Tubeway Army's main claim to fame is that Gary Webb (aka Gary Numan) first … Read Full Bio ↴Tubeway Army's main claim to fame is that Gary Webb (aka Gary Numan) first came to the public's attention here. The band was formed in London, UK in 1977 by Gary Numan and the late Paul Gardiner. What started as a British punk band would evolve into something quite different. During the recording of their self-titled first album ("Tubeway Army") in 1978, Numan came across a Minimoog synthesizer accidentally left in the studio which would end up being used in several of the album's songs. The change in sound served well for the band as their first album would go on to sell out its small initial pressing despite not charting.

The release of their second album "Replicas" in 1979 finally gave Numan the success he had been trying to achieve from the start with the single "Are Friends Electric?", the song topping the British charts for four weeks. The band's cold electronic take on minimalistic pop took a little while to catch on with the music audience at large, but proved to be of lasting influence. Combining the artistic and poetic tendencies of David Bowie (especially the Berlin years) with sequenced synthesizers along the lines of Kraftwerk presaged the whole genre of techno-pop in the 1980s.

In late 1979, after the success of "Replicas", Numan dropped Tubeway Army and went on to record as a solo artist.

It's also worthy of note that during 1979, while his band "Ultravox" were on hiatus, Billy Currie collaborated with Gary on material for both "Replicas" and Gary's first solo album "The Pleasure Principle".

The official website can be found here: www.garynuman.co.uk

Out Of Sight
Tubeway Army Lyrics

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I don't wanna hear you talk
And I don't wanna go for walks
But I just wanna lay you flat
Well you think you're so good at that

I've got no time for your sad eyes
I don't care if you say good-bye
I don't really think that I want

Anything to do with your

Out of sight
Out of mind

The radio continues 'round me
Blending faces glaring at me

How was I to telephone
Crawl away to end it all

Spiral staircase leads to nowhere
I an take you somewhere (who cares)
Dee-Dee's crazy as a model
I'd break your heart if I'd got time

Out of sight
Out of mind

? (I'm very sorry, but I can't make out what in blazes he's singing.)

?
?
I hate you all I hate you all
You're breaking down my message wall

Out of sight
Out of mind

(The two last verses are missing in the CD booklet.)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Out Of Sight" by Tubeway Army are quite straightforward and can be interpreted as a disdainful message to someone the singer is involved with. The singer wants nothing to do with this person, as they do not want to talk or go on walks with them. However, the singer only wants to use them for sex, which is stated in the line "But I just wanna lay you flat". The singer has no time for their partner's sadness or their possible goodbye, as they do not want anything to do with them. The repetition of "out of sight, out of mind" emphasizes that the singer wants this person completely out of their life and forgotten about.

The lyrics also mention the radio and faces glaring at the singer, creating a setting of being alone in a crowded place with no escape. The singer desires to end their relationship, but does not know how to go about it. The spiral staircase mentioned could represent a situation where the singer feels trapped, and the reference to Dee-Dee, who is crazy as a model, could symbolize a need to break free from societal norms and expectations. The last two verses are missing in the CD booklet, which could add to the feeling of disarray and confusion present throughout the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't wanna hear you talk
I don't want to listen to you speak

And I don't wanna go for walks
I am not interested in taking a walk with you

But I just wanna lay you flat
I only want to have sex with you

Well you think you're so good at that
You believe you are skilled in that regard

I've got no time for your sad eyes
I am not interested in your expressions of sadness

I don't care if you say good-bye
I have no concern if you decide to leave

I don't really think that I want
I don't believe I desire

Anything to do with your
Any involvement with you

Out of sight
When you are not present

Out of mind
You are not on my mind

The radio continues 'round me
The radio plays around me