Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell: Unmasking the Paranoid Pop Anthem of the ’80s
Lyrics
Tell me, who’s watching?
Who’s watching me?
I’m just an average man with an average life
I work from nine to five, hey, hell, I pay the price
All I want is to be left alone in my average home
But why do I always feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone and?
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?
When I come home at night
I bolt the door real tight
People call me on the phone, I’m trying to avoid
But can the people on TV see me or am I just paranoid?
When I’m in the shower, I’m afraid to wash my hair
‘Cause I might open my eyes and find someone standing there
People say I’m crazy, just a little touched
But maybe showers remind me of Psycho too much
That’s why
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Who’s playing tricks on me?
(Who’s watching me?)
I don’t know anymore
Are the neighbors watching me? (Who’s watching?)
Well, is the mailman watching me? (Tell me, who’s watching?)
And I don’t feel safe anymore, oh, what a mess
I wonder who’s watching me now (who?), the IRS?
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Who’s playing tricks on me?
(Who’s watching?)
(Oh, oh)
(Who’s watching me?)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
(Who’s watching me?)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
(Who’s watching me?)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
I can’t enjoy my tea
(Who’s watching me?)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Can I have my privacy? (Oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Who’s watching me?
(Who’s watching me?)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
(Oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Stop playing tricks on me
(Who’s watching me?)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Why don’t they leave me be? (Oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Somewhere between the catchy beat and the eerily relatable lyrics, Rockwell’s ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ became a defining anthem of ’80s pop paranoia. As the synth-heavy notes rise, an everyman’s fear bubbles to the surface in a harmony of suspicion and pop culture. Released in 1984, a time marked by the burgeoning surge of technology, the Cold War’s constant eye for surveillance, and the omnipresent eye of the media, this track tapped into a universal sentiment that has only ripened with the digital age.
Delving into the layers of ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’, one finds more than just an earworm of a tune, but a commentary on a society grappling with the concept of privacy and the anxiety of being perpetually observed. Amidst the funky beats and swirling synths, Rockwell captured a snapshot of cultural zeitgeist that speaks to the human condition in an increasingly connected world.
The chorus that echoed through generations
It’s no simple task for a song to impress itself upon the collective memory of the masses, but Rockwell’s repetitive and haunting chorus, ‘I always feel like somebody’s watching me,’ did just that. These simple yet potent lines resonate with a sentiment many feel deeply—a questioning of the true extent of one’s privacy. Is it paranoia or reality that we are never truly alone, never out from under some unseen gaze?
In a world now dotted with CCTV cameras, where personal data is the currency on which empires are built, ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ remains pulsatingly relevant. This chorus transcends the song’s era, unfurling as a discomforting truth in the tapestry of the modern psyche.
A narrative of the unexceptional life under the lens
Rockwell begins with a declaration of the average – the nine to five routine, the average home. It sets a stage where the extraordinary invades the mundane. Through the veneer of an ordinary existence, Rockwell narrates an increasingly common modern fear: the stripping away of privacy, the idea that somewhere, somehow, someone could be monitoring our most trivial actions.
The intrusion of this fear into the protagonist’s average life not only scales the sensation of surveillance but also acts as a meta-commentary on a society where even the ‘average’ individual cannot escape the web of watchfulness. It’s a vivid illustration of the escalation of scrutiny that has only intensified with time.
The cultural touchstones within the track
Amid the anxious musings of his lyrics, Rockwell injects cultural references that anchor the song in its time and beyond. The mention of ‘Psycho’ informs the paranoia with a cinematic quality, suggesting that fear is justified; if Hitchcock’s classic could happen onscreen, who’s to say it couldn’t in real life?
Moreover, the nod to the IRS at the song’s bridge layers in a new dimension of dread—the government. It’s a facet of fear with historical roots, adding credence to the anxiety by mining an age-old mistrust of those in power. It’s this deft weaving of pop culture and political subtext that enrich the song’s depth.
Unraveling the hidden meaning behind the synth-pop surface
Initially, one might misconstrue ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ as a pop-horror novelty, but beneath its hook-laden chorus lies a profound exploration of surveillance culture. Rockwell, perhaps unknowingly, crafted an allegory for the silent trade-off between tech advancements and personal freedom. It’s a dialogue on the psychological impact of the panopticon-like society—a concept that has burgeoned in the aftermath of the Snowden revelations and the establishment of social media.
The song’s staying power is in its capacity to be both specific and universally applicable; while it speaks to the concrete, it surmises the abstract fears that ripple beneath the surface of our connected existence.
Memorable lines that mirrored our own anxieties
‘When I come home at night, I bolt the door real tight,’ Rockwell sings, a line that encapsulates the tangible manifestation of the song’s paranoiac core. It’s a physical response to the psychological plight outlined in his lyrics, a defense mechanism against the perceived ever-watching eye.
Whether metaphorical or literal, these memorable lines evoke the defenses we raise against the encroaching sense of observation and control. The universal sentiment in these lyrics triggers a resonance with anyone who’s ever felt the overbearing weight of being watched, trapping the listener in a reflective dance with Rockwell’s pervasive paranoia.
