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
Scar
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crawling around
Looking for a friend.
I'm not
Thinking the big I am.
I'm not
Down on the ground
Looking for a cure.
Saying that I'm the man.
And I'm not asking for your opinion.
I'm not asking for a miracle.
And I'm not asking you to remember me,
Not asking for the ghost to call.
I'm
Cold and corrupt
Looking for a heart.
I'm
Trying to hide my scars.
I'm
Talking to you
Like a shadow in the dark.
I'm
Just trying to survive.
(Call my name, hide my shame)
I call this human emotion.
(Save my soul, save my soul)
I call this human corrosion.
And I'm not asking you for emotion,
I'm not asking for the sky to mend.
And I'm not asking you for nostalgia,
I'm not asking for the world to end.
And I'm not asking for your opinion,
I'm not asking for a miracle.
And I'm not asking you to remember me,
Not asking for the ghost to call
In Gary Numan's song "Scar," the lyrics reveal a sense of detachment and self-reliance. The persona rejects the idea of seeking validation or assistance from others, instead preferring to deal with their inner demons alone. The repeated refrain of "I'm not asking" emphasizes this, as the persona shuts down any potential offers of support before they can even be made.
The second verse introduces a vulnerability to the persona that is often hidden beneath their detachment. They admit to being "cold and corrupt" and seeking a heart, while also acknowledging that they have scars they attempt to hide. The line "Talking to you/Like a shadow in the dark" further emphasizes this desire for human connection but the difficulty in attaining it. The persona is simply trying to survive in their current state, which is described as "human emotion" and "human corrosion."
The overall message of the song seems to be that everyone has their own struggles and flaws, and they must learn to cope with them on their own terms. The persona rejects the idea that anyone else can fix their problems or offer them emotional support. They have accepted the negative aspects of themselves, and while they may desire connections with others, they are ultimately just trying to get by in their own way.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not
Crawling around
Looking for a friend.
I'm not begging for companionship or acceptance.
I'm not
Thinking the big I am.
I'm not arrogant or overconfident in my abilities.
I'm not
Down on the ground
Looking for a cure.
I'm not searching for a solution to my problems.
I'm not
Saying that I'm the man.
I'm not claiming to be the best or the most important person.
And I'm not asking for your opinion.
I don't care what you think.
I'm not asking for a miracle.
I don't expect any extraordinary help.
And I'm not asking you to remember me,
Not asking for the ghost to call.
I don't want to be remembered or visited by spirits after I die.
I'm
Cold and corrupt
Looking for a heart.
I'm numb and flawed, searching for warmth and compassion.
I'm
Trying to hide my scars.
I'm attempting to cover up my emotional wounds and insecurities.
I'm
Talking to you
Like a shadow in the dark.
I'm speaking to you indirectly, as if I'm not really there.
I'm
Just trying to survive.
I'm struggling to stay alive and cope with life's challenges.
(Call my name, hide my shame)
I call this human emotion.
Asking for recognition and concealment of my faults is a common human trait.
(Save my soul, save my soul)
I call this human corrosion.
Our tendency to need salvation and the destructive nature of this desire are also universal human experiences.
And I'm not asking you for emotion,
I'm not asking for the sky to mend.
I don't want your feelings or any miraculous transformations of the world around me.
And I'm not asking you for nostalgia,
I'm not asking for the world to end.
I don't seek sentimental memories or catastrophic changes to the world.
And I'm not asking for your opinion,
I'm not asking for a miracle.
And I'm not asking you to remember me,
Not asking for the ghost to call.
I repeat, I don't care what you think, I don't want any supernatural intervention or remembrance.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CrashManUltra
I absolutely love this. There’s something slightly corny about it, and I’m sure that was true at the time as well, but it’s just oozing with authenticity and energy. I can’t help but get up and dance whenever I hear that piano chorus- looks like Gary feels the same.
@marpsr
Imagine you’re a demoralized Gary Numan fan and this drops. So much promise for the future that has since been fulfilled. Amazing reinvention! Gary is the best!
@null140
I know a lot of people don't like this goth style as much as his original numan/machine style, but you surely have to agree: turning around from the funk era of 92-3 was the best decision he made in years.
@toma.4808
Ryan Thomas oh i agree! Ill gladly take this and his newer stuff over crap like machine and soul and outland. However i am a big joe hubbard and pino palladino fan, so warriors and i, assassin get a pass in my end
@DannieGemz
personally i loved his goth time and everything since he moved with the times, some of those bands from the 80's stayed there and while that might be good for the old folks, it never does the artist any good to stay in the past, if he did he would be washed up now, im glad he made the choices he did <3
@PatrickIngham21
You need to see him live! i saw him 8 times in 2009, he's brilliant!
@andypattison7810
P Ingham seen him at warriors tour at least 10 that was 84
@brynieke
I saw him 2022 in Hamburg and damn he rocking the shit out of the small concert hall with only 300 people in like it was 100 times bigger.
@chrisnuma6
Yeah man -- TJ Davis. Brilliant singer, check out her vocal performance on the "Dream Corrosion" live album.
Hard to believe it's been 23+ years since 'Sacrifice' was released. Richard + Ade + brother John -- soooo young here.
@rhysseddon7279
Brilliant, sacrifice was the first gary numan I listened to all the way through and was the album that made me love gary numan and music