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
The Fall
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See how it bleeds for you
I've watched you
Take your life and tear it apart
Put your pain in a box
I'll send it back to you
What have you become?
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
Put your lies in a box
How have they worked for you?
Did they win you back
The things that you lost?
Put your shame in a box
How could you be so wrong?
You sit there broken
And the world moves on
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
How does it feel?
I'll spare a little thought for "The Crow"
How does it feel?
Living in the black of your soul
How does it feel?
Like a beggar out caught in the cold
How does it feel?
With nothing but the truth left untold
Do you fall like tears on an ocean?
Drowning in rage like a poisoned emotion
Do you fall like a fading desire?
Lost and unloved a forgotten "messiah"
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
The lyrics of Gary Numan's song "The Fall" seem to be addressing a person who has lived a life filled with pain, lies, shame, and hate. It is as though the singer is asking this person to put all of these negative feelings in a box, and see how they have affected them. The lyrics then reflect on the idea of falling, asking if the person falls like rain on the crying, like dust on a ruin, or like tears on an ocean. It seems as though the singer is trying to ask this person if they feel empty, broken, and alone.
The chorus of the song seems to be a reflection on the idea of falling, and how it feels to lose yourself in the pain and negativity that has become your reality. The lyrics reflect on the idea of feeling cold and alone, like a bitter and dying person. This could be interpreted as feeling alienated and disconnected from the world around you, and struggling to connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Put your hate in a box
Store your anger in a container
See how it bleeds for you
Observe how negativity affects you
I've watched you
I have observed you closely
Take your life and tear it apart
To destroy one's own existence
Put your pain in a box
Package your suffering
I'll send it back to you
Returning the agony to the source
What have you become?
Questioning the transformation of one's self
A shadow of a man
Reduced to a mere form of oneself
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Do you bring more misery to the sorrowful?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Lonely and resentful, like the dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Do you settle and accumulate on destruction?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
Lifeless and vacant, like the one's failing existence
Put your lies in a box
Containing one's deceit
How have they worked for you?
Has the falsehood benefited you?
Did they win you back
Did the dishonesty regai what was lost?
The things that you lost?
What has been sacrificed in the aftermath of deceit
Put your shame in a box
Pack one's humiliation
How could you be so wrong?
Expressing disbelief in one's wrongdoings
You sit there broken
A damaged spirit of one's self
And the world moves on
Life continues forward unaffected by one's strife
How does it feel?
Questioning feelings of pain
I'll spare a little thought for "The Crow"
Giving attention to the fictional story of a crow that symbolizes vengeance
Living in the black of your soul
Existing deep within the darkness of one's spirit
Like a beggar out caught in the cold
Someone helpless and vulnerable left out in unpleasant conditions
With nothing but the truth left untold
Only honesty remains unspoken
Do you fall like tears on an ocean?
Do you shed tears that have no impact?
Drowning in rage like a poisoned emotion
Overwhelmed with anger to the point of destruction
Do you fall like a fading desire?
Do you wilt like a passion that is fading?
Lost and unloved a forgotten "messiah"
Neglected and abandoned, like a savior who has been forgotten
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
Lifeless and vacant, like the one's failing existence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adrian Fenton, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Snowrider666
Put your hate in a box
See how it bleeds for you
I've watched you
Take your life and tear it apart
Put your pain in a box
I'll send it back to you
What have you become?
A shadow of a man
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
Put your lies in a box
How have they worked for you?
Did they win you back
The things that you lost?
Put your shame in a box
How could you be so wrong?
You sit there broken
And the world moves on
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
How does it feel?
I'll spare a little thought for "The Crow"
How does it feel?
Living in the black of your soul
How does it feel?
Like a beggar out caught in the cold
How does it feel?
With nothing but the truth left untold
Do you fall like tears on an ocean?
Drowning in rage like a poisoned emotion
Do you fall like a fading desire?
Lost and unloved a forgotten "messiah"
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
CenyddRos
Put your hate in a box
See how it bleeds for you
I've watched you take your life and tear it apart.
Put your pain in a box
I'll send it back to you
What have you become? A shadow of a man.
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
Put your lies in a box
How have they worked for you?
Did they win you back the things that you lost?
Put your shame in a box
How could you be so wrong?
You sit there broken and the world moves on
How does it feel? I'll spare a little thought for "The Crow"
How does it feel? Living in the black of your soul
How does it feel? Like a beggar out in the cold
How does it feel? With nothing but the truth left untold
Do you fall like tears on an ocean?
Drowning in rage like a poisoned emotion
Do you fall like a fading desire?
Lost and unloved – a forgotten "messiah"
Do you fall like rain on the crying?
Cold and alone like the bitter and dying
Do you fall like dust on a ruin?
Empty and dead like the life you are loosing
Conundrums
Thoroughly honest musician. If you haven't seen him live, stick it on your bucket list. Fantastic.
Mary Towne
Absolutely banging live. Loved every minute of intruder tour at Sheffield & rebellion at Blackpool. Now I've got numan fever & need a fix so bad... roll on the next UK tour.
Elonmusk730
Its most certainly on mine!😊
Garrett Johnson
Over thirty years in the business and he's lost nothing. Brilliant!
Dorientje Woller
Correction, he regained everything. Which is a very rare trait in music business. In my own personal knowledge only 3 have succeeded in that. Gary Numan, The Mission UK and a French band called Indochine.
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jd schellstar
agreed!!!
99% Certain
Honestly, he sounds a whole lot better now than in the late 70s/early 80s
Steve Archer
@Dorientje Woller Me and my son are into Gary; Me and my wife are into The Mission; My wife (French) is into Indochine. We have the full set here :D
Simon James Young
Do you Mean 45
Rob Ducharme
MOST artists from the 1980's could never aspire to live up to this level of genius. His best music has happened over the past 20 years, and that was when he was already about 20 years in the biz (as a success)! The darker side of Gary is fantastic.