Karaoke idea for Undertaker
I found a great song to sing, if I’m ever doing karaoke as Undertaker. It’s “This Wreckage” by Gary Numan, off his Telekon album. My understanding of 別れようis it’s pronounced wakareyou and is a casual way of saying “Let’s break up”. By the time he was done making this album, Gary was ready to retire from music because the overnight fame was too much for him, and this was written as a breakup song to the world. He was also diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, so some aspects of fame might be even harder for him to deal with. Did you know he worked for many years as a bomber stunt pilot? Even while still making records? Yeah. He’s fuckin’ awesome.
For Undertaker, it sounds like exhaustion and a loss of faith in the reaper organization, the god of their world, and… everything. “Replay ‘The End’” sounds like a desire to die again, since cinematic records normally get cut after “The End”. “Turn out these eyes” makes me think of reaper nearsightedness and a wish to not have to view cinematic records anymore. Even referring to himself as “this wreckage” makes me think of the Campania, as well as how tired he looks the last time we saw him in the manga. And I love the inclusion of Japanese here, since I’m applying it to a manga series.
Feel free to watch/listen to any or all of these versions. Lyrics are below the links.
Audio track with slideshow images
Extended mix, audio track
TOTP (lip sync, as per usual for TOTP), 1980
Hammersmith live, 1980
London live, 1981 Gary looks here like he’s happy in the knowledge he’s about to retire. As he’s saying “leave you, leave you, leave you, leave you soon”, he’s pointing out to random people in the crowd.
After touring for Telekon in 1980/81, he did actually retire from touring… for all of about two years. Silly Gary. 😆
Lyrics:
And what if God's dead?
We must have done something wrong
This dark facade ends
We’re independent from someone
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to meet you, meet you
Soon
We write suggestions
Suggesting fading to silence
And that must please you
My mirror's tarnished with "no help"
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to meet you, meet you
Soon
(Wooooooooh)
別れよう
(Wooooooooh)
別れよう
Turn out these eyes
Wipe off my face
Erase me
Replay "The End"
It's all just show
Erase you
I need to
I need to
I need to
This wreckage I call me
Would like to frame your voice
This wreckage I call me
Would like to leave you, leave you
Leave you, leave you soon
(Wooooooooh)
別れよう
(Wooooooooh)
別れよう
(Wooooooooh)
別れよう
(Wooooooooh)
別れよう
[Cannot tell what he says at the very end]
