Automatic

Album: Humanoid (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the first single to be taken from German rock band Tokio Hotel's second English language album, Humanoid.
  • Producer David Jost told MTV News this was recorded much faster than the other songs on Humanoid. He explained: "Bill (Kaulitz, vocalist) and Tom (Kaulitz, guitarist) were on their way from their hotel in West Hollywood to our studio - originally to record Bill's vocals. Just before the guys arrived Bill called from the car and said that he had an idea for a song, which should be named 'Automatic.' We put the vocal recordings on hold that day and wrote down the entire song in less than two hours."
  • The German version of this song is titled "Automatisch."
  • The album title was very much influenced by the Kaulitz brothers' interest in science fiction. Producer/Songwriter David Jost told MTV News: "The word 'Humanoid' comes from the science-fiction language, meaning 'humanlike,' This word is pronounced differently in the English and German language but is written the same way in both languages. Bill (Kaulitz, frontman) wanted the new record to have only one name worldwide: Humanoid."
  • In an interview with iTunes, Bill Kaluitz told the story of the song: "When we had the idea, we noticed how many times you use the word ''automatic'' every day. Automatic is normally a good thing, except for love. It's the only thing where it's not a good thing. That was the idea for the song, the song is musically the thing that we were still missing on the album. It was one of the songs that we recorded really fast, once we were in the studio. We had the final version of the song really quick and shortly after we all agreed that it should be the first single."

Comments: 1

  • Zenia from New York, NyIt's about a girl that is faking her feelings for a boy and has been doing so for years and the boy is just now realizing that she's not everything she says she is.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."