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
Dark Sunday
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You smile at me
Talk of love.
'He' will forgive me
If I confess.
Your dark Sunday
You lied to me
Replaced God
With a picture of my car.
I don't like this
I don't like this.
I'm on the E kick
So heaven's in my head
I'm in Outland
Shame on me.
I want pictures
People come, people go
D'you think God
Will forgive me soon?
You won't like this
You won't like this.
Rip it up
Rip it into pieces
Rip it up
Rip it for good.
Touch me, touch me.
He won't like this
He won't like this
'He' won't touch me
I can't dance and I can't sing
I'm not stone shape
But time runs out.
I don't like this
All I see is cold and hard
All I can do now
Is break 'the word'
I don't like this
I don't like this.
'He' will love me?
Well thank him
For nothing.
I need that like
I need a disease.
So pray for me.
I don't mind
I don't care.
I've found love
It's an American machine.
I don't like this
I don't like this.
The lyrics of Gary Numan's song Dark Sunday are cryptic and open to interpretation. At its core, the song is about someone who is struggling with their faith and morality. The first verse is directed towards someone who the singer views as toxic and dangerous, referring to them as poison. While this person talks of love, they still feel a need for forgiveness and confess to someone higher up.
The second verse has the singer questioning everything they once held as sacred. They refer to their previous concept of God and replace it with a picture of their car. This transition reflects their disillusionment with previous beliefs and their newfound attachment to material possessions. The chorus runs through the song, with the singer reiterating they don't like what's going on. The bridge expresses the singer's sense of being lost and turning to a sort of escape through drugs and fantasy.
However, the ending of the song seems to bring a brighter note, indicating that the singer has found love in the form of an American machine. Whether this refers to a literal machine or an idea is left up to interpretation, but it suggests that the singer is finally finding happiness and relief from their inner turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
You're like poison
Your words and actions are toxic and harmful to me.
You smile at me
You pretend to be nice to me, but I know you are not genuine.
Talk of love.
You say nice things about love, but your actions show otherwise.
'He' will forgive me
You believe that confessing your sins to a higher power will absolve you of any wrongdoing.
If I confess.
You are considering confessing your sins to seek forgiveness.
Your dark Sunday
You have a hidden, dark side that you reveal on Sundays.
You lied to me
You have deceived and misled me.
And so I
As a result of your lies and betrayal, I have decided to take action.
Replaced God
You have lost faith in a higher power and turned to something else to fill that void.
With a picture of my car.
You have replaced God with a material possession that represents status and power.
I don't like this
You are unhappy and dissatisfied with your current situation.
I'm on the E kick
You are under the influence of ecstasy or some other drug.
So heaven's in my head
The drug has altered your state of mind and made you feel euphoric.
I'm in Outland
You are in a surreal or unfamiliar place, possibly due to the effects of the drug.
Shame on me.
You feel guilty and embarrassed about your behavior.
I want pictures
You desire tangible reminders of your experiences and memories.
People come, people go
People enter and leave your life, but you remain unchanged.
D'you think God
You are seeking reassurance and guidance from a higher power.
Will forgive me soon?
You are hoping for absolution for your past mistakes and misdeeds.
You won't like this
You anticipate that your actions and decisions may have negative consequences for others.
Rip it up
You want to destroy or get rid of something that is bothering you.
Rip it into pieces
You want to completely obliterate the thing that is causing you distress.
Rip it for good.
You want to eliminate the source of your pain and discomfort permanently.
Touch me, touch me.
You crave physical touch and intimacy.
He won't like this
You fear that your actions may anger or disappoint a higher power.
He won't touch me
You feel abandoned and unsupported by a higher power.
I can't dance and I can't sing
You feel inadequate and lacking in talent or ability.
I'm not stone shape
You are not rigid or inflexible, and are willing to change if necessary.
But time runs out.
You feel like you are running out of time to achieve your goals or make changes.
All I see is cold and hard
You view the world as unforgiving and unyielding, with no room for compassion or understanding.
All I can do now
You feel limited in your options and abilities.
Is break 'the word'
You want to defy or rebel against societal norms and expectations.
'He' will love me?
You question whether a higher power will ever truly love and accept you.
Well thank him
You feel sarcastic and bitter about the idea of a higher power.
For nothing.
You feel like you have received no reward or recognition for your efforts.
I need that like
You want something desperately, even if it may not be good for you.
I need a disease.
You feel like you need something negative or harmful in order to feel alive and purposeful.
So pray for me.
You are asking for help or support from a higher power or others.
I don't mind
You are indifferent to the consequences of your actions.
I don't care.
You are apathetic and disinterested in your own wellbeing or the wellbeing of others.
I've found love
You have discovered something that brings you joy and fulfillment.
It's an American machine.
The thing that brings you joy and fulfillment is a material possession created by American industry.
I don't like this
Despite finding something that brings you joy, you are still unhappy with your current situation or circumstances.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind