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
That's Too Bad
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Searching my room
The t.v. screen is calling me
But for what or whom
Please mister do be careful
I'm so fragile
Maybe they'll let me down
To speedy's place for a while
Oh well that's too bad
Oh well that's too bad
I talk a lot, a sign of fear,
I thought you should know
I can see pictures of me well
They're so-so
I'll come on to the leader
Like I'm some hero
He'll laugh and raise his dying eyes
And just tell me to go
1920 flashbacks for an hour or more
Of crazy actors hiding
In the doorways top floor
Machines scream in anger
From a thousand dead ends
I turn my face, I crawl away,
I look for a friend
The lyrics of That's Too Bad by Gary Numan exude a sense of paranoia, fear, and vulnerability, that reflects the overall theme of loneliness and alienation. In the first stanza, Numan describes a nightmarish situation where he is being watched by a camera eye while the TV screen is calling him. The feeling of being watched, observed, and controlled is a recurring theme in the song. The phrase "Please mister do be careful, I'm so fragile" indicates a plea to the camera to be considerate and a reminder of the singer's vulnerability.
In the second stanza, Numan is expressing his desire to be noticed and validated by the leader, who is portrayed as a figure of authority. However, this attempt is met with scorn and indifference. The line "I'll come on to the leader like I'm some hero, he'll laugh and raise his dying eyes and just tell me to go" speaks of the singer's desire to be acknowledged as someone brave or heroic, but ultimately being dismissed as insignificant.
The use of machine imagery, like "camera eye" and "machines scream," serve as a metaphor for the dehumanizing effects of technology and the sense of disconnection in the modern world. The reference to "1920 flashbacks" is a nod to the silent era of cinema, which is often associated with the eerie, unsettling feeling of the unknown. The line "I turn my face, I crawl away, I look for a friend" evokes a sense of longing and desperation for human connection in the midst of the singer's alienation.
Overall, That's Too Bad explores the isolating effects of technology and modern society, and the longing for human connection and validation amidst feelings of insignificance and paranoia.
Line by Line Meaning
I look up and the camera eye is
I feel like I'm being constantly watched and spied upon, like some omnipresent camera is always observing me and invading my privacy.
Searching my room
I feel like I can't even have a moment to myself, as if someone is constantly rummaging or poking around in my private space without my permission.
The t.v. screen is calling me
I feel like the media is always vying for my attention, trying to reel me in and consume my thoughts and my time.
But for what or whom
Despite the constant bombardment of media, I'm not sure what they're after or who they're targeting, if not me individually.
Please mister do be careful
I'm not sure who I can trust, if anyone, so I'm pleading with someone, anyone to take care around me so I don't get too hurt or too betrayed.
I'm so fragile
I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of a breakdown, that any little thing could send me over the edge into a state of despair or panic or hopelessness.
Maybe they'll let me down
I'm not sure what I should expect from others, but I have a nagging feeling that they won't give me the support or understanding that I crave or need.
To speedy's place for a while
In order to escape from the chaos and confusion of my life, I'd like to go off to some quiet, secluded place where I can take a breather and recharge for a bit.
Oh well that's too bad
Despite all my pleading and my fragility, I'm resigned to the fact that things won't change and I'll just have to deal with it.
I talk a lot, a sign of fear,
Whenever I'm hyper or chatty, it's usually a sign that I'm anxious or scared about something, as if I'm trying to distract myself from the looming threat or source of stress.
I thought you should know
I want others to be aware of my emotional state, to understand where I'm coming from and why I'm acting the way I am, even if I can't articulate it myself.
I can see pictures of me well
Other people's perceptions of me, whether accurate or not, are vivid and clear in my mind, as if I can see myself through their eyes.
They're so-so
Despite being able to visualize myself through others' eyes, I'm not really sure how I come across to them, whether they like me or not, or whether I'm living up to their expectations.
I'll come on to the leader
When I'm feeling lost or vulnerable, I often try to latch onto someone else who seems to have it all figured out, someone I can look up to or emulate.
Like I'm some hero
Despite being pretty ordinary and flawed, I like to imagine myself as some kind of daring or heroic figure, as if I have it in me to stand up to the world and be a force for good.
He'll laugh and raise his dying eyes
Despite my attempts to curry favor with others, they often don't take me seriously or give me the validation or support that I crave, and may even treat me with cynicism, scorn, or pity.
And just tell me to go
No matter how much I plead for help or guidance from others, they often don't have the answers or the willingness to provide support, and may just brush me off or dismiss me altogether.
1920 flashbacks for an hour or more
I get caught up in nostalgic or fantastical daydreams, whether for hours or just fleeting moments, often with vivid imagery and anachronistic elements that transport me to another time or place.
Of crazy actors hiding
In my daydreams, I often encounter bizarre or unpredictable characters, as if I'm living in some kind of surreal or theatrical world where anything can happen.
In the doorways top floor
My fantasies take me to strange and unexpected locales, often high above the ground or in odd or out-of-the-way places, where I can explore or hide from the real world.
Machines scream in anger
My reveries are often accompanied by jarring or unpleasant sounds or sensations, as if the universe is out to get me or is rebelling against my attempts to control it.
From a thousand dead ends
No matter where my dreams or escapades take me, I'm always confronted with obstacles or restrictions that prevent me from achieving my goals or making progress.
I turn my face, I crawl away,
Despite my best efforts to overcome challenges or stay positive, I often feel defeated or overwhelmed by events or situations, and may even retreat or hide from them altogether.
I look for a friend
When I'm feeling lost, afraid, or overwhelmed, I often seek out the support or companionship of others who can bring me out of my shell and help me face the world again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind