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about

I have a couple of songs that I think of as my 'signature' tunes. Some of the Creatures from Fit the Fourth is one of them, and so is Self Made Man.

This is a song about a man who decides to replace all of his body parts with mechanical alternatives, until even the last piece of flesh is replaced. Why does he do it? It isn't clear but given then he talks about losing any emotional reaction to his neighbours or the woman who used to be his wife, I'd say there might be rather grim reasons for him doing so.

This is a theme in my work - characters who use some outlandish means to escape from the emotional turmoil of having to deal with other people.

As I have said previously, there is no subtext in my songs.

lyrics

It began when I fixed my eyesight
Cut lenses from diamonds and glass
Tore out my eyes and reshaped the sockets
With frames of copper and brass

Then to make my arms stronger
I weaved tendons of cat gut and wire
Steam powered muscles, the might of ten me
I can lift heavy loads and not tire

I’m doing the best that I can for
I am a self made man

The town they tried to evict me
When my legs became pistons of steel
Black polished pincers are better than fingers
Oil is my only meal

Now when I clank down the streets
The townsfolk they all stop and stare
They all shy away from my whistling hellos
But I’m better and no longer care

I’m doing the best that I can for
I am a self made man

There used to be a woman who used to be my wife
I’ve cleaned off all the rust
From all the tears she cried

There’s one tiny spot, one little place, one last piece of flesh
This time tomorrow it will be replaced with gleaming wire mesh

I’m doing the best that I can for I am a self made man

credits

from Three Rows Of Teeth (2016 expanded edition), released October 7, 2016

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Tom Slatter London

A latter-day Victorian street-theatre barker with a guitar promising tales of mystery, imagination, ‘orrible murders and bloody great waving tentacles’ is how Tom Slatter has been described. Since 2010 he has been scaring audiences with six albums and numerous EPs of storytelling songs. ... more

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