identity is the crisis
can't you see identity
identity when you look in the mirror
do you see yourself
do you see yourself on the t.v. screen
do you see yourself in the magazine
when you see yourself
does it make you scream
when you look in the mirror
do you smash it quick
do you take the glass
and slash your wrists
did you do it for fame
did you do it in a fit
did you do it before
you read about it


Lyrics submitted by x_melancholy_x, edited by vaguely

Identity song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +1
    Song Meaning

    It's partially based on Poly seeing a girl slash her wrists in a club bathroom.

    shaylaaajaneeeon August 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i'm the first person to say something for x-ray spex! woo hoo!

    i love this song.

    goodbaron March 21, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i like this song a lot too...it kind of exposed some of our realities....people should listen to more of the X-ray Spexs

    renegade electricxxon June 12, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This my my faveourite X ray spex song. I did read some where that this song has something to do do with Poly Styrene being multiracial (if thats a word) but I cant remeber it to well so it could just be a fuddy source.

    qyolaon September 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction

    Eugh, can we please sort out the formatting of the lyrics to this amazing song?

    Identity! Identity is the crisis can't you see? Identity, identity When you look in the mirror do you see yourself? Do you see yourself on the t.v. screen? Do you see yourself in the magazine? When you see yourself does it make you scream?

    Identity is the crisis can't you see? Identity, identity Yeah

    Identity is the crisis can't you see? Identity, identity When you look in the mirror do you smash it quick? Do you take the glass and slash your wrists? Did you do it for fame? Did you do it in a fit? Did you do it before you read about it?

    Identity is the crisis I can see Identity, identity Yeah

    cosmichandson June 24, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    shaylaaajaneee was correct; this song was written after she saw a girl cutting her wrists in a club bathroom.

    VerbalVeNomon February 19, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    'Back in the day' I just liked the noise they made but I have come to realise that our Poly was quite the poet. The line in this one which really resonates with me is "Did you do it before you read about it?" - we are all poseurs, cliché's etc incapable of an original thought or action.

    rappinghoodon July 25, 2018   Link

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