I Am a Camera
The Buggles Lyrics

The opening lines of "Memories how they fade so fast, Look back there is no escape, Tied down now you see too late, Lovers they will never wait" set the melancholic theme of the song as it talks about how memories are fleeting and how it is too late to hold on to them. The chorus, "I am a camera, Take heart I will never let you go If you want to let your feelings show Lovers all how they never broke your heart You lose them if the feeling starts" suggests that the singer is like a camera, capturing moments and memories that will last forever. The second verse describes a moment captured by the camera, "There by the waterside Here where the lens is wide You and me by the sea Taken in tranquility."

The chorus repeats, reinforcing the idea that the singer is a camera, always ready to capture and preserve moments. The bridge, "I am I am a camera I am a camera I am I am a camera I am a camera I am" emphasizes the repetition of the camera's role. The song ends with a repetition of the last verse, "There by the waterside Here where the lens is wide You and me by the sea" conveying a sense of calm and peace.

The song's title is inspired by Christopher Isherwood's novel "Goodbye to Berlin," where the main character famously says, "I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking." Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles were fans of the book and decided to use the quote as inspiration for their song.

"I Am a Camera" was released as a single in 1981 and was the B-side to "Clean, Clean." The song was later included on the album "Adventures in Modern Recording."

The music video for "I Am a Camera" features footage of The Buggles recording the song, along with scenes of a woman dancing and the band standing on a beach.

The song's lyrics are often interpreted as a metaphor for the creative process of writing and recording music, where the artist captures moments and emotions to create a lasting work of art.

Trevor Horn, one half of The Buggles, was a prominent producer in the 1980s and worked with artists such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal, and Paul McCartney.

"I Am a Camera" was covered by the band Wall of Voodoo for their 1982 album "Call of the West."

The Buggles famously recorded "Video Killed the Radio Star," which became the first video to air on MTV when the music video channel launched in 1981.

Geoff Downes, the other half of The Buggles, would later join the band Yes and also play with Asia.

The Buggles disbanded in 1981, but Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes have reunited multiple times to perform songs from their discography, including "Video Killed the Radio Star" and "I Am a Camera."

Chords (key of D):

Verse: D - A - G - A
Chorus: D - A - G - Bm - G - A