The single reached number 1 in the UK in June 1979, remaining there for four weeks, and was the first of two chart toppers for Numan that year, the other being "Cars".
Production
Despite being over five minutes long and possessing, in the words of its composer, "no recognisable hook-line whatsoever", the single topped the UK charts and is notable for being the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era. Whilst the track's new and distinctive sound stood out at the time, sales also benefitted from the record company's use of a picture disc and Numan's striking, "robotic" performance on the TV shows The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops. "Are 'Friends' Electric?" has been a mainstay of Numan's concerts since its release and appears on all ten of his official live recordings to date. A semi-acoustic version appeared on the 2006 Jagged tour setlist.
Music and lyrics
The song tells the tale of a lonely and paranoid man; its themes of alienation and isolation were a Numan hallmark at this time in his career. The lyrics were inspired by a failed relationship with Beggar's Banquet employee Susan Wathan (cryptically referred to as "S.U.") mixed with and filtered through imagery drawn from Philip K. Dick's science fiction story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (later the basis for the 1982 film Blade Runner). The music is notable for its plaintive, emotional qualities, which were in stark contrast to the deliberately cold and computerized sound preferred by other synthesizer-based artists like Kraftwerk.
"Are 'Friends' Electric?" features three different sections: a recurring 'verse' with synth riff in C and B flat, a recurring section with spoken word over slow arpeggiated seventh chords, and an instrumental break in F. The instrumentation is quite minimalistic: there is a conventional drum and bass guitar backing track, some additional heavily flanged guitar (particularly in the instrumental break), subdued vocals and, most prominently, Minimoog synthesizer. These synth parts include a slow-paced sawtooth bass riff, and some soaring portamento background lines.
Are 'Friends' Electric?
Tubeway Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the paint's peeling off of my walls
There's a man outside
In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette
Now the light fades out
And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this
There's a knock on the door
So now I'm alone
Now I can think for myself
About little deals
And issues
And things that I just don't understand
Like a white lie that night
Or a slight touch at times
I don't think it meant anything to you
So I open the door
It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway
Please sit down
A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed
You know I hate to ask
But, are 'friends' electric?
Mine's broke down
And now I've no one to love
So I find out your reason
For the phone calls and smiles
And it hurts
And I'm lonely
And I should never have tried
And I missed you tonight
So it's time to leave
You see this means everything to me
The lyrics to the song 'Are Friends Electric' by Tubeway Army depict a scene where the singer is alone in a room, pondering over the meaning of certain events in their life. The opening lines set the tone of the song - it's a cold, desolate night, and the singer is stuck in a poorly maintained room, with nothing but the sound of their own thoughts for company. As the night progresses, they hear a knock on the door, and briefly believe that it might be someone they know, but eventually come to the realization that they are alone.
The 'friend' in the song refers to an artificial intelligence - the singer is talking to a robot. The use of the word 'friend' is ironic, as the singer is trying to fill an emotional void by talking to a machine. The robot asks the singer a poignant question - "are friends electric?" - referring to the fact that, unlike humans, machines are never truly alone, as they are always connected to a power source. The singer responds that their machine is broken, and they are now truly alone.
The song suggests that the singer is struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. They are unable to connect with anyone, and turn to a machine in a desperate attempt to fill the void. The use of the robot metaphor can be interpreted in various ways - some see it as a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of technology, while others see it as a reflection on the isolation and alienation that many people feel in modern society.
Line by Line Meaning
It's cold outside
The outdoors are chilly
And the paint's peeling off of my walls
The walls are in a state of disrepair
There's a man outside
An unknown individual is present outdoors
In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette
The man is wearing a long coat and grey hat, smoking a cigarette
Now the light fades out
The light fades into darkness
And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this
The singer is questioning why they're in this particular location
There's a knock on the door
Someone knocks on the door
And just for a second I thought I remembered you
The artist had a fleeting memory of someone they used to know
So now I'm alone
The artist is by themselves
Now I can think for myself
The artist is free to make their own decisions
About little deals
Thinking about small-scale transactions
And issues
And various problems
And things that I just don't understand
And topics that are difficult to grasp
Like a white lie that night
For example, a harmless untruth from the past
Or a slight touch at times
Or a subtle physical gesture on occasion
I don't think it meant anything to you
The artist believes the other person didn't attach much significance to these incidents
So I open the door
The artist goes to answer the door
It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway
A 'friend' the singer had previously left in the hallway appears
Please sit down
The singer offers the person a seat
A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed
A candle created a shadow on the wall next to the bed
You know I hate to ask
The artist is hesitant to pose the following question
But, are 'friends' electric?
Are human connections genuine or artificial?
Mine's broke down
One of the singer's social connections has failed
And now I've no one to love
As a result, the artist feels unloved and alone
So I find out your reason
The singer seeks an explanation for the other person's behavior
For the phone calls and smiles
Specifically related to conversations and facial expressions
And it hurts
The singer is in emotional pain
And I'm lonely
The artist feels isolated
And I should never have tried
The artist regrets making an attempt at a connection
And I missed you tonight
The singer wanted to be with this person on this particular evening
So it's time to leave
The singer decides to leave this place and situation
You see this means everything to me
The situation is extremely significant to the artist
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind