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
The Crazies
Tubeway Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the paint dries like your face
I'm still confusing love with need
Tonight at 10
I'll cry for a while
They'll get me for sure
It's just a question of time
Some things I do
I feel so ashamed
But I have run of points of view
The man is a thinker
Who thought that he died
Just sits in the corner
Looking somewhat surprised
We're the crazies
I only exterminate
In my spare time
I fight the machine for the passers by
I know I'm wrong
But what makes you right
The simple solution is to end it all
We're the crazies
The opening stanza to Tubeway Army's song "The Crazies" paints a picture of isolation and confusion. The singer is holed up in their room, watching the paint dry like a metaphor for the stagnation in their life. They are unable to differentiate between love and the need for it, and as the clock ticks towards 10, they anticipate breaking down and giving in to their emotional turmoil. The tone of the lyrics is melancholic, and it hints that the singer has reached their wit's end. There is an impending sense of doom that they will be caught or discovered eventually. The chorus "We're the crazies" makes reference to their label as outcasts in the society that surrounds them.
In the second verse, the lyrics take on a darker tone. The singer refers to some of the things they do that leave them ashamed and make them appear abnormal in the eyes of others. They talk about seeing things from multiple perspectives, which may imply that they struggle with mental health issues like schizophrenia. They describe a man who may have passed on yet "sits in the corner looking somewhat surprised," emphasizing the sense of madness that the song's title alludes. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the message of the song that they are outsiders and society labels them as "the crazies."
Line by Line Meaning
Here in my room
The singer is in a closed space, indicating a sense of isolation and loneliness.
Where the paint dries like your face
The paint is dry and lifeless, reinforcing the feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
I'm still confusing love with need
The singer is undecided about their feelings and desires, indicating a sense of confusion and uncertainty.
Tonight at 10
The artist has a specific time in mind, indicating a sense of urgency or anxiety.
I'll cry for a while
The artist is emotive and may be experiencing sadness or pain.
They'll get me for sure
The singer expects to be caught, implying a possible conflict with authority or society.
It's just a question of time
The singer is resigned to their fate, indicating a sense of inevitability or fatalism.
We're the crazies
The artist identifies with a group that is deemed insane or irrational by society.
Some things I do
The artist engages in actions that are socially unacceptable or deviant.
I feel so ashamed
The artist experiences guilt or remorse for their actions.
But I have run of points of view
The singer has different perspectives or ways of seeing things, indicating a sense of complexity or ambiguity.
The man is a thinker
The artist refers to another person who is introspective or intelligent.
Who thought that he died
The thinker may be dealing with existentialism or contemplating death.
Just sits in the corner
The thinker is passive and detached from society or the situation at hand.
Looking somewhat surprised
The thinker may have a new realization or insight, indicating a sense of wonder or shock.
I only exterminate
The artist engages in violent behavior, reinforcing their deviant or criminal nature.
In my spare time
The artist has leisure time to engage in harmful activities, indicating a lack of purpose or direction.
I fight the machine for the passers by
The singer opposes authority or a dominant force for the sake of others, indicating a sense of justice or altruism.
I know I'm wrong
The singer is aware of their wrongdoing, indicating a sense of morality or ethics.
But what makes you right
The artist questions the legitimacy of societal norms or authority figures, indicating a sense of rebellion or skepticism.
The simple solution is to end it all
The artist is considering suicide as a way out of their problems or pain, indicating a sense of desperation or hopelessness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind