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
White Light/White Heat
Tubeway Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lyrics are available. It seems that Gary has combined elements from two
Different versions of the song - the original Velvet Underground version
And the David Bowie cover - and then added some of his own, which is why
I've elected to credit all three musicians.
Original Velvet Underground Version
White light, go on messing up my mind
White heat, it tickles me down to my toes
Have mercy, white light, have it, goodness knows
White light, go on messing up my brain
White light, it's gonna drive me insane
White heat, it tickles me down to my toes
White light I said now, goodness knows, do it
I surely do love to watch that stuff shooting itself in
Watch that side, watch that side, don't you know, gonna be dead and bright
Yeah, foxy mama, watch her walking down the street
Come upside, your head's gonna make a dead end on your street
White light, move in me and drain my brain
White heat, it tickles me down to my toes
White light, I said now, goodness knows
White light is lighting up my eyes
Don't you know it fills me up with surprise?
White heat, tickle me down to my toes
White light, I tell you now, goodness knows
Oh, she surely do move, speed
Watch that speed freak, watch that speed freak,
Everybody gonna make it every week
Sputter mutter, everbody's gonna kill their mother
Here she comes, here she comes, everybody get it, gonna make me run, do it
Higher
David Bowie's Version
White light - White light gonna drive me out of my brain
White light - White light gonna make me feel so insane
White heat - White shapin' them down to my toes
White light - White light's got it now, goodness knows
White light - White light gonna drive me out of my mind
White light - White light's surely gonna make me blind
White heat - White shaping way down to my toes
White light - White light could kill me now, goodness knows
Oh, Oh, White light
Oh, Oh, White light
Oh, Oh, White heat
Oh, Oh, White heat
VERSE 1
VERSE 2
CHORUS (twice)
White light's a-flashing
White light
Still feels right
What's that sound, what's that sound
Don't turn on, be dead or alive
No feeling
Here she comes
Oww, yeah
(Oh, oh, oh, oh) here she comes
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Ah, ah, ah, ah)
The lyrics to "White Light/White Heat" by Tubeway Army (Gary Numan) are a mix of the original Velvet Underground version and the David Bowie cover, with some added lyrics. The song talks about the effects of white light on the mind and body, with haunting and repetitive phrases like "White light, go on messing up my mind" and "White light, gonna drive me insane." The lyrics also depict the speed and danger of the "speed freaks" that frequent the streets, with lines like "Watch that speed freak, watch that speed freak, everybody gonna make it every week."
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, with some suggesting that it is about drug use and addiction, while others see it as a commentary on the overwhelming sense of chaos and confusion in society. The repetition of certain phrases and the overall frantic pace of the song create a sense of urgency and unease.
Overall, "White Light/White Heat" is a dark and intense song that showcases Gary Numan's ability to take inspiration from different artists and create something entirely new and unique.
Line by Line Meaning
White light, go on messing up my mind
The intense brightness of the white light is disturbing my sense of clarity and polluting my inner thoughts
Don't you know it's gonna make me go blind?
The exposure to the intense light is bound to cause me to become blind
White heat, it tickles me down to my toes
The heat produced by the white light is soothing and exhilarating at the same time, spreading warmth in my entire body
Have mercy, white light, have it, goodness knows
I plead for mercy from the effects of the powerful light, hoping that it would dissipate on its own eventually
White light, go on messing up my brain
The overwhelming glare of the light source is instigating confusion and chaos within my mental faculties
White light, it's gonna drive me insane
The constant exposure to white light will drive me to the brink of lunacy
I surely do love to watch that stuff shooting itself in
I derive perverse pleasure in observing the disturbing effects of white light on my mental and physical health
Watch that side, watch that side, don't you know, gonna be dead and bright
The intense energy of the white light may cause severe harm or death, and it keeps growing more potent by the second
White light, move in me and drain my brain
The omnipresent influence of the white light is draining the energy from my brain cells and sapping my intellectual abilities
White light is lighting up my eyes
The bright luminosity of the white light is illuminating my line of vision
Don't you know it fills me up with surprise?
The surprise factor generated by the effect of white light is overwhelming and shocking
Oh, she surely do move, speed
The pace and speed of the unexpected effects of white light are captivating me, leaving me in awe
Watch that speed freak, watch that speed freak,
The rapid and erratic movements of the light source command my undivided attention and curiosity
Everybody gonna make it every week
Everyone is getting exposed to the white light, and it's leaving an impact on them every single day
White light's a-flashing
The pulsating flashes of white light are causing dizziness and confusion
White light still feels right
Despite the harmful effects, the attraction to the white light is still beckoning me and seducing me
Contributed by Riley G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.