Difference between revisions of "Are 'Friends' Electric?"

Revision as of 18:41, 21 January 2009

"Are 'Friends' Electric" is a b-side to "Pork and Beans." It is a cover of a Tubeway Army song, a project of Gary Numan's. Weezer's version is a live recording, likely from the previous album Make Believe's tour in 2005.

The original Tubeway Army version is from a 1979 album called Replicas. The title of the song is influenced by the Phillip K. Dick science fiction story Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, which was the basis of the 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner.

The song tells the tale of a lonely and paranoid man; its themes of alienation and isolation were a Numan hallmark at this time in his career. The lyrics were inspired by a failed relationship with Beggars Banquet employee Susan Wathan (cryptically referred to as "S.U."). Despite being over five minutes long and possessing, in the words of its composer, "no recognisable hook-line whatsoever",[1] the single topped the UK charts and is notable for being the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era.

"Are 'Friends' Electric?" features three different sections: a recurring 'verse' with synth riff in C and B flat, a recurring section with spoken word over slow arpeggiated seventh chords, and an instrumental break in F. The instrumentation is quite minimalistic: there is a conventional drum and bass guitar backing track, some additional heavily flanged guitar (particularly in the instrumental break), subdued vocals and, most prominently, Minimoog synthesizer. These synth parts include a slow-paced sawtooth bass riff, and some soaring portamento background lines.

Appearances

• Pork and Beans (UK Retail CD / US Indie Retail 7" (Red Vinyl))

Overview

Personnel

• Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar
• Patrick Wilson – percussion, lead vocals
• Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
• Scott Shriner - bass guitar
• N/A - producer

Lyrics

<lyrics> It's cold outside And the paint's peeling off of my walls There's a man outside In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette

Now the light fades out And I wonder what I'm doing in a room like this There's a knock on the door And just for a second I thought I remembered you

So now I'm alone Now I can think for myself About little deals and issues And things that I just don't understand A white lie that night Or a sly touch at times I don't think it mean anything to you

So I open the door It's the friend that I'd left in the hallway 'Please sit down' A candlelit shadow on a wall near the bed

You know I hate to ask But are 'friends' electric? Only mine's broke down And now I've no-one to love

So I found out your reasons For the phone calls and smiles And it hurts and I'm lonely And I should never have tried And I missed you tonight So it's time to leave You see it meant everything to me </lyrics>

See also

• List of Weezer songs