or power is the answer to all my problems or questions in life.
Then I must have asked the wrong question.
Despite searching for answers, I still feel lost and unsuccessful in finding them.
I'd spit on your heaven
I would reject any idea or belief in a higher being or power's heaven, or ideal place for the afterlife.
If I could find one to believe in.
Despite rejecting the idea of heaven, I still long for something to believe in or find comfort in.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kennethbarr5150
So, I prayed
But you weren't listening.
Making miracles?
So, I begged
But you were far away.
Saving souls perhaps?
So, I screamed
But she was very small
And you have worlds to mend
So, she died
And you were glorious
But you were somewhere else
If you are my shepherd
Then I'm lost and no-one can find me
If you are my saviour
Then I'm dead and no-one can help me
If you are my glory
Then I'm sick and no-one can cure me
If you light my darkness
Then I'm blind and no-one can see me
If you are my father
Then love lies abandoned and bleeding
If you are my comfort
Then nightmares are real and deceiving
If you are my answer
Then I must have asked the wrong question
I'd spit on your heaven
If I could find one to believe in
@mikecollings2808
Always fills me with pride when I tell someone I've been a fan since 79
@nidgrv1946
Mike Collings it’s great being there as it happened isn’t it. Lifelong fan. Saw him live last night and this song in particular, was almost a spiritual experience.
@simonsackett
Me too! I was at secondary school when Cars was released and the synth sounds, and Gary's voice, instantly latched onto something in my brain. Since then I've loved everything unusual and differently interesting in the music world, and I have pretty much everything Gary released. Seems a nice bloke too! :)
@abbysapples1225
I was born in 1979
@stephendennis8739
Same here 79 ever since hearing replica
@brndll
Me as well... which also includes a lifelong fascination with the Cure as well.
@idoliznuman8835
The combination of synth and guitar power chords is just heavenly gary at his best
@alisonkovacs9871
So hauntingly beautiful and gary is so gorgeous bless him this song is about poor Gemma and gary losing their first baby
@JAYMES2568
I thought this too when I read the lyrics but you have confirmed this, thanks
@DavidJones-wx4im
Been a Numan fan since 1979, but this track is Numan at his very best.