He's the latest super hero with powers so profound
He can leap a dotted line in just a single bound
I know you must have seen him in books and magazines
He's the quintessential, mindless, modern epicene
His life is meaningful because he get things done
(bang bang) he's dead
Chalk up another triumph for our hero
The automatic man

It's true you must have met him
He's your best friend and your foe
His opinions are determined by the status quo
A true creature of habit
He smokes three packs a day
When he has an original thought
He forgets it right away

He's a paradigm of carefree living
He's our mentor disturb him if you can
He's the answer if your peace of mind is lacking
He's our savior
He is the common man

So if you are troubled by the daily bump and grind
Then take a careful look around
And brother you will find
The automatic man


Lyrics submitted by oofus

Automatic Man Lyrics as written by Brett Gurewitz

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Automatic Man song meanings
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  • +2
    My Interpretation

    I've always thought this song was about a soldier, and how mindless some of they can be.

    "He can leap a dotted line in just a single bound" Makes me think of soldiers that are sent into countries to cross the 'dotted line' (border) at a whim. Just do your job and you'll be conforming to people's expectations of soldiers.

    "He's your best friend and your foe" He can either be on your side or against you - if the government is against you.

    And the rest of the song is describing someone who is mindless and has no original opinions, just does what the government tells him to. Coupled with the fact that "automatic" is used, perhaps signifying automatic weapons, along with "bang bang, he's dead" I've always took this on a literal level to be about a soldier, which the public proclaim to be a hero.

    I don't know, but it always sounded like that to me.

    Kelsperon April 27, 2012   Link

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