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
This Wreckage
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must have done something wrong
This dark facade ends
We're independent from someone
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Meet you
Soon
We write suggestions
Suggesting fading to silence
And that must please you
My mirror's tarnished with no-help
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to meet you,
Meet you
Soon
Turn out these eyes
Wipe off my face
Erase me
Replay the end
It's all just show
Erase you
I need to
I need to
I need to
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to leave you,
Leave you
Leave you,
Leave you soon
The lyrics to Gary Numan's song "This Wreckage" are a reflection on the potential absence of God and the loss of control we might experience without a higher power to guide us. The first verse poses a challenging question: "And what if God's dead? / We must have done something wrong." The second line suggests a sense of guilt, as if our own actions as individuals or as a society might have contributed to the loss of God's presence. The third line offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that if God is gone, we are free from following some external authority.
The chorus, "This wreckage I call me / Would like to frame your voice / Would like to meet you, meet you soon," is a message to someone who seems to represent a guiding light or positive force in the singer's life. The metaphor of wreckage suggests a sense of brokenness in the singer's psyche, and the desire to frame the other person's voice suggests a need for something or someone to hold on to. The repeated phrase "meet you soon" suggests urgency and a longing for connection.
The second verse remains somewhat abstract, with lines like "We write suggestions / Suggesting fading to silence / And that must please you / My mirror's tarnished with no-help." The writer seems to be struggling to find the right words, though there is a sense of self-criticism here as well. The final lines of the song are a repetition of the chorus with a slight difference: "This wreckage I call me / Would like to leave you, leave you / Leave you, leave you soon." Here, the singer seems to be acknowledging that the other person may not be able to offer the solace or guidance they're looking for, and may need to let go.
Line by Line Meaning
And what if God's dead?
What if there is no higher power or authority to judge us for our actions?
We must have done something wrong
If there is no God, then any wrongs we have done are solely our responsibility.
This dark facade ends
The false sense of security we have in a higher power is gone.
We're independent from someone
We are now solely responsible for our own lives and actions.
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to meet you,
Meet you
Soon
The artist's sense of self has been damaged, but they long to hear and meet someone who can help them heal.
We write suggestions
Suggesting fading to silence
And that must please you
My mirror's tarnished with no-help
The singer and others like them suggest giving up on life, which they believe would please those in power. The singer's reflection is damaged and hopeless.
Turn out these eyes
Wipe off my face
Erase me
The singer wishes to be invisible and forgettable, as if they never existed.
Replay the end
It's all just show
Erase you
The artist wishes to forget and erase another person from their life.
I need to
I need to
I need to
The artist is desperate to find a solution or escape from their struggles.
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to leave you,
Leave you
Leave you,
Leave you soon
The artist's damaged self longs to both cherish and escape from this other person.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Nina01x
We must have done something wrong
This dark facade ends
We're independent from someone
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to meet you,
Meet you
Soon
We write suggestions
Suggesting fading to silence
And that must please you
My mirror's tarnished with no-help
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to meet you,
Meet you
Soon
Turn out these eyes
Wipe off my face
Erase me
Replay the end
It's all just show
Erase you
I need to
I need to
I need to
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to leave you,
Leave you
Leave you,
Leave you soon
@ms.carlson3904
Beautiful futuristic song. Hundreds of years ahead of its time.
@LRBerry
It never gets boring listening to this song. My first concert was Gary Numan on the Teletour at the Manchester Apollo in 1980. I can't wait for his new album next week.
@Chrisamusic1
I was there. This was the intro song.
@numanoid5665
His best album (Telekon). Some piece of work. Still listening to it on vinyl
@jackiewilliams3032
One of his best songs i was hooked when I first saw him Amazing
@glenjarnold
Those fabulous ARP Odysseys....
@spankysmp
Big thumbs up. I think around this time I got sent home from school for wearing black nail polish one day trying to emulate Mr Numan (even in a small way) I was fuming being in the 5th year I thought it was nearly OK as I wasn't far from the 6th form and they could wear what they wanted.
@Albrecht777
Nice one!
@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music
Your school system sounds very British.
@ArtyFishal
A rare TV performance with the white leather jumpsuit. Also, is that Three Arp Oddyssey synths I see? That's just greedy 🎹 🎹 🎹 😂