Uncanny X-Men formed in Melbourne as a guitar pop band in 1981 and worked t… Read Full Bio ↴Uncanny X-Men formed in Melbourne as a guitar pop band in 1981 and worked the pub rock circuit. Original line-up included Chuck Hargreaves on guitar, Steve Harrison on bass guitar, Brian Mannix as lead singer, Nick Manthandos on drums and Ron Thiessen on guitar. Mannix became known for his mischievous and comical send-ups of other artists. The band was signed by Mushroom Records early in 1982 and released their debut EP Salive One in November, which peaked at #15 on the Kent Music Report. They toured Australia in support of US rock act Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Early in 1983, Harrison was replaced on bass by John Kirk, and they released their single, "How Do You Get Your Kicks?" in March. Craig Waugh replaced Manthandos on drums and they released another single "Time Goes So Fast". They toured through 1984 and released an EP, Beach Party, in July which included the single, "Everybody Wants to Work".

"The Party" was released as a single in March 1985 and peaked at #17 on the Kent Music Report. The related debut album 'Cos Life Hurts was released and peaked at #2 in June and its next single "50 Years" peaked at #6. Uncanny X-Men performed two songs for the 1985 Oz for Africa concert (part of the global Live Aid program) - "Everybody Wants to Work" and "50 Years" on 13 July. It was broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network and Nine Network) and on MTV in the US. A third single "Still Waiting" from their debut album was released in August.

Thiessen had left early in 1986 to be replaced temporarily by Joey Amenta on guitar and more permanently by Brett Kingman. The band signed with CBS Records in 1986 and released "Children", which had reached #10 in May, before releasing the album What You Give Is What You Get! which peaked at #11 in November 1986. Further singles provided Uncanny X-Men with little chart success, internal tensions occurred so that they disbanded in 1987, although there was a brief reunion during 1998. Kingman, Mannix and Waugh joined with bass guitarist Derek O'Leary to form Dead Legends during 1989, Mannix then pursued a solo career including performing in pub rock bands and in stage plays.

You say that
Uncanny X-Men Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Say, can you hear?
Is there a meaning to your grief?
Where there is pain you see grace
As if sacrifice was meaningful and in itself
Your trial and error is error and error

Staying at the end of a hallway
Dozens of doors you never tried to open

Narrow vision, you're the scapegoat
Try to fix things that have never been

You're self-absorbed
Raving about your cryptic ways
Aren't willing to change
Old grudges

Hoping for your turn
All the basement stories you heard
Waiting for the world
To bend around you

Staying at the end of a hallway
Dozens of doors you never tried to open
Narrow vision, you're the scapegoat
Try to fix things that have never been

Waiting for the world to bend around you
Waiting for the world to bend around you
Waiting for the world to bend around you

Staying at the end of a hallway
Waiting for the world to bend around you
Dozens of doors you never tried to open
Waiting for the world to bend around you
Narrow vision, you're the scapegoat

Waiting for the world to bend around you
Try to fix things that have never been broken

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "You" by Uncanny X-Men are a poignant commentary on the human tendency to focus on our own struggles and desires, even when it comes at the expense of others. The opening lines "Say, can you hear? Is there a meaning to your grief?" suggest a sense of frustration or confusion at the singer's inability to connect with someone who is so absorbed in their own issues that they seem unable to see the world around them. This is captured beautifully in the line "Where there is pain you see grace / As if sacrifice was meaningful and in itself", which suggests that the person in question is so self-absorbed that they view every personal struggle as a form of sacrifice or martyrdom.

The lyrics also touch on the idea of missed opportunities and the dangers of being too narrowly focused. The lines "Staying at the end of a hallway / Dozens of doors you never tried to open" suggest that the person is stuck in a rut, unwilling or unable to explore new possibilities or take risks. This, in turn, leads to a sense of disillusionment and discontentment, as the person recognizes that they are missing out on something but can't seem to break free of their self-imposed limitations.

Overall, "You" is a powerful song that speaks to the human tendency to be self-absorbed and narrow-minded. It reminds us of the importance of being willing to take risks, explore new possibilities, and truly listen to others if we want to find meaning and happiness in our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Say, can you hear?
Are you listening?

Is there a meaning to your grief?
Are you searching for purpose in your pain?

Where there is pain you see grace
You find beauty in suffering

As if sacrifice was meaningful and in itself
You believe that sacrifice has inherent worth

Your trial and error is error and error
Your attempts to solve problems are consistently unsuccessful

Staying at the end of a hallway
You remain stagnant, unwilling to explore

Dozens of doors you never tried to open
You have not taken opportunities to better yourself

Narrow vision, you're the scapegoat
Your limited perspective causes you to be unfairly blamed

Try to fix things that have never been
You seek to solve problems that do not exist

You're self-absorbed
You are overly focused on yourself

Raving about your cryptic ways
You boast about your mysterious behavior

Aren't willing to change
You are resistant to personal growth

Old grudges
You hold onto resentment from past experiences

Hoping for your turn
You anticipate being given opportunities without actively pursuing them

All the basement stories you heard
You have been influenced by negative rumors and gossip