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Digital Man Lyrics
His world is under observation --
We monitor his station
Under faces and the places
Where he traces points of view
He picks up scraps of conversation --
Radio and radiation
From the dancers and romancers
With the answers -- but no clue
He'd love to spend the night in Zion
He's been a long while in Babylon
He'd like a lover's wings to fly on
To a tropic isle of Avalon
His world is under anaesthetic --
Subdivided and synthetic
His reliance on the giants
In the science of the day
He picks up scraps of information --
He's adept at adaptation
'Cause for strangers and arrangers
Constant change is here to stay
He's got a force field and a flexible plan
He's got a date with fate in a black sedan
He plays fast forward for as long as he can
But he won't need a bed --
He's a digital man
We monitor his station
Under faces and the places
Where he traces points of view
Radio and radiation
From the dancers and romancers
With the answers -- but no clue
He's been a long while in Babylon
He'd like a lover's wings to fly on
To a tropic isle of Avalon
Subdivided and synthetic
His reliance on the giants
In the science of the day
He's adept at adaptation
'Cause for strangers and arrangers
Constant change is here to stay
He's got a date with fate in a black sedan
He plays fast forward for as long as he can
But he won't need a bed --
He's a digital man
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In 1983, I heard an interview of vocalist, Geddy Lee. He was asked about the meaning of this song. Geddy explained that during the recording of the album, Signals, a man visited the recording studio, whose job it was to digitize the recordings. If my memory serves me, Geddy mentioned that this guy had absolutely no personality but also seemed extremely confident in his abilities. In other words, I believe Geddy was trying to be nice and not say that the guy was a jerk. During the visit from this digital recording expert, the gentleman was asked if he needed assistance with sleeping arrangements. To this, the man sharply answered that he did not. Notice the lyrics at the conclusion of the song, "but he won't need a bed, because he happens to be a digital man."
I used to push myself pretty hard and my wife would always tell me to get some rest. I would always tell her "I'll sleep when I'm dead." She hated when I said this. I think that's what the lyrics in the summation are about. The date with fate in the black sedan is his ever-nearer demise. Until then he pushes himself, playing it at fast forward and never fully resting as if there isn't enough time. Like treading water instead of swimming. Not really getting anywhere. focused on the task but never getting a sense of the scenery. I too see an arc with "The analog Kid" here, but then again Rush never hid the fact that on any given album all the songs are thematically linked.
another amazing Rush song which no-one has commented on yet! It deals with the influenece of technology on modern day living, and is also a very cool stroy about a digital man!
ChesRockwell, that is a funny story. I once let my husband listen to this song (he's a Physics major and a Computer Engineer) and asked him what he thought it was about and he said he thought it was about a computer hacker who hacks into computers all over the world, so it's almost like he's everywhere all the time. I thought that was an interesting interpretation, seems to fit for me.
if you look into this song enough you can link analog kid and digital man together
I like this idea a lot, actually. The digital man is the analog kid - all grown up and looking at life through a different lens.
I like this idea a lot, actually. The digital man is the analog kid - all grown up and looking at life through a different lens.
The analog kid sees the world in 'analog' terms - every possibility is before him, and he can't wait to go out and explore it all (similar idea to 'Circumstances').
The analog kid sees the world in 'analog' terms - every possibility is before him, and he can't wait to go out and explore it all (similar idea to 'Circumstances').
The digital man notices 'scraps' of things, here and there. Everything is 'subdivided and synthetic'. In the same way a digital signal represents an analog (real-world) signal by subdividing it and losing information.
The digital man notices 'scraps' of things, here and there. Everything is 'subdivided and synthetic'. In the same way a digital signal represents an analog (real-world) signal by subdividing it and losing information.
So, in some sense, it's making an analogy between digital/analog signals...
So, in some sense, it's making an analogy between digital/analog signals and "maturity in an industrialized world": when you go from kid to man, you take on a more focused perspective (of isolated things rather than ranges of possibility). It's also probably inspired by audio engineering concepts that were becoming widespread when Signals was created (analog vs digital audio, debates about purity of sound, tube amps etc etc).
@shredderboi14 you can also view these lyrics as the rise of the anti Christ the album signals in my opinion was about purity to unpurity the anolog kids represents the purity digital man represents in purity with phrases such as Babylon and zion if you really go back and listen to many of rushes albums youll start noticeing a lot of siritaul over tones not only are the outstanding muscians there lyrics talk about life
@shredderboi14 you can also view these lyrics as the rise of the anti Christ the album signals in my opinion was about purity to unpurity the anolog kids represents the purity digital man represents in purity with phrases such as Babylon and zion if you really go back and listen to many of rushes albums youll start noticeing a lot of siritaul over tones not only are the outstanding muscians there lyrics talk about life
"he
s got a force field and a flexible plan.hes got a fate with fate in a black sedan"...unusual metaphors,any ideas on its meaning ?Cold hearted businessman who cheats people and is really good getting away with it. Fate has carried him trough success and fate allso brought the beautiful lady in the backseat of his black sedan... While he's wife is back home waiting for his husband.
Cold hearted businessman who cheats people and is really good getting away with it. Fate has carried him trough success and fate allso brought the beautiful lady in the backseat of his black sedan... While he's wife is back home waiting for his husband.
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@dirklerxtprat A forcefield is an (at least mostly) invisible barrier that protects something, so maybe the digital man thinks he's protected by his money, power, or fame and his flexible plan includes outrunning the reaper, but in the end, he's just going to wind up in a hearse like the rest of us.
@dirklerxtprat A forcefield is an (at least mostly) invisible barrier that protects something, so maybe the digital man thinks he's protected by his money, power, or fame and his flexible plan includes outrunning the reaper, but in the end, he's just going to wind up in a hearse like the rest of us.
I think this song is about a man who is changing quickly with the times. The world is progressing so quickly and it's often hard to keep up with it all. The song is about a man who does it all. He doesn't need a bed, because he's never going to rest - never going to stay the same
I think this song is about a man who is changing quickly with the times. The world is progressing so quickly and it's often hard to keep up with it all. The song is about a man who does it all. He doesn't need a bed, because he's never going to rest - never going to stay the same
I think this song is about people who push themselves extraordinarily hard to accomplish any nameless task, basically becoming mindless robots and never really getting a sense of accomplishment, just that it is done and they must trudge on. There can also be a connection made to "Marathon" with the fact that the 'Digital Man' kind of shoves on with his task and is recognized for it:
"His world is under observation" "We monitor his station"
However, it is the side that is obscured by the glitz and glamor of his position
"He'd love to spend the night in Zion" "He's been a long while in Babylon" "He'd like a lover's wings to fly on" "To a tropic isle of Avalon"
He would basically trade his hard work for a little bit of peace and quiet.
NSA