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
Are You Real
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could almost be me
What do you mean
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all"
Room eight top floor
I've seen this man before
Are you real?
Cold metal voice
Of no one's friend it could be mine
My reflection
Is no longer me at all
Am I a fake
Of the man and are you of me
Are you real?
Is it me, is it you
Relax in a backroom
Oh me oh my oh wouldn't you
I know your face
Your connection is broken, boy
Nothing is new
Remember? I've got no time
Are you real?
Is it me, is it you
Real?
Real?
Real?
The lyrics of Gary Numan's song Are You Real?are quite cryptic and mysterious, which makes its interpretation a bit challenging. The song begins with the statement "No one's alive, You could almost be me," which implies that the singer is questioning the authenticity of the individual he is addressing. When the person responds with "Oh, nothing, nothing at all," it further confuses the singer's perception of the situation. The next section includes the phrase "Cold metal voice, Of no one's friend it could be mine," which highlights the lack of warmth and affection in their conversation.
In the second verse, the singer's reflection is mentioned, emphasizing that he is not the same person he once was. The line "Am I a fake, Of the man and are you of me?" suggests that both individuals have an identity that is in question. It feels as though the singer is unsure about himself, whether the reflection he sees in himself is genuine or a counterfeit. The song continues with the repetition of the phrase "Are you real?" which suggests that the whole song is a metaphor for a deeper existential question. It seems like the singer is trying to understand the true nature of existence and identity, questioning if what he perceives as real is genuine or if it's just an illusion.
Line by Line Meaning
No one's alive
Gary Numan feels like there is no one who truly understands him or his struggles.
You could almost be me
The person Gary Numan is talking to reminds him a lot of himself, possibly because they share similar experiences.
What do you mean
Gary Numan is confused and looking for clarity or answers from the person he is talking to.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all"
The response Gary Numan gets is unhelpful and unsatisfying, leading him to feel more alienated and misunderstood.
Room eight top floor
Gary Numan provides a specific location to show that he has been to this place before, which could mean it already holds significance or is about to become significant to him.
I've seen this man before
Gary Numan recognizes someone he has encountered in the past, but perhaps doesn't remember their name or the context of their previous meetings.
Are you real?
Gary Numan is questioning the authenticity or genuineness of the person he is talking to, suggesting he may feel alone or paranoid in his perceptions of the world around him.
Is it me, is it you
Gary Numan is unsure if he or the person he is talking to has a solid grasp on reality, suggesting confusion or mistrust between the two of them.
Cold metal voice
The voice Gary Numan hears sounds robotic or manufactured, losing the warmth and humanity of a natural voice.
Of no one's friend it could be mine
Gary Numan feels like he is talking to a stranger, but wonders if he could still form a connection or bond with them, hinting at a desire for companionship or understanding.
My reflection
Gary Numan sees himself reflected in the person he is talking to, possibly comparing their experiences or emotions as a way of coping or making sense of his life.
Is no longer me at all
Gary Numan feels disconnected from his own reflection or self-image, suggesting he may be experiencing an existential crisis or loss of identity.
Am I a fake
Gary Numan wonders whether he is an imposter or fraud who doesn't belong in his own life or identity.
Of the man and are you of me
Gary Numan is exploring the concept of identity and how it relates to other people, suggesting he may feel a sense of separation or fragmentation from himself and others.
Relax in a backroom
Gary Numan is trying to find a moment of peace or relaxation in the midst of his confusion and uncertainty, possibly indicating he is overwhelmed or stressed.
Oh me oh my oh wouldn't you
Gary Numan is pleading for someone to understand him or offer him support, suggesting he is feeling isolated or vulnerable in this moment.
I know your face
Gary Numan recognizes the person he is talking to again, possibly indicating that he has established some level of familiarity or rapport with them despite his earlier doubts.
Your connection is broken, boy
The person Gary Numan is talking to is unable or unwilling to offer him the emotional or mental connection he is seeking, possibly hinting at the challenges of building relationships and connections in a disconnected world.
Nothing is new
Gary Numan may be feeling disillusioned or jaded, finding that nothing in his life is changing or progressing in a positive direction.
Remember? I've got no time
Gary Numan may be reminding the person he is talking to of the importance of time and how it relates to life and identity, hinting at his own sense of urgency or anxiety around these themes.
Are you real?
Gary Numan repeats his earlier question, possibly indicating that he is still unsure or hesitant in his interactions with others, and asking for confirmation or validation of what he perceives to be true or real.
Real?
Gary Numan continues to question the reality or authenticity of the world around him, suggesting a profound sense of disconnection or alienation from his own life and identity.
Real?
This repetition emphasizes that Gary Numan is deeply questioning the nature of reality and his own role within it, hinting at themes of existentialism, identity, and purpose in life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind