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
Deadliner
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But something is here
In the dark, in the dream
Like a cruel wind clutching my heart
I feel more than I see
Like a clue to a nightmare that I can't believe
Then it touches me and I try to scream
And a thought tears me inside
Anything, you understand?
Just to wake up
Sometimes it almost makes me cry
Sometimes it seems to call my name out loud
Sometimes it feels like I'm alone
And then it comes for me again
I'm told it's called 'The unreality dream'
I'm told it's called 'The great American lie'
I'm told that this is like the vengeance of God
I can't believe that God would do this to me
I've known fear many times but nothing like this
I'm so scared I can't breathe
I know I'm asleep but I know this is real
And nothing can help me here
I'm deep inside something and I may never come back
And then it was gone
And then I realized that 'The Rush' brought it in
And I will never sleep alone again
Sometimes it almost breaks my heart
Sometimes I swear I hear it laugh at me
Sometimes it feels like I could die
And then it leaves my dreams again
Feels like I'm fighting the possession of my soul
I'm told that this is called 'The sickness of need'
I've got to cut the sex connection and slide
A word of warning to the weary and wise
In Gary Numan's song Deadliner, the singer is having a terrifying dream or nightmare that feels all too real. The dream is referred to as 'The unreality dream' and 'The great American lie', and is described as a cruel wind clutching the singer's heart. The dream seems to be taking control of the singer's soul, possessing him and making him fear for his life. He wants to escape and wake up, but can't seem to shake the dream. In the end, he realizes that it was brought on by 'The Rush', which may refer to illicit substances, and that he will never sleep alone again.
The song deals with themes of fear, control, and addiction. The singer is scared of the power that the dream has over him, and feels helpless to fight it. The idea that it is brought on by 'The Rush' adds another layer of fear and danger, as addiction can often lead to loss of control and dire consequences. The warning at the end of the song to 'cut the sex connection and slide' seems to be a reference to the dangers of addiction and the need to be vigilant against it.
Gary Numan himself has spoken about the song in interviews, stating that he wrote it during a time of personal struggle with addiction and depression. He has also mentioned that the song was partially inspired by the book "The Power of the Daleks" from the "Doctor Who" television series. Overall, "Deadliner" is a haunting and introspective exploration of the darker corners of the human psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
So I close my eyes and drift into sleep
As I prepare to sleep, I shut my eyes and relax my mind and body.
But something is here
Something ominous and unsettling lurks in the darkness of my mind.
In the dark, in the dream
In the depths of my subconscious where nightmares dwell.
Like a cruel wind clutching my heart
A chilling, malevolent force grips my heart and fills me with dread.
I feel more than I see
I sense a pervasive evil that's difficult to discern or confront directly.
Like a clue to a nightmare that I can't believe
It's as if I've stumbled upon a hint of a horror that defies belief.
Then it touches me and I try to scream
The terror becomes palpable as it physically strikes me and I attempt to cry out.
And a thought tears me inside
A traumatic realization rips through me, causing pain and despair.
And I will do anything
Filled with desperation and terror, I'm willing to take any action to escape the nightmare.
Anything, you understand?
I'm imploring someone, anyone, to comprehend the depth of my terror and help me wake up.
Just to wake up
The only way out of the horror is to flee back to the waking world.
Sometimes it almost makes me cry
The horror is so intense that I'm nearly moved to tears.
Sometimes it seems to call my name out loud
The evil takes on a malevolent sentience, addressing me by name and taunting me.
Sometimes it feels like I'm alone
Isolated and helpless in the dream world, with no one to protect or comfort me.
And then it comes for me again
The nightmare returns to torment me, again and again.
I'm told it's called 'The unreality dream'
Others have experienced similar horrors, which they refer to as 'The unreality dream.'
I'm told it's called 'The great American lie'
Some suggest that this horror is part of a greater deception foisted upon society, 'The great American lie.'
I'm told that this is like the vengeance of God
Some believe that this horror is a divine punishment or revenge.
I can't believe that God would do this to me
I struggle to reconcile the idea of a loving God with the suffering and terror I'm experiencing.
I've known fear many times but nothing like this
Although I've experienced fear and anxiety before, this particular horror is beyond anything I've ever felt.
I'm so scared I can't breathe
The terror is so overwhelming that it's affecting my physical ability to breathe and function.
I know I'm asleep but I know this is real
Even though I'm aware that I'm dreaming, the horror feels all too real and inescapable.
And nothing can help me here
There's no way to escape or find solace in this nightmare; I'm completely alone.
I'm deep inside something and I may never come back
I've sunk so far into the nightmare that I worry I may never recover or return to reality.
And then it was gone
Mercifully, the horror recedes and dissipates on its own.
And then I realized that 'The Rush' brought it in
Upon reflection, I realize that the horror was triggered by something in my life, perhaps a drug or other stimulant.
And I will never sleep alone again
Despite the horror that I experienced, I'm resolved to face my fears and continue sleeping, with the understanding that I'm never truly alone.
Feels like I'm fighting the possession of my soul
The terror feels like a spiritual battle for my very soul.
I'm told that this is called 'The sickness of need'
The horror is part of a larger condition known as 'The sickness of need.'
I've got to cut the sex connection and slide
In order to escape the horror, I must disconnect from something in my life that's linked to it, possibly sexual arousal or activity.
A word of warning to the weary and wise
I offer this advice to anyone else who may face a similar horror: be careful and stay alert, because the danger could strike at any time.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
God's Warrior
So I close my eyes and drift into sleep
But something is here in the dark, in the dream
Like a cruel wind clutching my heart, I feel more than I see
Like a clue to a nightmare that I can't believe
Then it touches me and I try to scream
And a thought tears me inside
And I will do anything, anything, you understand?
Just to wake up
Sometimes it almost makes me cry
Sometimes it seems to call my name out loud
Sometimes it feels like I'm alone
And then it comes for me again
I'm told it's called the unreality dream
I'm told it's called the great American lie
I'm told that this is like the vengeance of God
I can't believe that God would do this to me
I've known fear many times but nothing like this
I'm so scared, I can't breathe
I know I'm asleep but I know this is real
And no one can help me here
I'm deep inside something and I may never come back
And then it was gone
And then I realized that the rush brought it in
And I will never sleep alone again
Sometimes it almost breaks my heart
Sometimes I swear, I hear it laugh at me
Sometimes it feels like I could die
And then it leaves my dreams again
Feels like I'm fighting the possession of my soul
I'm told that this is called the sickness of need
I've got to cut the sex connection and slide
A word of warning to the weary and wise
Shoenice Mugshot
Damn I've never uncontrollably cried to a song, wow the emotion I felt while listening to this was unreal
Frank M
One of my favourite Numan tracks.
Theron Hayden
LOVE the groove and vibe on this jam! One of the best tunes on this rec
God's Warrior
So I close my eyes and drift into sleep
But something is here in the dark, in the dream
Like a cruel wind clutching my heart, I feel more than I see
Like a clue to a nightmare that I can't believe
Then it touches me and I try to scream
And a thought tears me inside
And I will do anything, anything, you understand?
Just to wake up
Sometimes it almost makes me cry
Sometimes it seems to call my name out loud
Sometimes it feels like I'm alone
And then it comes for me again
I'm told it's called the unreality dream
I'm told it's called the great American lie
I'm told that this is like the vengeance of God
I can't believe that God would do this to me
I've known fear many times but nothing like this
I'm so scared, I can't breathe
I know I'm asleep but I know this is real
And no one can help me here
I'm deep inside something and I may never come back
And then it was gone
And then I realized that the rush brought it in
And I will never sleep alone again
Sometimes it almost breaks my heart
Sometimes I swear, I hear it laugh at me
Sometimes it feels like I could die
And then it leaves my dreams again
Feels like I'm fighting the possession of my soul
I'm told that this is called the sickness of need
I've got to cut the sex connection and slide
A word of warning to the weary and wise
gerrynova1
thanks
Anne-Lee Specter
This track made me a fan. So beautifully haunting
Polyprincessadoll
❤🎶🎤 Thanks uploader for posting this for me, everyone, us and especially one of our favorite musicians: ⭐🎶 🎹 🎸🎤Gary Numan!
Beasty
this song is so brilliant!
Phil Lynott
Forgot about this song. Always loved this song
Frank Schalk
Beautiful track