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
Ancients
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like me.
All I know...
You're not with me.
Some can shine,
Some can fly,
Some are glorious,
Some are wise,
Some are strong,
Some are everything
You could dream of.
Some are clouds,
Some are rain,
Float like angel wings
On an ocean.
Some can sing
Songs of Gods,
Words so beautiful
They fall like raindrops.
Fall like raindrops.
Fall like raindrops.
But none are like me,
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know is you're not with me.
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know is you're not with me.
Some will cry,
Cry for you,
Take your pain away
When you're sleeping.
Some will die,
In your name,
Give their soul to you
For safe keeping.
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know...
All I know is that you're not with me,
Like me. (x3)
All I know is that you're not with me.
You're not with me. (x4)
The lyrics of Gary Numan's song, "Ancients," are open to interpretation, but they seem to express the singer's longing for someone who is not with him. He acknowledges that there are many other beautiful, wise, and strong beings in the world, but none of them are quite like him. Some may even cry or die for the person he is missing, but it does not make his absence any easier to bear. The repetition of the phrase "All I know is you're not with me, like me" highlights the uniqueness of the singer's relationship with this person and the loneliness he feels in their absence.
The song's chorus paints a vivid picture of the different types of beings that exist in the world. Some can shine and fly, while others are ancient and wise. Some are everything you could dream of, while others are like clouds and rain. There are those who can sing songs of gods and bring tears with their beauty, but none of them are like the singer who is missing his special someone.
Overall, the lyrics of "Ancients" convey a feeling of longing and loss, while also celebrating the diversity and beauty of life.
Line by Line Meaning
All I know is you're not with me, Like me.
The singer is aware that the person they care about is not by their side and was never quite like them.
All I know...You're not with me.
The singer reiterates that the person they are thinking of is absent from them.
Some can shine, Some can fly, Some are glorious, Some are ancient.
There are some people who possess exceptional traits like radiance, speed, grandiosity, or age.
Some are wise, Some are strong, Some are everything You could dream of.
Certain individuals exhibit qualities like intellect, power, and perfection which are desirable and dreamlike.
Some are clouds, Some are rain, Float like angel wings On an ocean.
People can be compared to different natural phenomena like clouds or rain and can have the effect of bringing comfort or inspiration like angel wings on water.
Some can sing Songs of Gods, Words so beautiful They fall like raindrops. Fall like raindrops. Fall like raindrops.
Some individuals are so talented in music that they can craft lyrics as divine as those of God, and the beauty of the words can leave a person as stunned as falling raindrops.
But none are like me,
Despite the exceptional qualities that other people possess, the singer is unique in their own way.
Some will cry, Cry for you, Take your pain away When you're sleeping.
There are those who will sympathize with the sufferings of others, and may silently and selflessly try to ease their pain.
Some will die, In your name, Give their soul to you For safe keeping.
Certain people will even sacrifice their lives for the sake of those they care about, with a belief that their soul will be safe in the person's custody.
All I know is that you're not with me, Like me. (x3) All I know is that you're not with me. You're not with me. (x4)
The artist repeats their acknowledgment that the person they love is not there, describing that they are not like them at all, and how they would give anything to change their status for the better.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andy Gray, Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gigi E Zee
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know...
You're not with me.
Some can shine,
Some can fly,
Some are glorious,
Some are ancient.
Some are wise,
Some are strong,
Some are everything
You could dream of.
Some are clouds,
Some are rain,
Float like angel wings
On an ocean.
Some can sing
Songs of Gods,
Words so beautiful
They fall like raindrops.
Fall like raindrops.
Fall like raindrops.
But none are like me,
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know is you're not with me.
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know is you're not with me.
Some will cry,
Cry for you,
Take your pain away
When you're sleeping.
Some will die,
In your name,
Give their soul to you
For safe keeping.
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
All I know...
All I know is that you're not with me,
Like me. (x3)
All I know is that you're not with me.
You're not with me. (x4)
Dean’s Wolf
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
Some can shine,
Some can fly,
Some are glorious,
Some are ancient.
Some are wise,
Some are strong,
Some are everything
You could dream of.
Some are clouds,
Some are rain,
Float like angel wings
On an ocean.
Some can sing
Songs of Gods,
Words so beautiful
They fall like raindrops.
But none are like me,
All I know is you're not with me,
Like me.
Some will cry,
Cry for you,
Take your pain away
When you're sleeping.
Some will die,
In your name,
Give their soul to you
For safe keeping.
All I know is your not with me,
Like me.
austin thomas
Ive been waiting here
Waiting for faith
And the word to fall.
Now the darkness comes
And Ill pray for
The end of us all.
Dont let the dark into me
We killed the angels that warned us of you
Dont let the dark into me
We raised the tower of babel for you
Dont let the dark into me
We let the children build temples for you
Dont let the dark into me
Dont let the vengeance of heaven be you
So pray to me, Im the lords new disease,
Look down into the face of god.
Bow down and cry, Im the black messiah,
The one true divinity.
Kneel before my altar and drink the wine of slaughter,
Who said Id save anyone?
So bleed for me, I need hostility
To lead the faithful and the blind.
Dont let the light shine on me
I am the poison that feeds life to you
Dont let the light shine on me
I am the demon that waits inside you
Dont let the light shine on me
I am the ghost that reminds death of you
Dont let the light shine on me
I am the darkness that crawls into you
Phil Chadwick
Amazing track. Gary Numan is soooo underrated it's a bloody crime. How he is constantly passed up at awards ceremonies year after year is beyond me. If ever there was a worthy recipient of the award for outstanding contribution to music then it surely must go to him.
Mark H
Gary Numan; the most under-rated artist of our time. He's like fine wine now, he just gets better with age. Go another 30 years Gazza!!
Tauron68
I agree. I felt Numan was ahead of his time back in 1979 at 12 years old. No one can compare to him. By the way.....Is Numan human?
Dean’s Wolf
Since I lost My eldest brother this coming sunday and laid him to rest the 6th of Nov this song fits how I and the rest of the remaining siblings feel there were five of us now there are only four of us left. Thank you Gary this song hits home in sooo many ways for myself and others.
Saori Keller
This song is screaming to be a James Bond theme song!!! God, I love it!!!! :-)
Tracy Morley
True should be bril as a james bond film
DeathfireSaturos
Thats because his music is so amazing, everyone keeps hold of his albums :)
christian separatist
This could easily be used in a lot of Hollywood movie soundtracks. A great and underestimated , under praised recording by Numan.
starlorda
Ancients, another stunning song by Gary Numan. He must be one of the most underrated, misunderstood, but best songwriters that Britain has ever produced.
Lee Griep
This song can still give me chills down my neck.