Are "Friends" Electric?

It's cold outside
And the paint's peeling off my walls
There's a man outside
In a long coat, gray hat, smoking a cigarette

Now the light fades out
And I wonder what I'm doing in a room like this
Theres a knock on the door
And just for a second I thought I remembered you

So now I'm alone
And I can think for myself
About little deals and S.U.'s
And things I just don't understand

Like a white lie that night
Or a sly touch at times
I don't think it meant anything to you

So I open the door
It's the "friend" that I'd left in the hallway
"Please sit down"
A candle-lit shadow on the wall near the bed

You know I hate to ask
But are "friends" electric?
Only
Mine's broken down
And now I've no one to love

So I found out your reasons
For the phone calls and smiles
And it hurts and I'm lonely
And I should never have tried
And I missed you tonight
So it's time to leave
You see this meant everything to me

-- Tubeway Army - Replicas, 1979