Complex

Album: The Pleasure Principle (1979)
Charted: 6
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song deals with paranoia and isolation, with the "complex" being a mental complex. Numan has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and had a hard time relating to other people. He explained to the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006: "When I was younger, there were a lot of misunderstandings because I didn't know how to deal with people. I'd do something that was perfectly understandable to me, but people found it offensive. Finding out I had a condition let me focus on what I was doing that annoyed people and helped me change the way I relate, even if I had to learn the new behavior in a mechanical manner."
  • The follow-up single to "Cars," this was part of Numan's classic album The Pleasure Principle, which was innovative in its use of synthesizers. Numan, however, is not in love with that instrument, and much prefers the guitar. In our 2010 interview with Numan, he told us: "Most people think of me as synthesizing, electronic bass and so on. But I started out in a punk band. I didn't know anything about electronic music in 1977. I put my first proper band together, which was a 3-piece punk band, and we went out playing guitar, bass and drums. It was only going into a studio to make what should have been my first punk album, I stumbled across a synthesizer that was laying about in a corner, and had a go of it and loved it, and kind of changed there and then from being guitar based to being electronic based. But apart from Pleasure Principle, strangely enough, the guitar has been in every album I've ever made, and yet the only instrument that I've still got that I've had since I was a kid is my guitar. It's the same guitar I've had since I was about 17."

Comments: 2

  • Barry from IrelandActually, what I really love about Numan's music from the late 70s early 80s is his continued use of bass and lead guitar, along with the synthesisers. Some of the guiatr and real drum playing is fantastic and Complex is certainly one of his finest pieces.
  • Pete Edwards from CanterburyI don't believe Numan has ever officially been diagnosed with Aspergers. His wife, Gemma pointed out to him that he has all the symptoms. He certainly didn't know that he had Aspergers when he wrote Complex in 79. As for much preferring guitars, really? It is correct that he started out with a guitar based band, but he has been making synth based music for over 40yrs. Song assumptions rather than song facts.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.