Invisible Man
Jackson Joe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two
Hey, can you hear me now
As I fade away
And lose my ground?
Maybe you'd like to know
If I was still around
Now I'm made of smoke
You see through to me
It's the strangest joke
You can't touch the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
Can't stop the invisible man
Why do the lights go down
Or run to someone new?
Well, let them learn
I used to own this town
Now I'm watchin' you
Now it's my turn
Now I'm made of mist
Will you know
When you've been kissed?
Can't touch the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
Can't stop the invisible man
Now I'm almost free
Disappearing
Don't cry for me
You can't touch the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
Can't stop the invisible man
Can't stop the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
You can't stop the invisible man
Can't stop the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
Can't touch the invisible man
The song "Invisible Man" by Joe Jackson is about feeling unheard and unappreciated in a relationship. In the opening lines, the singer asks if the person he is speaking to can hear him as he fades away and loses his ground. He feels invisible, despite his attempts to make himself heard. He suggests that people might be interested in what he has to say if he were still around, before lamenting that he has become "made of smoke" and "invisible."
The chorus repeats the phrase "Can't touch the invisible man" to emphasize the singer's feelings of loneliness and isolation. He wonders why the people around him, including someone who may have been a romantic partner, have turned away from him without a clear explanation. The singer then affirms his own power by saying "I used to own this town," but he acknowledges that his invisibility has made him unable to exert the same control he once had. He ends by saying that he is almost free, disappearing, and that no one needs to cry for him.
The overall sense of the song is one of frustration and isolation. The singer feels as though he has powerful emotions and thoughts to share, but no one is listening. The repetition of the phrases "can't touch" and "invisible man" underscore this feeling, as well as the sense that the singer is gradually disappearing from view. The song has a haunting quality that highlights the desperation of the singer's situation.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three, four
Counting the beats before the song starts
One, two
Last two beats before the start of the song
Hey, can you hear me now
The singer is questioning if anyone can hear him
As I fade away
The singer is slowly disappearing
And lose my ground?
The singer is losing control and becoming unstable
Maybe you'd like to know
The singer is wondering if anyone wants to know what he has to say
What I'd have to say
The singer has something to say, but is not being heard
If I was still around
The singer is no longer present, but wishes he could still be heard
Now I'm made of smoke
The singer has changed form and become like smoke
You see through to me
The singer's new form is transparent
It's the strangest joke
The situation is ironic and unexpected
Can't touch the invisible man
The singer cannot be physically touched
Can't stop the invisible man
People cannot prevent the singer from disappearing
Why do the lights go down
The singer is questioning why things suddenly change
Or run to someone new?
The singer is wondering why people leave him behind
Well, let them learn
The singer is ready to let people make their own mistakes
I used to own this town
The singer used to be in control and have power
Now I'm watchin' you
The singer is now observing others
Now it's my turn
The singer is ready to take control again
Now I'm made of mist
The singer has changed form again
Will you know
The singer is questioning whether anyone will recognize him
When you've been kissed?
The singer is wondering if anyone will notice when he leaves
Now I'm almost free
The singer is close to disappearing completely
Disappearing
The singer is slowly disappearing
Don't cry for me
The singer does not want pity
Can't touch the invisible man
The singer cannot be physically touched
Can't stop the invisible man
People cannot prevent the singer from disappearing
Can't stop the invisible man
People cannot prevent the singer from disappearing
Can't touch the invisible man
The singer cannot be physically touched
Can't touch the invisible man
The singer cannot be physically touched
You can't stop the invisible man
People cannot prevent the singer from disappearing
Can't stop the invisible man
People cannot prevent the singer from disappearing
Can't touch the invisible man
The singer cannot be physically touched
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Is Free
Another masterpiece by one of the finest musicians in my life time.
InAtl
This really is an amazing song from a great album, Rain. And seeing Joe Jackson with Grahm Maby on bass live is always a highlight of concert going for me. I just wish it happened more often.
TheSporehacker
That's one badass bass player. He knows his stuff and you can hear that in this song.
Joe picked the perfect bass player for this song
Mark Kanicki
The bass player is Graham Maby. He's played with Joe since at least the early 80s.
Elise M
The same one he's been working with for years, I believe! His backup vocals are also so spot on!
KingKaitain
Jackson has a fantastic repertoire. Also, check out his book, "A Cure for Gravity", a memoir of being a kid in Portsmouth and getting into the music industry. Really funny, and interesting.
thom fmify
Whether it was never 'New wave', one of the great artist of this time, '1984'. Unbelievable Joe and his band. One of the greats, like Johann Sebastian Bach or John Lennon!
ReallyGoinOutWithHim
great performance, i've always loved the way he sings and acts. he is so great live onstage. so moving. makes me shiver...never know when you've been kissed...
Drew Hosey
Takes me back to record-buying days in Ann Arbor in the early eighties. I still think Grahm Maybe is one of the best living bass players period.
ZION82able
BEAUTIFUL...as usual. This is some of his best work.