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
Dead Heaven
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost to dreams
I was dying in a big machine
Didn't think the voice that called me
Could be real.
Thought I woke up
Lost my faith
Didn't think I'd see the demon in "His" heart
Thought I saw blood
Turn to wine
A vision from the angel wars
Didn't think I'd find the savior in the dark
Thought I saw a light
Tear the storm
Showing me the way to God
Didn't know that Heaven died and went to Hell
Blessed is dead Heaven
Blessed are shadows and pain
Blessed is dead Heaven
Blessed is death in "His" name
Thought I saw rain
Black and cold
Falling on a child's grave
Thought I saw an angel laugh and piss on it
Thought I saw a dance
Strange and cruel
Swaying to the screams of men
Thought I saw the Lord's disciples laugh at that
Thought I saw love
Sacrificed
Mary under three wise men
Thought I saw the Virgin look at me and cry
Thought I saw a cross
And Jesus dead
Burning in the midnight sky
Thought I saw God dancing in the flames
Glory is dead Heaven
Glory is shadows and pain
Glory is dead Heaven
Glory is death in "His" name
"Do you confess?"
"Cleanse your sin"
"Do you believe in the word of God?"
Welcome to dead Heaven
Welcome to shadows and pain
Welcome to dead Heaven
Welcome to death in "His" name
Gary Numan's 1994 song Dead Heaven is a dark reflection on the nature of faith and belief, tackling weighty themes of sin, salvation, and damnation. The lyrics themselves are rife with biblical allusions and imagery, painting a picture of a world where even the most devout believers are lost and struggling to find their way. The opening lines set the tone, as the singer awakens from a dream-like state to the realization that they are "dying in a big machine." This sense of being trapped or lost is repeated throughout the song, with references to "dead Heaven," "shadows and pain," and "death in "His" name."
Despite the bleakness of the lyrics, there are also moments of hope and redemption. The vision of blood turning to wine and the savior being found in the dark suggest that even in the most trying times, there is still the possibility of grace. However, the song also contains moments of grotesque imagery, such as the vision of an angel laughing and urinating on a child's grave, and the Lord's disciples laughing at the screams of men. This juxtaposition of beauty and horror is a hallmark of Numan's style, and adds to the unsettling feeling of the song overall.
Overall, Dead Heaven is an intense and complex song that challenges listeners to grapple with the nature of faith and belief. With its potent imagery and confrontational lyrics, it is a powerful exploration of the limits of human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Thought I was asleep
Believed to be in a state of sleep
Lost to dreams
Unaware of the reality, immersed in dreams
I was dying in a big machine
Sensation of dying while being trapped in a large, mechanical device
Didn't think the voice that called me / Could be real
Assumed the voice to be an illusion, not reality
Thought I woke up
Assumed to have woken up from sleep
Lost my faith
Lost belief in the divine power
I was staring at the face of rage
Looking at a furious face filled with anger
Didn't think I'd see the demon in "His" heart
Didn't expect to witness evil in the heart of God
Thought I saw blood
Imagined to have seen blood
Turn to wine
Transformed into wine
A vision from the angel wars
A supernatural sighting from a celestial battle
Didn't think I'd find the savior in the dark
Didn't expect to find salvation in the midst of darkness
Thought I saw a light
Saw a glimpse of light
Tear the storm
Tore apart the storm
Showing me the way to God
Guided towards salvation
Didn't know that Heaven died and went to Hell
Unaware that paradise has transformed into a living hell
Blessed is dead Heaven
The cursed version of the once blessed paradise
Blessed are shadows and pain
The misfortune that brings blessings
Blessed is death in "His" name
A solemn recognition of death as a part of God's plan
Thought I saw rain
Believed the falling liquid to be rain
Black and cold
Dark and freezing in nature
Falling on a child's grave
Dropping onto the resting place of an innocent soul
Thought I saw an angel laugh and piss on it
Hallucination of a heavenly creature desecrating the tomb
Thought I saw a dance
Perceived a performance of some kind
Strange and cruel
Bizarre and merciless
Swaying to the screams of men
Moving rhythmically to the agonizing sounds of male torture
Thought I saw the Lord's disciples laugh at that
Assumed the followers of Christ to be mocking the horrific act
Thought I saw love
Believed to see a display of affection
Sacrificed
Offered as a sacrifice
Mary under three wise men
Mary accompanied by the three wise men
Thought I saw the Virgin look at me and cry
Felt the Mother of Jesus crying to his soul
Thought I saw a cross
Sight of a crucifix
And Jesus dead
Jesus' lifeless body on the cross
Burning in the midnight sky
On fire against the dark backdrop of the night sky
Thought I saw God dancing in the flames
Believed to have seen God rejoicing amidst the inferno
Glory is dead Heaven
Formerly praiseworthy afterlife turned desolate
Glory is shadows and pain
Worship-worthy experience transformed into misery
Glory is death in "His" name
Worthiness attributed to death as a part of God's plan
"Do you confess?"
Enquiring about acknowledging guilt
"Cleanse your sin"
Requesting to purify the soul
"Do you believe in the word of God?"
Asking about faith in the divine power
Welcome to dead Heaven
Arrival to the cursed paradise
Welcome to shadows and pain
Reception to the misery and darkness
Welcome to death in "His" name
Acceptance of death as the handiwork of the Almighty
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind