We Are So Fragile
Gary Numan / Tubeway Army Lyrics
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Advertising lies
That are whiter than yours
We are so fragile
They could give us a war
Just to keep us amused
We are so fragile
And say 'It's all been done'
We are so fragile
Just pretend I never tried
I'll leave up to you
We are still so young
And it must be wrong
But I'll do it all the same
We are really so shy
There's nothing I can do
Except believe in you
We could always go home
But everyone says
This is the place to be
We are so unnatural
But you wouldn't understand
You only deal with men
The opening verses of "We Are So Fragile" by Gary Numan/Tubeway Army are seemingly straightforward, yet resonate with deeper meaning. Numan sings about how as humans we are so vulnerable in the face of mass manipulation through adverts and false information. The line "Advertising lies that are whiter than yours" seems to suggest that companies have the ability to create narratives that are better than reality. We are so entranced by the idea of a better life and so easily influenced by media narratives that we can be led towards wars and conflicts that are detrimental to the human race.
The chorus is a little more abstract but still manages to convey a feeling of hopelessness in the face of an increasingly complex and shifting world. Numan sings "We are still so young, and it must be wrong, but I'll do it all the same", which seems to suggest that although everything seems wrong, he will continue to try and make sense of life anyway. The final lines of the song seem to be about the power struggle between men and women, as the line "You only deal with men" implies that there is a lack of understanding between the genders.
Line by Line Meaning
We are so fragile
We are easily hurt and broken
Advertising lies
Misleading advertisements are everywhere
That are whiter than yours
Advertisements are even more deceptive than what we already know
They could give us a war
Those in power have the ability to create conflicts to distract society
Just to keep us amused
These conflicts are just a form of entertainment for the masses
I could stay here inside
I could hide from the world and pretend everything has already been accomplished
And say 'It's all been done'
I could convince myself that there's no more left to do
Just pretend I never tried
My lack of effort is easier than trying and failing
I'll leave up to you
I'll let someone else take on the challenge
We are still so young
We have so much time to grow and learn
And it must be wrong
The things we're doing aren't necessarily right
But I'll do it all the same
We'll still proceed with our actions anyway
We are really so shy
We're hesitant to put ourselves out there
There's nothing I can do
I feel powerless to make a difference
Except believe in you
I have faith that someone else can make a change
We could always go home
There's always a possibility to return to comfort and safety
But everyone says
But society expects us to stay and fight
This is the place to be
Living through these struggles is what defines our generation
We are so unnatural
Our current state of existence is not natural or ideal
But you wouldn't understand
The older generation can't relate to our struggles
You only deal with men
Their experiences are limited to their gender and societal privilege
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind