Remind Me to Smile

Album: Telekon (1980)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This anthemic song finds Gary Numan reacting to his sudden celebrity and the apparently overwhelming adulation of his fans. He recalled to Mojo magazine December 2013: "I was really struggling with fame. It wasn't what I expected. My issues were connected with Asperger's. I was young, had this personality problem and suddenly I was famous. Not famous in a band, I was solo. I didn't have a manager; I was with a record company that had no success of their own, and I did everything – wrote, produced, did the album sleeves, played almost everything. So every bit of interest, pressure and hostility was directed right in my face. And I was just this little f---ed up mentalist trying to deal with it. I was totally unprepared."
  • The song was released as a promo single in the US, but Numan surprisingly declined to issue it as a 45 in his home country.

Comments: 1

  • Dwasifar from Usa Interesting that this song about dealing with fame borrows the bass riff from David Bowie's "Fame."
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

N.W.A vs. the World

N.W.A vs. the WorldSong Writing

How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK.

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?