We Are Glass

Gary Numan

About We Are Glass

"We Are Glass" is a song by the British singer Gary Numan. It was released as a single in May 1980 and reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. The song was Numan's first release since his 1979 album, The Pleasure Principle, which had been notable in part for its complete absence of guitars. Though the album was a major commercial success, Numan decided that "getting rid of guitars had been a mistake" and brought them back into the studio for his next project. The recording also featured viola, piano, and a newly expanded array of electronic keyboards, including ARP Pro Soloist and Roland Jupiter-4, to augment the Moog synthesizers of previous releases. According to the composer, speaking on Australian radio 2SM in 1981, the song was inspired by a comment from a magazine staffer: "Somebody once told me, a man from Omni, said that he thought I'd been put here by ... something ... aliens or something, to carry out a cause ... which I thought was very flattering but a little silly. ... 'We Are Glass' I wrote because of that, y'know, like all pop stars are put here for reasons."The accompanying music video featured images of clapping hands silhouetted against laser light, as well as numerous slow-motion shots of the singer smashing bodily through glass panels and destroying mirrors and TV sets with sledge hammers. The alleged strong violence of these latter images resulted in the promo being banned from Britain's Top of the Pops. Originally released on single only, "We Are Glass" reached number 5 in the UK charts in 1980. The B-side was one of Numan's few non-original pieces, the first movement of Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopedies," in an arrangement that added guitar, bass and synthesizer to the original's solo piano part.  


Year:
2010
54 
#1

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We are young we can break
Watch us fall
We can take some train
Down to the sea
We are glass, we are glass
We are real you can touch
Just for now
And then say
'Hey you, which way is down'
We are glass, we are glass

We are strong we run though
We have time
And to you I'm just
One of those boys
We are glass, we are glass
We are cold
We're not supposed to cry
But it's all just a thought
So here am I
We are glass, we are glass

They run fast
Impressions of the floors inviting
Stay with me, stay with me
They run past
With telephones they scream
Well would you turn all this down
Turn all this down

You are replaced you are you
And our dreams are real
And dreams are all we need
We are glass, we are glass

We slip down
And old eyes don't cry for me
'Cause I doubt I'm and I doubt you
And never never going to doubt
We are glass, we are glass

They run fast
Impressions of the floors inviting
Stay with me, stay with me
They run past
With telephones they scream
Well would you turn all this down
Turn all this down

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Gary Numan

Gary Numan (born Gary Anthony James Webb on 8 March 1958) is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (as Tubeway Army) and "Cars". His signature sound consists of heavy synthesiser hooks fed through guitar effects pedals. more »

1 fan

Written by: Gary Anthony Webb, Gary Anthony James Webb

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"We Are Glass" is a single released by British singer Gary Numan in the genre of New Wave, Synthpop, and Electronic Rock.
Chart Performance
It reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Numan's fifth Top 10 hit single in the United Kingdom.
Album Association
"We Are Glass" was not originally part of an album but was later included in the 1980 reissue of "Telekon", the fourth studio album by Gary Numan.
Song Message
Gary Numan explained in an interview that "We Are Glass" was written as an answer to critics who accused him of being a manufactured pop star. The song's title and lyrics suggest that all people are fragile and the idea of being artificial, similar to the metaphor of being made of glass.
Music Video
There's an accompanying music video for the song, where Numan performs on a soundstage with special effects added to look like broken glass. This may symbolize the song's theme of being 'fragile' or 'transparent.'
Song Release Date
"We Are Glass" was released on May 21, 1980.
Record Label
The song was released under Beggars Banquet Records.
Song Duration
"We Are Glass" has a duration of approximately 4:50 minutes, a typical length for pop and rock songs in the 1980s.
Single B-Side
The B-side of the single of "We Are Glass" was the song named "Trois Gymnopédies (First Movement)," which is a solo piano piece by Erik Satie, performed by Numan himself.
Live Performance
"We Are Glass" has been performed live by Numan many times over his long career. It continues to be a fan favorite during his concerts.
Song Writing and Production
Gary Numan wrote and co-produced the song with his regular collaborator Pete Coleman.
Legacy
Today, "We Are Glass" remains one of Numan's most loved and listened to songs, symbolizing the height of his popularity during the early 80s.

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