Segall began his recording career as a part-time musician in various underground bands in Orange County and the San Francisco Bay Area, before beginning a solo career in 2008. Segall's first solo release was the cassette Horn The Unicorn released on the Wizard Mountain label (later re-released by HBSP-2X on vinyl record). Around the same time, Wizard Mountain also released a split cassette featuring Segall and the band Superstitions entitled Halfnonagon.
In 2012, Segall released three LPs: His solo album, Twins; a collaboration with White Fence titled Hair and Slaughterhouse, an album with the Ty Segall Band.
You're Not Me
Ty Segall Lyrics
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Almost every day
Who is this man
Looking my way?
I look in the mirror
Tell me what do I see?
I know it's not me
Chorus:
Who are you?
Who are you?
Who are you?
You're not me
Verse:
I look in the mirror
Tell me what do I see?
I know it's not me
Man of mystery
You know I've done wrong
You know I've done right
But lord help me
I put up a fight
Chorus:
Who are you?
Who are you?
Who are you?
You're not me
Who are you?
Who are you?
Who are you?
You're not me
Yeah, you're not me
Yeah, you're not me
Yeah, you're not me
Yeah, you're not me
In Ty Segall's song You're Not Me, the lyrics explore the concept of identity and introspection. The verses consist of the singer looking at themselves in the mirror and questioning who they see looking back at them. The repetition of this motif adds to the idea that the singer is searching for their true self and trying to differentiate between their true self and the "man of mystery" that they see in the reflection.
The chorus then acts as a sort of mantra, emphasizing the idea that this reflection is not the singer's true self and that there is someone else inside that they are trying to locate. The final lines of the song, "yeah, you're not me," is an assertion that the singer is not the man they see in the reflection, but rather someone deeper and more complex.
Overall, the lyrics of You're Not Me offer a thoughtful meditation on the nature of inner identity and the search for self. The repeated imagery of the mirror and the reflective questions create a powerful sense of introspection and self-examination, ultimately leading to the conclusion that the singer is someone much more than their reflection would suggest.
Line by Line Meaning
I look in the mirror
Reflecting on myself
Almost every day
Frequently questioning who I am
Who is this man
Wondering about my true identity
Looking my way?
Observing my physical appearance
I look in the mirror
Continuing to contemplate my true self
Tell me what do I see?
Questioning what I observe in my reflection
I know it's not me
Feeling disconnected from my reflection
Man of mystery
Feeling like an enigma to myself
Who are you?
Questioning and challenging the identity of an unknown figure
Who are you?
Repeating the question as the mystery figure looms larger
Who are you?
Continuing to question the identity of the unknown figure
You're not me
Asserting that the unknown figure is not a part of my identity
You know I've done wrong
Acknowledging my mistakes
You know I've done right
Recognizing my positive actions
But lord help me
Expressing a need for guidance and support
I put up a fight
Resisting difficult situations and challenges
Yeah, you're not me
Reiterating that the unknown figure is not a part of my identity
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.