Mother was an incubator
Father was the contents
of a test tube in the ice box
In the factory of birth
My name is 905,
And I've just become alive
I'm the newest populator
Of the planet we call Earth
In suspended animation
My childhood passed me by
If I speak without emotion
Then you know the reason why
Knowledge of the universe
Was fed into my mind
As my adolescent body
Left its puberty behind
And everything I know is what I need to know
And everything I do's been done before
Every sentence in my head
Someone else has said
At each end of my life is an open door
Automatically defrosted
When manhood came on time
I became a man
I left the "ice school" behind
Now I'm to begin
The life that I'm assigned
A life that's been used before
A thousand times
I have a feeling deep inside
That somethin' is missing
It's a feeling in my soul
And I can't help wishing
That one day I'll discover
That we're living a lie
And I'll tell the whole world
The reason why
Well, until then, everything I know is what I need to know
And everything I do's been done before
Every sentence in my head
Someone else has said
At each end of my life is an open door
Father was the contents
of a test tube in the ice box
In the factory of birth
And I've just become alive
I'm the newest populator
Of the planet we call Earth
My childhood passed me by
If I speak without emotion
Then you know the reason why
Was fed into my mind
As my adolescent body
Left its puberty behind
And everything I do's been done before
Every sentence in my head
Someone else has said
At each end of my life is an open door
When manhood came on time
I became a man
I left the "ice school" behind
The life that I'm assigned
A life that's been used before
A thousand times
That somethin' is missing
It's a feeling in my soul
And I can't help wishing
That we're living a lie
And I'll tell the whole world
The reason why
And everything I do's been done before
Every sentence in my head
Someone else has said
At each end of my life is an open door
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This song is about a cloned human that was implanted with memories of his childhood as opposed to having a childhood of his own. He was created to serve some specific purpose, but outside of his assigned purpose he can't help feeling empty and as though "something is missing". He knows though that at least at the end of his life his soul will be free from his manufactured existence.
Great song!
@Drdestructo Perfect!
@Drdestructo Perfect!
I just discovered this song, and these lyrics are what stuck out to me (shelly talked a little bit about these earlier):
And everything I know is what I need to know. And everything I do's been done before. Every sentence in my head, Someone else has said. At each end of my life is an open door.
While I definitely get the mechanistic future ideas and the robot mentality, I actually felt like these were some really positive lyrics, because they have that idea of the oneness of everything. I don't NEED to know more than I already know, although I may WANT to know more. I can't do or say anything that hasn't been done or said before, but just because it's been done or said doesn't mean it's less meaningful to me when I do or say it. The last line is my favorite because of that idea of a continual existence, and that it underscores the fact that really, our lives don't matter at all in the larger picture, but they have all the meaning to us because they ARE our lives. There's a certain comfort and freedom in that to me. Great song!
Why only one comment?! This song is one of the best on the Who Are You album!
It's a vision of the future, like what could happen if we let things get too far. I love the little touches, like "I've just become alive" - can't even explain that, but it sends a shiver down my spine every time I hear it, as does the chorous, cos maybe this sounds over-dramatic, but it's the way I feel about myself a lot of the time.
this is a work of genius by a very underated songwriter.a excellent song.
I first heard this song after reading The Giver and I noticed massive similarities. Anybody agree?
I love this song, one of the best by John Entwistle.
right on song
This song reminds me of Brave New World. 905 was going to be part of a rock opera that John Entwistle never finished writing.
I think that with the literal meaning, Drdestructo hit the nail on the head, but I've always thought the song itself was more of a metaphor for the need to think for youself. It's very anti-control and it seems to try and send a "fight the system" message out.
Additionally, I think it's a bit nihiilistic which we see in the lines "Everything I know is what I need to know, and everything I do's been done before. Every idea in my head...." It seems to tailor to the "I'll never amount to anything" and "I'm so unoriginal" mindsets.
I think that with the literal meaning, Drdestructo hit the nail on the head, but I've always thought the song itself was more of a metaphor for the need to think for youself. It's very anti-control and it seems to try and send a "fight the system" message out.
Additionally, I think it's a bit nihiilistic which we see in the lines "Everything I know is what I need to know, and everything I do's been done before. Every idea in my head...." It seems to tailor to the "I'll never amount to anything" and "I'm so unoriginal" mindsets.