Private Life

This song obviously has a very, very depressing tone.

The man singing the song (not necessarily the character of Danny Elfman or Leon Schneiderman) obviously has some social issues. He can't really connect to the world. He seems to have achieved something he always wanted to do: isolation from people, isolation from anxiety, in peace. However, that has taken a toll on him. He simply wants some friends or someone who cares for him. It seems he has no true friends, nor does he have anyone who seems to care for him. This can be told by his constant cries to "get me (him) out of here". Basically, he wants someone to get him out of his shell before his unhealthy lifestyle leads to a severe toll on him.

this one's, like "On the Outside", only he seems bitter about his situation, and wants an escape. Yet, he also seems proud of what he has, it's like he is also looking for validation. All "Check me out, I am normal, and all set to become a /normal/ member of society!".

There is some claustrophobic atmosphere in this song. It's like this loneliness slowly smothers you and you can't espace on your won - you need help from somebody else. And after all you get secluded and can hardly return into the world. You want to get in contact but you can't.

On the Outside is more about being an outsider (natch) in society; this song sounds like an agoraphobic's cry for help. He's gotten everything straightened up and organized and has entirely locked the outside world out - now he's lonely and frustrated.

I interpret this to be about introverts. It's from the mind of an introvert (not necessarily Danny, but perhaps the narrative character of the song) who is half-happy with his lifestyle and half-depressed. Though he loves his privacy, how everything is orderly, how all secrets are stashed away, and whatnot, he feels trapped. There is a part of himself that wants to know what goes on outside of his comfortable bubble, but has a fear of just being as invisible outside of his room as he is to the world when he's inside of it.

I relate to this song on many levels

deeply depressing. the loneliness of privacy caused, essentially, by fear.

This song is mostly about how we alienate ourselves from people to protect ourselves from being hurt. It also is how we then replace the basic need of human interaction with obsessive behaviors of religion porn and materialistic things. We are so ashamed to show our real self's (THE SKELETONS ARE HIDDEN IN THE CLOSET) but yet we all crave and beg others to get us out of our self built cage. but yet when some one "knocks" on our door we tell them to "leave me alone this is my private life" at least that is how I always interpreted this song.

Considering that this song is on the "Nothing to Fear" album, I'm going to assume it's a song depicting an agoraphobe's general anxiety. Just like "Insects" depicts insectophobia.

Sorry, Entomophobia*, not insectophobia.

Here's the video:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1vtvh_oingo-boingo-private-life_music

Unlike today, this was when music came before image. All hail Oingo Boingo!