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
Whisper of Truth
Gary Numan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the rain
Sometimes I almost cry again
I've seen my pictures
Peeling from walls
It's like a witness of truth
To the end of it all
Here we are
No-one came
I've been waiting for this for years
Do you wonder
How I'm feeling?
Did you whisper the truth
Like a memory of pain?
No angel
To guide me
No angel
Can find me
Walk away
Walk away from me
I won't cry, I won't cry
Take my life
Take my life from me
I won't cry, I won't cry
Like a whisper of truth
Save me.
The lyrics to Gary Numan's song Whisper of Truth depict a sense of isolation and despair. The opening lines, "So I fall, Like the rain, Sometimes I almost cry again" reveal the singer's vulnerability and the suggestion that he has experienced a great deal of pain. This is further reflected in the lines "I've seen my pictures, Peeling from walls, It's like a witness of truth, To the end of it all" which suggest a sense of decay and an ending. The singer appears to be grappling with his emotions, asking "Do you wonder, How I'm feeling?" and questioning whether the truth has been whispered to him "Like a memory of pain?"
The chorus of the song, "No angel, To guide me, No angel, Can find me" is an admission of loneliness and a loss of hope. The repetition of the phrase "Walk away" suggests the desperation of the singer's situation and his awareness that he has been abandoned. The song concludes with the haunting plea, "Like a whisper of truth, Save me" which reinforces the sense of the singer's fragility and his desire to be rescued.
Overall, the song Whisper of Truth poignantly captures the feeling of despair and loss, and the human desire for connection and salvation in moments of darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
So I fall
I am falling down, facing difficulties and obstacles.
Like the rain
Just like the rain falls from the sky and has no control over its trajectory, I am also falling in life due to circumstances beyond my control.
Sometimes I almost cry again
The pain and hardships I go through are so impactful that I am unable to control my emotions and feel like crying.
I've seen my pictures
I have seen images of myself or memories of my past which are fading away.
Peeling from walls
These images or memories are slowly disappearing from my life, just like a peeling wallpaper from a wall.
It's like a witness of truth
These fading images or memories serve as a reminder of painful truths I have experienced in my life.
To the end of it all
These painful experiences have led me to a point where I feel it is the end of everything.
Here we are
I am in a place where I don't want to be and don't know how to get out of it.
No-one came
I have been lonely, and no one has come to help me.
I've been waiting for this for years
Despite this, I have been waiting for someone to come and help me for years.
Do you wonder
I am questioning if you are curious about my feelings.
How I'm feeling?
I am asking whether you are interested in knowing how I am dealing with my life.
Did you whisper the truth
I am wondering if you have ever spoken the truth to me, about my situation and life.
Like a memory of pain?
I am asking if you have ever spoken the truth to me, but it has been so painful for me to hear that it feels like a memory of pain.
No angel
There is no one like an angel to guide me in life.
To guide me
I need someone to guide me through my life.
No angel
I am emphasizing that there is no help coming my way.
Can find me
No one can come to my rescue and help me.
Walk away
I am urging someone to leave me and walk away from me.
Walk away from me
I want you to leave me and not be a part of my life anymore.
I won't cry, I won't cry
Even if you leave me, I won't cry or show emotions.
Take my life
I am so hopeless and helpless that I am asking you to take my life.
Take my life from me
I am urging you to take my life away from me as I can't deal with it anymore.
I won't cry, I won't cry
Even if you take my life, I won't cry or show emotions.
Like a whisper of truth
I need someone to tell me the truth in a soft and reassuring way that gives me hope and a reason to live.
Save me.
I am in dire need of help and begging for someone to save me from my miserable life.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dean’s Wolf
SO I FALL
LIKE THE RAIN
SOMETIMES I ALMOST CRY AGAIN
I'VE SEEN MY PICTURES
PEELING FROM WALLS
IT'S LIKE A WITNESS OF TRUTH
TO THE END OF IT ALL
HERE WE ARE
NO-ONE CAME
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR YEARS
DO YOU WONDER
HOW I'M FEELING?
DID YOU WHISPER THE TRUTH
LIKE A MEMORY OF PAIN?
NO ANGEL
TO GUIDE ME
NO ANGEL
CAN FIND ME
WALK AWAY
WALK AWAY FROM ME
I WON'T CRY, I WON'T CRY
TAKE MY LIFE
TAKE MY LIFE FROM ME
I WON'T CRY, I WON'T CRY
LIKE A WHISPER OF TRUTH
SAVE ME.
josh negley
beautiful song
Robert Edward Bullock
This was such a remarkable album when it came out. Still sounds beautiful 24 years later.
CHAD
I just discovered it and I am enthralled
holdmyhandtv
"Do you wonder how I'm feeling? Did you whisper the truth? Like a memory of pain?" Oh man, those lyrics are fantastic and unequivocal.
Darryl Lymer
one of Numans little gems
Alison Kovacs
I have seen him practice this on here bless him
Dean’s Wolf
SO I FALL
LIKE THE RAIN
SOMETIMES I ALMOST CRY AGAIN
I'VE SEEN MY PICTURES
PEELING FROM WALLS
IT'S LIKE A WITNESS OF TRUTH
TO THE END OF IT ALL
HERE WE ARE
NO-ONE CAME
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR YEARS
DO YOU WONDER
HOW I'M FEELING?
DID YOU WHISPER THE TRUTH
LIKE A MEMORY OF PAIN?
NO ANGEL
TO GUIDE ME
NO ANGEL
CAN FIND ME
WALK AWAY
WALK AWAY FROM ME
I WON'T CRY, I WON'T CRY
TAKE MY LIFE
TAKE MY LIFE FROM ME
I WON'T CRY, I WON'T CRY
LIKE A WHISPER OF TRUTH
SAVE ME.
Hawk Lord
Almost identical tune to walk in my soul
Alison Kovacs
Love this and love gorgeous Gary so so much
CHAD
genius