Dead Man
James & Brian Eno Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't ever look
A man in the eye
Tell him he's wrong
He's so afraid to die

I got a feelin
That I got the bomb
A little chaos in my coffee

N that gets me on

It's not what they expected from me
No they never suspected it would be
Yeah I feel resurrected
N I'd rather be a dead man walkin
Than a man who pretends to be free

Headfirst into the crowd
Turn my shit up too loud
Double dog dare me
Yall dont scare me
I'm wild n I'm proud

But I'm not here to tell you
What you already know

American Dream
Red, white, n C.R.E.A.M.
Come on let's start the show

Headfirst into the crowd
Turn my shit up too loud
Double dog dare me
Yall dont scare me
I'm wild n I'm proud

Hey heaven's waitin at the gate
I got em wrecked
Yeah heaven helps cuz
I'm in love n I'm in debt

Yeah move my hair
like I'm just living no regrets

Music..bottoms up who cares
We ain't got nothin left

Overall Meaning

The song Dead Man by James and Brian Eno is a song that can be interpreted in various ways, but it is essentially about living life to the fullest, without any regrets or fears. The lyrics of the song imply that the singer is someone who constantly challenges himself and enjoys living on the edge. The first stanza of the song talks about not being afraid to confront someone when they are wrong, but also acknowledging their fear of death. The second stanza talks about feeling like a bomb is about to go off and finding chaos appealing. Again, the lyrics suggest that the singer derives pleasure from living unpredictably.

The chorus of the song repeats twice and emphasizes the idea that the singer is not afraid to take risks or be different from what people expect of him. He’s willing to face challenges head-on, and he is not afraid to stand out from the crowd. In the third stanza, he acknowledges the American dream but also claims that he knows what is expected of him and doesn't need it to be reiterated. Throughout the song, the words “headfirst into the crowd” and “turn my shit up too loud” are repeated and emphasize a sense of passion, and confidence in oneself. The last stanza of the song speaks on heaven being waiting at the gate, but the singer is not afraid because he is so in love and debt. The final line emphasizes that there is nothing left to lose, so it's okay to live life to the fullest.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't ever look
Avoid eye contact

A man in the eye
Don't look directly in the eyes of a man

Tell him he's wrong
Do not contradict or correct him

He's so afraid to die
He fears death greatly

I got a feelin
I have a sensation

That I got the bomb
That I possess something really great

A little chaos in my coffee
A bit of disorder in my everyday routine

N that gets me on
And that excites me

It's not what they expected from me
They didn't anticipate this from me

No they never suspected it would be
They never imagined this could happen

Yeah I feel resurrected
I feel like I've been born again