A Different Man
The Church Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Inside himself,
He runs to look in the mirror
And the face that stares right back
Has never been any clearer
But look at the doubt in his eyes
He's not the one to blame
It was a different man, no he's never been here
You can be so close, you can be so near
It was a different man, playing different cards
You can be so soft, you can be so hard

Inside himself,
He follows the wrong directions
Perfect English words all right
But with the wrong inflections
But look at the dust at his feet
He's not the one she loves
It was a different man, no he's never been found
You can be so up, you can be so down
It was a different man, no he's never been there
You can be halfway, you can be all there

Inside himself,
He thinks that he looks the same
And the mind that thinks it all out
Never noticed any change




But look at the doubt in his eyes
He's not the one to blame

Overall Meaning

The Church's song A Different Man explores the theme of identity crisis and its effect on a person. The song begins with the singer looking into the mirror and noticing his reflection, which has never been clearer. However, he is also plagued by doubt and confusion, feeling disassociated from his own self. The singer blames this on a different man who once inhabited his body and played different cards. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to come to terms with his own identity, and is confused about who he is as a person. The second verse builds on this theme, as the singer feels that he is following the wrong directions in life, despite his perceived fluency in "Perfect English words." His doubts are exacerbated by the fact that the people around him do not seem to recognize him for who he is, indicating that his sense of self is fragile and malleable.


Moreover, the chorus of the song features a call-and-response structure in which the lead singer John Kilbey sings "It was a different man" and the backup vocalists echo "You can be so (opposite word)." This repetition of contrasting adjectives accentuated by the echoing chorus adds emphasis to the theme of duality that permeates the song. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to reconcile two opposing sides of himself, struggling to be both soft and hard, up and down, halfway and all there. The lyrics of the song are introspective and poetic, tapping into universal feelings of existential angst and uncertainty.


Line by Line Meaning

Inside himself,
The person is introspecting their own self.


He runs to look in the mirror
The person rushes to the mirror to observe oneself.


And the face that stares right back
The face that reflects on the mirror.


Has never been any clearer
The clarity of expression in the person's face is profound.


But look at the doubt in his eyes
Despite the clarity in the face, the person has a hint of doubt in their eyes.


He's not the one to blame
The fault does not lie within the individual.


It was a different man, no he's never been here
The person feels as if they have changed and that they are different from what they used to be.


You can be so close, you can be so near
An individual can be so close and reliable, yet still distant and unapproachable.


It was a different man, playing different cards
The person feels like they have taken different paths and made different choices compared to what they would have made in the past.


You can be so soft, you can be so hard
The person's personality can vary as they can either be gentle or aggressive.


He follows the wrong directions
The person is making mistakes and is heading in the wrong direction while trying to get somewhere.


Perfect English words all right
The words spoken by the person may seem correct, but there is still an underlying issue.


But with the wrong inflections
Despite the right words being used, the tone of the voice can give a completely different meaning.


But look at the dust at his feet
The person has been wandering and has not reached their desired destination.


He's not the one she loves
The individual is not who the other person loves.


It was a different man, no he's never been found
The person is lost and cannot identify their identity.


You can be so up, you can be so down
A person's mood can fluctuate greatly from one extreme to another.


It was a different man, no he's never been there
The individual has not yet experienced something new and unique.


You can be halfway, you can be all there
A person can either be present and committed to their actions or be distant and not involved at all.


And the mind that thinks it all out
The person thinks about the situation and everything that has happened.


Never noticed any change
Despite going over it in their head, the person has not realized that they have changed.


But look at the doubt in his eyes
Despite not noticing the change, the person is still uncertain about themselves.


He's not the one to blame
The fault is not solely with the individual.




Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KILBEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

BittersweetSymphony


on You're Still Beautiful

Sometimes I wonder if he is writing about himself

More Versions