Automaton
Jones Howard Lyrics
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With no past and no future
He seemed to know your dreams
Replace tears with laughter
Street corner whispers
Would mention his name
Selfish? benevolent?
Some say he's perfect
Some say a spy
A hidden power
They all wonder why
The rumors mounted
But still no fact?
I need to find out
Some say perfect hidden power
We all wonder why
Questions unanswered
Suspicion alerted
I went round to his place
If felt quite deserted
I climbed the stairs to where
His body lay without motion
No spirit lives in there
The cord had been broken
His skin was reptile
No life in there
Not young not old
A long hollow glare
His breath had stopped
No hearts beat there
Is this a man
Should I believe hidden power
They all wondered why
My attention was caught
By a sound from the door
Panic gripped the mind
What lay in store
A being stared at me
Benevolent, not cold
Automaton - he is controlled
His skin was reptile.....
Automaton - no life in there
No past and no future
Is this a man
Automaton - no life in there
No past and not future
Is this a man
The song Automaton by Jones Howard is a haunting ballad that tells a story about a mysterious creature who arrives on the scene with no past or future. He seems to know the dreams of others and replaces their tears with laughter. The whispers on the street are full of rumors about him, with some saying he's perfect, while others claim he's a spy with a hidden power. The singer of the song is left with many unanswered questions and decides to investigate by going to his place, only to find his body broken and lifeless. As he contemplates whether this creature was ever truly human or not, he is suddenly confronted by a being who appears benevolent, but is clearly an automaton being controlled by someone else.
The song explores themes of individuality, humanity, control, and the impact of technology on our lives. The lyrics suggest that in a world where technology is becoming increasingly advanced, it is possible for things to exist that blur the lines between man and machine. The automaton is a symbol of this merging of human and machine, and the lyrics leave us questioning what it means to be human.
Line by Line Meaning
He arrived on the scene
A new person came to town
With no past and no future
This person's background and future plans were unknown
He seemed to know your dreams
He appeared to understand the hopes and desires of those around him
Replace tears with laughter
He had the ability to bring joy and happiness to people's lives
Street corner whispers
People were talking about him
Would mention his name
They would say who he was
Selfish? benevolent?
Some wondered if he was purely motivated by self-interest or if he truly wanted to help others
What was his game
People were skeptical of his intentions
Some say he's perfect
Many believed he was flawless
Some say a spy
Others speculated he was a spy or working for someone else
A hidden power
Some believed he had secret abilities or influence
They all wonder why
No one knew the truth about him
The rumors mounted
The gossip continued to grow
But still no fact?
Despite all the talk, no concrete evidence had emerged
I need to find out
The singer decided to investigate himself
Questions unanswered
The mystery remained
Suspicion alerted
The artist's concerns were heightened
I went round to his place
The singer visited the newcomer's home
If felt quite deserted
The place seemed empty and abandoned
I climbed the stairs to where
The artist went upstairs to investigate further
His body lay without motion
He appeared to be dead or unconscious
No spirit lives in there
The person appeared to lack any soul or life force
The cord had been broken
The connection between his body and life had been severed
His skin was reptile
His skin had a scaly, reptilian quality
No life in there
He was not alive
Not young not old
He appeared ageless
A long hollow glare
He had an empty, lifeless gaze
His breath had stopped
He was not breathing
No hearts beat there
He had no pulse or heartbeat
Is this a man
The singer questioned whether this entity was even human
My attention was caught
Something caught the singer’s attention
By a sound from the door
A noise came from the entrance
Panic gripped the mind
The artist was seized by fear
What lay in store
He wondered what was going to happen next
A being stared at me
He saw something looking at him
Benevolent, not cold
The entity appeared friendly and warm
Automaton - he is controlled
It became clear that this being was a robot, being controlled by something else
Automaton - no life in there
The robot had no life or humanity
No past and no future
It had no history, nor any hope for the future
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Howard Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind