I Am Not a Robot

What if I AM a robot?

I just heard her on radio one live lounge. She said the song is about being awkward in social interactions. I can see that.

You don�t pick up the phone when it ring, ring, rings Don�t be so pathetic, just open up and sing<

Her and Fearne Cotton spoke about this "phonephobia" I actually expeirence this too, it's very strange.

I�m vulnerable, I�m vulnerable I am not a robot<

I thing if you are feeling shy and you aren't saying much, people sort of see you like a robot. They don't think you have any feelings, they think you are just being rude and haughty. When really you aren't shy because you are over confident, it's because you are very vunerable and scared of being hurt.

This song is to me obviously about being human and accepting that fact. More and more worldwide, people are losing touch with their very humanity. Society pushes human beings to be more perfect and more perfect every year, and it's gotten to the point where people are expected to have inhuman characteristics, or else you're called "weird" or a "loser". I think it's about admitting vulnerability, admitting that you're a human, and BEING a human.

It's about being the imperfect human you are instead of trying to cover all of your imperfections up.

On a side note, I also think the song is a small bit of commentary on Auto-Tune in music.

To me, this song could go one of two ways.

Either it's about the kind of person who is the way Marina has described (like me, for example) - putting on a tough act, hiding from their feelings, never admitting their vulnerability, troubled, hanging out with people that they don't really like or trust, never committing to anything or anyone and not believing that anyone could love them.

And it's her trying to show them otherwise, telling them that they are loveable and vulnerable, just troubled too.

OR

It's her trying to convince herself. It sounds a lot like that to me. Possibly she is that person who puts on a tough front, hides from her feelings, is troubled, doesn't believe she could be loved, doesn't committ to anyone etc. and she's telling herself to stop being that way by saying, 'You're vulnerable, you are not a robot' as if she's saying to herself 'you can't go on like this', and then she's trying to convince herself that she could be loved by saying 'you're loveable, but you're just troubled'. She's telling herself to get over this sort of behaviour throughout the song, for example about her not committing, 'not picking up the phone' she's saying 'don't be so pathetic, just open up'. When she's saying 'I'm vulnerable, I am not a robot' and 'Guess what? I'm not a robot' it's her suddenly realising that she is in fact vulnerable and she's not the robot she acts like. However, 'you're loveable' never changes to 'i'm loveable' so it's as if she still can't convince herself that she is indeed loveable.

The song could have any meaning, but that's how I interpret it.

i want a t-shirt saying "I'M VULNERABLE"...

and a i want to paint it on every wall of my city:

YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT

In my opinion this song is about not being controlled and being your own person. The "robot" is a metaphor for all those who follow the crowd and are controlled by society's opinion of 'normal'.

"I am not a robot" - Robots have to be controlled they are not in control. She doesn't want to be controlled by others she wants to be her own person and not be defined by the 'normal'.

"Better to be hated than love, love, loved for what you're not" - You don't have to fit in. It's better to be your own person that let others control you.

She is telling those who are pretending to be someone they are not that it's okay to be different. That they aren't another one of society's 'robots' who follow the crowd and allow themselves to be controlled by the media, celebrities and their peers.

Basically you don't have to like music in the music charts, the fashion in the magazines or look like everyone else to fit in. You are you not another robot.

So I should start off with saying that I think the whole song is all about her, that the "you" she speaks is actually herself.

You've been acting awful tough lately Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately But inside, you're just a little baby It's okay to say you've got a weak spot You don't always have to be on top Better to be hated than love, love, loved for what you're not

So basically she's saying that she's well "acting tough lately" and she realizes that sometimes this tough act sometimes doesn't work/is tiring and admits that it's okay to show some emotion or be "weak". I was going through some stuff when I started listening to this song and tried to pass things off that should of hurt me, I was trying to pull off my own tough act.

You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable You are not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just trouble

Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot

This is where I think it really shows that this song is about her. I mean, she might of actually been talking about her friend and how s/he was avoiding her so she's saying that s/he's hurting her. But I think why else would she say "I" if the song wasn't about her. Here I think she's admitting she's just human.

You've been hanging with the unloved kids Who you never really liked and you never trusted But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins Never committing to anything You don't pick up the phone when it ring, ring, rings Don't be so pathetic, just open up and sing

This part of the song I really connect with. During that time, I kind of made friends with the wrong sort of people, people that before then, I would of tried my hardest to get away from. I still had friends from before that time but I was so deep into the emotions I was holding up, I never talked to anyone outside of school, I resented commitments. I think Marina might have gone through the same thing, maybe her problem was that she got depressed and got mixed up with the wrong people? And all her other friends were worried but she never picked up the phone? I think she later realizes that she was pathetic and should just be happy with who she is.

I'm vulnerable, I'm vulnerable I am not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just trouble

Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot

Can you teach me how to feel real? Can you turn my power on? Well, let the drum beat drop

She might be directing this towards someone she has romantic feelings for, someone she has let in. Basically asking the other person to make them feel again. I don't really know about the drum beat though, it could refer to her heart "beating" so it shows that she acknowledges that she feels love?

Guess what? I'm not a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot

Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot Guess what? I'm not a robot, a robot

About being yourself and not conforming to society's expectations, obviously.

"Better to be hated than love, love, loved for what you're not"

--true that.

after listening to this a while it's occurred to me that, rather than stating the obvious that she and you are "not robots", robots are machines that do not have feelings. by saying that "you're loveable" she's contrasting the other person to a robot, and stating that she is not a robot either means that she has feelings and feelings (not necessarily sexual) towards that person. to not be afraid of expressing emotion. the irony is "can you turn my power on/off" is suggesting robotic features, to turn on or off those emotions. bad description but you get my drift.

Sort of like cheering the partner, friend, lover on: come on, sing. Be who you were meant to be in this life because it will pay off. Do not satisfy the devilish seed that the 'robot' within encapsulates. Ignore your wish to be like the rest of them because there is a person out there who will pick up on your eccentricities and date the idea of you.