Alan

eft; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border: 0px initial #e1e1e1;" src="/images/alantdom.jpg" alt="alantdom" width="50" height="75" />"I am not a number - I am a free man" was the phrase from the 60's TV show "The Prisoner", and that pretty much sums up what this is about. It's the story of an attempt at rebellion from the day-to-day grind of modern life, where it seems everyone else has power over you and freewill is increasingly limited. This is not the life you would have chosen for yourself. Why should you put up with it? This is one of those places that it seemed right and proper to use more of Graeme's voice. It's one of the unusual strengths we have as a band that we effectively have two vocalists at our disposal. The mid and end sections really leant themselves to Graeme's voice, so we went with it.

 

 

Graeme

Niall has little black book with his poems in. Most are very strange! (Dont go there) I was looking for inspiration for subject matter for Invincible,and one line leapt out at me, "it's my life and you cant have it!" This rang a bell for me.I knew exactly where that was coming from. I was a big fan of 1984, a great visionary book. I have felt like I have been living on Airstrip One for quite a few years now. CCTV everywhere, more and more laws, less freedom of expression ,out of control political correctness, A NANNY STATE. Big Brother s cheesy grin, spin, spin , lies and spin , Live to work. I think you get the feel.

Lyrically this is an homage to 1984. The dream is of TRUE LOVE. It can get you thro' anything!! I had hit on the great hammer sound when messing on the keyboard. The intro chords followed. I was looking for an relentless industrial feel. Please excuse the ham acting for "the eater of souls" vocal. Gave us all a laugh in the studio. Great powerhouse drums from my "thunder brother" Much band jamming to develop the music. Nice example on the bonus disk as to how little musical ideas can grow into big themes. I had a very sweet melody sequence on my computer which we dismantled and turned into a Big PALLAS finish for the end section of this track. A BIG FAVOURITE.

 

Niall

I remember showing Graeme a lyric that I had written and I think that may have influenced the direction of this track.

 

 

Colin

Intro section is very staccato, moving into a fluid drum part that rolls along like a train. Middle section comes right down with moody drum and bass part. We wrote this to be really tight and powerful, yet sparse. This moves into a big tom rhythm with BIG toms then back into a verse with a more syncopated drum pattern which is subtly different from the earlier verses. The End section in 3/4 is one of my favourite bits of the album and strangely was one of the most difficult for me to come up with a drum part for. It needed to really build the track and I am really happy with the resulting part and drum sound!

 

Ronnie

Another track chiefly born out of jamming – although credit must go to Graeme for planting many of the seeds, and for his very personal lyric.

 

 

Lyrics

The anchor man is calling, he's dragging me awake
He feeds me news, the worldwide blues, the moves our leaders make
Sickly smiles on sofas preach "Let them eat fruit, not cake"
A twentyfirst century nanny-land nags us through a new day

 

Panicked, packed and running, make sure that we're not late
We're herded in like cattle to the slaughter through the workhouse gate
Driven by our masters we're shackled to the interest rate
You must exceed your target, human resourse 51698

 

It's my life and you can't have it

 

You trouble making shit, we've come to tear your palace down
How dare you think, get back in line
We need your fat and flesh to feed our big machine
Live work and die, there's a good boy

 

Don't smoke, don't drink, don't eat, don't think,work hard, don't slack, pay tax
Don't spend, don't stray, don't bend, don't pray, don't cry, don't die
Don't feel, don't try, no fun, no time, don't sleep, don't stop, work till you drop
Don't love, don't live, we don't forgive, don't fight the machine, you won't survive
Don't stop, don't think, don't shake your waking sleep
Don't hope, don't dream, don't dare to fight the machine

I remember those afternoons in bed, we laughed and loved and life stretched out ahead
And as the day melts into night, we'd plan a course to live our lives
But where did the time go? It drained away like the sand
Whatever happened to our dreams, they slipped through our hands

 

The grinding wheels keep churning, tearing souls apart
Devouring dreams and lovers schemes
Free thinkers, men of art
We are all just numbers
A target market, marked
But we can rise against the tide
The fish must kill the shark

 

It's my life and you can't have it

 

I will not break, I will not fall
I will not compromise for anyone at all
This is my life, you can't take
Knock me down, but I won't break

I'm invincible, I'm invincible

 

Break my will, steal my pride
As long as you are by my side
I am invincible, I am invincible

 

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