When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh, it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily
Oh, joyfully, oh, playfully watching me
But then they sent me away to teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh, responsible, practical
Then they showed me a world where I could be so dependable
Oh, clinical, oh, intellectual, cynical

There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned?
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am

I said, now, watch what you say, they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh, fanatical, criminal
Oh, won't you sign up your name? We'd like to feel you're acceptable
Respectable, oh, presentable, a vegetable
Oh, take, take, take it, yeah

But at night, when all the world's asleep
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please (oh, won't you tell me)
Please tell me what we've learned?
(Can you hear me?) I know it sounds absurd
(Oh, won't you tell me) please tell me who I am
Who I am, who I am, who I am

Ooh
Hey

'Cause I was feeling so logical
Yeah
D-D-D-D-D-D-D-Digital
Yeah, one, two, three, five
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah
Ooh, it's getting unbelievable
Yeah
Getting, getting, yeah, yeah
Uh, uh, uh, uh


Lyrics submitted by Hunter, edited by kwisp, despondent

The Logical Song Lyrics as written by Roger Hodgson Richard Davies

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group

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The Logical Song song meanings
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  • +6
    General Comment

    For me, it is about the way society prefers to create non thinking robots than facing the age old philosophical and spiritual questions that have been asked since time began.

    I think the the first verse speaks of the first 3 stages of a man's life;

    1. As a child where the world is a magical place.
    2. As a pupil/student where he is taught the rules of society and has his thought processes trained and conditioned.
    3. As an adult where he is shown how to conform and become part of that society. Interstingly the song uses the word shown suggesting that he is not totally part of it (yet).

    The first line of the chorus is suggestive that he either lies awake at night and ponders some of life's deeper questions like "who am I?" and/or that at times the world ie society at large can be totally asleep to these issues.

    The second verse is warning about how society treats people that don't conform. History has shown that society tends to defend its own dogma and status quo quite ruthlessly. Radical thinkers of the day have been ostracized, ridiculed and compromised as well as burned at the stake, hung and crucified for daring to suggest paths and alternative ways of thinking to the masses.

    So, it is much safer and easier to "sign up" and bceome part of society. And as the last line says, to become a vegetable.

    Thankfully, the chorus then kicks in again suggesting that the author/singer isn't going to conform and feels the need to question things and seek answers.

    jaenicollon June 18, 2006   Link

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