Clayman

I'm going to add my interpretation here, as I have to two other site so far. I spent about an hour on it, not including the times I was distracted by the awesomeness of the other In Flames songs that I had playing while writing.

I think this song is about the narrator's understanding of life and who he is as a person, and where he fits into the world. He is unsure and unconfident of himself. He perceives others to be extremely sure of who they are and solid, unchanging, plastic.

It seems like throughout school, he had an idea of who he was, and what life was about. He felt like he was where he belonged; he knew his place and was in it. Afterwards, he was lost. Ideas that he believed were major parts of life no longer applied to his new reality.

After this, I think the narrator finds that he cannot quite pinpoint an exact meaning to life, and is instead a man made of clay; always changing and adapting.

He is probably being shaped by his perceived level of acceptance by his peers: the aforementioned plastic people. Perhaps at times he feels invincible when he thinks he has found a meaning or image for himself, but the confidence it instills eventually weakens. Gradually, the confidence this self-image instills within him weans, as he stops getting signs of confirmation from his peers: “I need someone to break the silence before it all falls apart. I need something to cling onto.”

Alternatively, for the previous paragraph only, perhaps the fact that he is an ever-adapting clay sculpture is what makes him feel invincible all the time. Either way, maybe this survival tactic is his “supernatural art,” and that is what he wishes to teach to the world, especially people who feel lost and alone in life.

After reading some comments here though, I'm more certain of my final paragraph.

I have to disagree with whoever said it wasn't from Ander's perspective. In the intro for this song on one of their live CD's (Tokyo Showdown, last 20 seconds of Moonshield methinks) he talks about Clayman as being written "in a difficult time of my life and I felt like a piece of clay". I think this is enough to show that Anders was actually singing as the clayman. I agree that there are many alternate interpretations, but that's how a lot of things in life are. I personally lean towards the interpretation that to be truly happy you need to mould yourself and not be pressured by the plastic, unchangable conformists. \m/

hi, i'm new here, i'm from argentina and sorry for my english, it's not good... the thing is that i feel identified with this song, cuz i'm living things that i can express with this song. i think that it talks about leaving everything flow, i had too many bad times in my life and i started being somebody that i'm really not. leaving things like that, being happy even between really bad situatios. accept that everything is the same, that the good things and the sad ones come and go all the time. so i become of clay to mold to any situation without allow it to affect me. but i feel afraid sometimes cuz people look at me like a person without feelings, and sometimes i feel sad cuz now that i dont leave bad situatios to throw me down i still see my friends and the people that surrounds me getting sad for the things i leave behind all the time. i try to teach them how to drop all that sadness but i'm afraid cuz i still know that i'm not being myself, that its all a lie. and i wish somebody to realize that i'm a lie and talk to me about that cuz i need to discharge all the things i'm keepin into my heart at the same time that i dont want the people to realize that i'm that. i dont think that this songs means that, but make me feels that cuz i'm living it.

@ Dreadnaught

Actually, I read it quite opposite. In reality, plastic actually means moldable. Clay is described as moldable or plastic.

Anders isn't the clay man, but he's singing from the perspective of someone he describes that way. The plastic people, the sculpture made of clay, are symbolizing those who change with whatever the fad or craze of the day is, molded by the media, MTV, and everyone else.

You had the right idea, though.

Haha. After reading WinterMadness's comment, I take back the final sentence of my interpretation. At any rate, I feel this song is amazing, both in meaning and sound. A true work of art. It was a pleasure to write about, read, and listen to.

Okay, so.. there are such diverse comments here. I’m very surprised everyone has such seemingly different, individual and personal meanings represented. Interestingly, I think this song is extreme, in it’s personal potency to its narrarator.

Someone influenced the writer here, in a unnatural way to their own creation wants. Through it, he tried hard. He felt perfected in ways, but overall lost, everlong. He now no longer believes. There is an epiphany where he realizes everything’s pretty much bullshit. Alone and becoming reborn, he’s looking to express who he truly is. He realizes he’s the creator of his unique art that he wishes to share with the world too. (Breakdown) He can’t handle the norms (Ending) Expressing his fear, the human fear, of what others think of you, the judgings. He knows inside and true that it’s bullshit, and does not matter at all. All he needs and wants and should do, is find his unique art he knows he holds inside and how to express it. -JP

This song to me is about self-esteem, exploring yourself and self confidence ("so afraid of what you may think"), a common theme for teenagers, and as one myself I glean this meaning from the lyrics. "your self control makes me feel alone, tried confiance", is pretty simple, he feels he lacks the confidence he sees in others. Such lines as "the image I project - me without me. The picture that I scanned is borrowed" and "spending to much time with myself trying to explain who I am" communicate his obsessive exploration of his own identity, and numerous metaphors and allusions explore specific facets of this , e.G. "slowly, all that I believed in, turning into a lie. To aim and miss, my supernatural art" (this supernatural art is mentioned in a different sense at the end of the song, meaningfully) comments on how he's changing, also discussed in the line "as the seasons change I'll continue to ignore". He then finds confidence etc., and gains the feeling of invincibility in his discovery of his true, unchanging self, no longer shifting like the seasons but like a clay sculpture, fixed and strong. At the end of the song, his supernatural art changes from his exploration of but failure to find the truth about himself to the exploration and success, finding the beginning to the path of self-awareness etc., and to teach the world

First off i have to say In Flames is my favorite fucking all time band! they kick so much ass live and they are just great. no words can describe them. One way i look at this song is handling a eating disorder.You want this perfect image of yourself and to become confident. With self acceptance and esteem you feel invincible and in control.

The sculpture made of clay represents people who are worried about conforming and what people think of them. I think "teach the world my supernatural art" is Anders sarcastic way of saying all you have to do is be yourself.

fucking awesome, I love the guitar riff its just amazing, the singing isnt especially good, neither are the lyrics but it is still an amazing song.