The song's lyrics have been interpreted in various ways over the years, with some seeing it as a critique of the dehumanizing effects of technology and others seeing it as a celebration of the liberating potential of data and information. Classic Mansfield touches abound: from the initial white noise-like sound (what is the correct term for that?) under the percussion, a typically great intro and build up, wonderful 12-string, energy... Living By Numbers" was released as a single in 1980 and appeared on New Musik's debut album, From A to B. Overall, "Living By Numbers" is a prescient commentary on the impact of technology and data on our lives, particularly in the age of big data and surveillance capitalism. Their debut album "From A To B" (1980) reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart and contained four UK chart hit singles; "Straight Lines", "Living By Numbers", "This World Of Water" and "Sanctuary". New Musik also topped the French singles chart with "On Islands" from this album.

But he stresses this is not about making do. He just prefers to use resourcefulness to “make a kind of alternative route to consumer happiness”. His home is the engine that drives him. You can’t imagine him living anywhere else but in his studio. He says he is messy, but there’s an almost tidal cycle of making a mess and then clearing up. “I like things looking nice. Having somewhere that’s flexible and you’ve got some storage so you can put stuff away is ideal.” As I finished reading Steven Connor’s entertaining, provocative and occasionally irritating book, I was keeping in mind various points that I intended to make in this review, only to be disarmed when the author’s very short conclusion anticipated several of these. The book’s main theme is the hostility to number apparently found in those who work in the humanities, and who view measurement as overly reductive and missing the point. I think, as Connor himself wonders in his conclusion, that this is a dubious generalisation. However, in arguing for the importance of number in the humanities, he presents us with illuminating analysis and a host of valuable insights. New Musik was initially signed to GTO Records, but later switched to Epic Records after GTO went bankrupt. "Living By Numbers" was one of the songs that helped the band establish a following and secure a new record deal. G+G G+G G+G A minorAm D MajorD D MajorD D MajorD C majorC G+G G+G G+G A minorAm D MajorD D MajorD D MajorD C majorC with bandNew Musik disbanded in 1982 but their influence on the synthpop genre has endured, with artists such as Moby, St. Etienne, and Daft Punk citing them as an inspiration. Touring the UK in 1980, New Musik performed at both the Oxford and Cambridge Balls (with Elvis Costello) and at the Rotterdam New Pop festival in the Netherlands, and did a second UK tour in 1981. The song has been covered by various artists over the years, including Belgian DJ and producer David Guetta, who included a remix of the song on his 2015 album Listen Again. Lyrically very clever, in so far that we do seem to be often treated as a number instead of a person with a name.

why we're ......... Living by numbers Living by numbers now G+G G+G G+G A minorAm D MajorD D MajorD D MajorD C majorC G+G G+G G+G A minorAm D MajorD D MajorD D MajorD C majorC solo strums How do we really think about the world? We may use words to tell stories about it or draw pictures to represent it, but one thing we do far more than either of those is make calculations of the things that are in it—and to do that we use numbers. Numbers give shape and texture to almost everything we feel, say, dream, and do, a fact that Steven Connor explores in this qualitative assessment of the quantifiable. Looking at how numbers play a part in nearly every aspect of our lives, he offers a fascinating portrait of the world as a world of numbers. G+G G+G G+G A minorAm D MajorD D MajorD D MajorD C majorC G+G G+G G+G A minorAm D MajorD D MajorD D MajorD C majorC G+G C majorC G+G E minorEmOff kilter: a view of his living room with a balancing chair. Photograph: Karen Robinson/The Observer A great pop song anyway, and it took a while but I can finally listen to this again without transposing the words 'Casio company' into the chorus.

The chorus questions the value of living by numbers, asking whether "counting the days" adds up to anything meaningful. The repetition of the phrase "living by numbers" throughout the chorus emphasizes the ubiquity and all-encompassing nature of this way of life. The song's ending echoes this sentiment, with the repeated refrain of "they don't want your name, just your number" serving as a stark reminder of the dehumanizing effects of living in a world governed by data and statistics. The song's lyrics were written by New Musik frontman Tony Mansfield, who was known for his keen interest in and aptitude for technology and electronics. Mansfield went on to become a successful producer and sound engineer, working with artists such as Naked Eyes, Captain Sensible, and A-ha.

The distinctive synth riff that runs throughout the song was created by Tony Mansfield using a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer. The Prophet-5 was one of the first polyphonic synthesizers and was widely used in New Wave and synthpop music of the late 70s and early 80s. Mansfield went on to achieve considerable success in the field of production for the likes of After The Fire, A-Ha, Aztec Camera, The B-52s, The Damned, Captain Sensible, Naked Eyes, Mari Wilson, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miguel Bose and Ana Torroja, some of his most successful projects. Their second album, Anywhere (1981) reached #68 in the chart, but despite gaining international acclaim, neither of its singles "Luxury" or "While You Wait" charted in the UK. The lyrics to New Musik's song "Living By Numbers" explore the idea of living in a digital world, where everything is reduced to numbers and data. The first verse speaks to the inevitability of this reality, suggesting that living by numbers was always meant to be. The second verse highlights the ubiquity of this lifestyle, with the singer noting that their life has been "counted out in the rows of files" and that it's been by numbers "all the while."