Manchester
Gerome Ragni and James Rado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Across the Atlantic Sea
And I'm a genius genius
I believe in God
And I believe that God
Believes in Claude
That's me that's me
Finds that it's groovy
To hide in a movie
Pretends he's Fellini
And Antonioni
And also his countryman Roman Polanski
All rolled into one
One Claud Hooper Bukowski
Now that I've dropped out
Why is life dreary dreary
Answer my weary query
Timothy Leary dearie
Oh Manchester England England
Across the Atlantic Sea
And I'm a genius genius
I believe in God
And I believe that God
Believes in Claude
That's me (that's he)
That's me (that's he)
That's me (that's he)
That's me
The song "Manchester" by Gerome Ragni and James Rado is an interesting commentary on the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The lyrics describe a young man named Claude Hooper Bukowski, who escapes the monotony of life by hiding in movies and pretending to be various filmmakers, including Fellini, Antonioni, and Roman Polanski. The song suggests that Bukowski is a genius, but the fact that he has dropped out of mainstream society has left him feeling dreary and questioning the meaning of life. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Manchester England England, across the Atlantic Sea," perhaps symbolizing the desire to escape from the confines of society and explore new horizons.
Line by Line Meaning
Manchester England England
Referring to the city of Manchester in England
Across the Atlantic Sea
Indicating a distance or separation from Manchester
And I'm a genius genius
The singer believes themselves to be highly intelligent or imaginative
I believe in God
Expressing a belief or faith in a higher power
And I believe that God
Continuing the previous statement about belief in a higher power
Believes in Claude
The singer believes that God has a special plan or purpose for them
That's me that's me
Confirming that the singer is referring to themselves as Claude
Claude Hooper Bukowski
The full name of the artist
Finds that it's groovy
Enjoys or appreciates
To hide in a movie
Finding comfort or escapism in watching movies
Pretends he's Fellini
Imagines himself to be like the famous film director, Federico Fellini
And Antonioni
Also imagines himself to be like Michelangelo Antonioni, another famous film director
And also his countryman Roman Polanski
Additionally imagines himself to be like Roman Polanski, a film director from his home country
All rolled into one
Putting all these imagined identities together to form a complex persona
One Claud Hooper Bukowski
Despite all the imagined identities, the singer acknowledges that they are still themselves
Now that I've dropped out
Having left school or mainstream society
Why is life dreary dreary
Expressing a feeling of boredom, dissatisfaction, or disillusionment
Answer my weary query
Asking for an explanation or solution to their current state of mind
Timothy Leary dearie
Referring to the psychologist Timothy Leary, who promoted the use of psychedelic drugs to expand consciousness
That's me (that's he)
Repeating the earlier statement about the artist being Claude Hooper Bukowski
That's me (that's he)
Repeating the earlier statement about the artist being Claude Hooper Bukowski
That's me (that's he)
Repeating the earlier statement about the artist being Claude Hooper Bukowski
That's me
Reaffirming the singer's identity and sense of self
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GALT MAC DERMOT, GEROME RAGNI, JAMES RADO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind