He began as an actor, reportedly did some children's theatre, and then moved to New York in the early 1960s. Prior to Hair, Rado originated the Broadway role of Richard Lionheart in The Lion in Winter by James Goldman (starring Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris). Later, both Rado and Hair co-writer Gerome Ragni were cast in the Chicago company of Mike Nichols' production of The Knack, by Ann Jellicoe. They played the roles of Tom and Tolan, becoming a kind of acting duo. In 1968 he would perform with Ragni again when he originated the role of Claude (opposite Ragni's Berger) in Hair, both on Broadway and in Los Angeles.
Since then, he has been active in developing new productions of Hair, including the 11 city 1994 national tour which he directed, and the 2006 CanStage production in Toronto.
Manchester England
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 England" by James Rado is arguably one of the most peculiar and intriguing psychedelic rock songs ever made. It begins with the repeated phrase "Manchester England England" sung by the lead singer and followed by the backup vocals chanting "across the Atlantic Sea." This serves to establish a sense of distance and foreignness, as what follows is a fantastical journey into the mind of the singer, who refers to himself as a "genius genius."
The singer, named Claude Hooper Bukowski, is a character who enjoys escaping into movies and pretending to be famous directors, such as Fellini, Antonioni, and Polanski. Rado's lyrics suggest that Bukowski's need to escape into a fantasy world is due to his dissatisfaction with his own reality. The song's chorus repeats the phrase "I believe in God, and I believe that God believes in Claude" several times, hinting at Bukowski's desire for validation and self-importance.
The final verse of the song is a plea to the countercultural figure Timothy Leary, asking him to answer the singer's question of why life feels "dreary dreary" now that he has "dropped out." This verse serves to add a sense of urgency to the singer's words and further emphasizes his disillusionment with the world around him.
Overall, "Manchester England" is a song that speaks to the frustrations of a generation of young people who felt disconnected from society and were searching for meaning and purpose in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Manchester England England
The artist is locating himself in Manchester, England.
Across the Atlantic Sea
The artist is acknowledging the physical distance between themselves and America.
And I'm a genius genius
The artist is presenting themselves as a genius.
I believe in God
The artist believes in God.
And I believe that God
The artist believes in God in such a way that ...
Believes in Claude
... they also believe that God believes in the artist.
That's me that's me
The artist is emphatically stating that they are the one whom God believes in.
Claude Hooper Bukowski
The artist introduces a character named Claude Hooper Bukowski.
Finds that it's groovy
Claude finds an activity as cool or enjoyable.
To hide in a movie
Claude enjoys hiding in a movie theater to watch a film.
Pretends he's Fellini
While Claude is in the movies, he pretends that he is the director Fellini.
And Antonioni
He also pretends to be another director, Antonioni.
And also his countryman Roman Polanski
And lastly, he pretends to be the filmmaker Roman Polanski, who shares Claude's national origin.
All rolled into one
Claude fantasizes himself as a combination of the three directors.
One Claud Hooper Bukowski
The three directors become one Claude Hooper Bukowski in his imagination.
Now that I've dropped out
The artist has dropped out of some sort of formal education or society.
Why is life dreary dreary
The artist is questioning why life is so boring or sad now that they are no longer a part of society.
Answer my weary query
The artist is requesting someone to provide an answer to their question.
Timothy Leary dearie
The artist is directly addressing Timothy Leary, the psychologist and advocate for psychedelic drugs.
That's me (that's he)
The artist is repeating the lines from earlier on, reaffirming that they are still the one whom God believes in, but also acknowledging that Claude exists as a separate character.
That's me (that's he)
That's me (that's he)
That's me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind