4:20 Down In The Park
3:36 Do You Need The Service?
6:40 I Nearly Married A Human (2)
12" UK Beggars Banquet BEG 17T (5000 issued)
1979 Mar Down In The Park
Gary Numan (Keyboards, Guitars, Vocals)
Paul Gardiner (Bass)
Jess Lidyard (Drums)
Produced by Gary Numan
Engineered by John Caffery
Assisted by Harvey Ishiki
Mixed by Rikki Sylvan, John Caffery, and Gary Numan
Recorded at Gooseberry Studios, London
Mixed at Marcus Music AB, London
Release Date:
Feb 1978
Highest Chart Position: 0
DOWN IN THE
PARK
Success was just round the corner when Gary Numan ( Tubeway Army ) released the 3rd single Down In The Park .to this day Down In The Park remains a personal favourite of Gary’s as he felt he had achieved the sound he was looking for from the moment he thought up the first line. The transformation complete , Gary had entered the realms of an electronic fantasy a new kind of music was born. The sales of this single tripled up from 3,000-4,000 to 10,000. Down In The Park is a favourite of the fans and still to this day is seldom left out of any of Gary's live performances. Influenced by sci-fi writers like Philip k. Dick he turned some of these into songs, one of which was Down In The Park issued in March 1979. The cover introduced one of Numans most famous poses, as a stunning android with white hair and jet black clothes. The single was also released as a 12" with an extra track, I Nearly Married A Human 2. although it did not chart it won Numan many new fans with its haunting synth-based sound.
DOWN IN THE
PARK LYRICS
Down In The Park
(Single from 'Replicas' album, 1979)
Down in the park
Where the machmen
Meet the machines
And play 'Kill by numbers'
Down in the park
Wit a friend called 'Five'
I was in a car crash
Or was it the war
But I've never been
Quite the same
Little white lies
Like 'I was there'
Come to 'Zom Zoms'
A place to eat
Like it was built
In one day
You can watch the humans
Trying to run
Oh look
There's a rape machine
I'd go outside
If he'd look the other way
You wouldn't believe
The things they do
Down in the park
Where the chant is
'Death, death, death'
Until the sun cries morning
Down in the park
With friends of mine
We are not lovers
We are not romantics
'We are here to serve you'
A different face
But the words never change
Do You Need The Service?
(B-side, 'Down In The Park' single, 1979)
Do you need the service
Do you need to call me daily
Do you have reasons for calling at all
Is something on your mind
Is something wrong I get the feeling
That you're laughing at my quiet surprise
My silhouette is changing
As I'm ageing by your window
And I focus on the light by your face
Call me the operator
Making comments 'He's so technical'
Or, 'I've absolutely nothing to do'
Recycle all my photographs
I'll leave a picture of the Queen
And no-one has to know I was there
Me I'm so ashamed
You're all connected to my number
And the conversation's only polite
I'll wear my old grey raincoat
Just in case your 'confidential'
Make up stories like 'The screen fades away'
Today it's in a taxi
By the station, and it's raining
And I wonder how they made it before
I Nearly Married A Human (1 & 2)
('Replicas' album, 1979 - part 2 was bonus track on 12" version of 'Down In The Park')
