Bowie developed an interest in music from an early age. He studied art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity", released in 1969, was his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie's single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK fans but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. In 1977, he again changed direction with the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.
After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had three number-one hits: the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure" (a 1981 collaboration with Queen). He achieved massive commercial success in the 1980s starting with Let's Dance (1983). Between 1988 and 1992, he fronted the hard rock band Tin Machine before resuming his solo career in 1993. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death from liver cancer at his home in New York City. He died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum, eleven gold and eight silver album certifications, and released 11 number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest artists in history. As of 2022, Bowie was the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie
Studio albums
David Bowie (1967)
David Bowie/Space Oddity (1969)
The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Hunky Dory (1971)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Aladdin Sane (1973)
Pin Ups (1973)
Diamond Dogs (1974)
Young Americans (1975)
Station to Station (1976)
Low (1977)
"Heroes" (1977)
Lodger (1979)
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Let's Dance (1983)
Tonight (1984)
Never Let Me Down (1987)
Black Tie White Noise (1993)
The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)
Outside (1995)
Earthling (1997)
Hours (1999)
Heathen (2002)
Reality (2003)
The Next Day (2013)
Blackstar (2016)
'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold your mad hands, I cried
'Tis a pity she was a whore
'Tis my curse, I suppose
That was patrol
That was patrol
This is the war
Smote the mistress, drifting on
'Tis a pity she was a whore
She stole my purse, with rattling speed
That was patrol
This is the war
'Tis a pity she was a whore
Man, she punched me like a dude
Hold your mad hands, I cried
'Tis a pity she was a whore
'Tis my fate, I suppose
For that was patrol
That was patrol
'Tis a pity she was a whore
'Tis a pity she was a whore
The lyrics to David Bowie's song 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore are quite cryptic and can be interpreted in several ways. The song could be interpreted as a commentary on the destructive power of love and the pain that it can cause. The opening lines, "Man, she punched me like a dude/Hold your mad hands, I cried" suggest a violent encounter. The singer seems to be lamenting the fact that he fell in love with someone who was not only emotionally damaging, but also physically so. The repetitive line "That was patrol/This is the war" might suggest that the singer is stuck in some sort of cycle of abuse, with each encounter with this woman feeling like a battle.
The chorus, "Tis a pity she was a whore," might be referring to the societal expectations and restrictions placed on women who engage in sexual relationships outside of marriage or monogamous partnerships. The singer seems to be acknowledging that society might be judging this woman harshly, but he is still struggling with the impact she has had on his life. The line "She stole my purse, with rattling speed" might suggest that this woman is not only emotionally and physically damaging, but also manipulative and potentially even dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, she punched me like a dude
She hit me as if she were a man
Hold your mad hands, I cried
I begged her to stop acting violently
'Tis a pity she was a whore
It's unfortunate that she was a prostitute
'Tis my curse, I suppose
It's my fate and burden to deal with
That was patrol
Referring to a previous experience
That was patrol
Referring to a previous experience
This is the war
This is the current battle or conflict
Black struck the kiss, she kept my cock
She took my money after we kissed
Smote the mistress, drifting on
She attacked another woman who was passing by
She stole my purse, with rattling speed
She took my money very quickly
That was patrol
Referring to a previous experience
This is the war
This is the current battle or conflict
'Tis a pity she was a whore
It's unfortunate that she was a prostitute
Man, she punched me like a dude
She hit me as if she were a man
Hold your mad hands, I cried
I begged her to stop acting violently
'Tis a pity she was a whore
It's unfortunate that she was a prostitute
'Tis my fate, I suppose
It's my fate and burden to deal with
That was patrol
Referring to a previous experience
That was patrol
Referring to a previous experience
'Tis a pity she was a whore
It's unfortunate that she was a prostitute
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnkaufmann8875
I read the story how Bowie discovered these guys at BAR 55 In Manhattan 2 years ago. Can anyone imagine a legend like David Bowie coming up to u at a bar and asking to be his band for his latest album?
@noveltygoat
+John Kaufmann I was thinking the same thing. Similar story for Gail Ann Dorsey. She heard from him out of the blue. Imagine that?
@johnkaufmann8875
+noveltygoat I read the story Bowie was invited to checkout a band led by McCaslin at BAR 55 In the West Village, got a table, watched one set and left and 10 days later McCaslin received an Email by David Bowie asking him to play on the NOTHING HAS CHANGED compilation which led to the rest of the band playing on BLACKSTAR
@richardwilliams5885
+John Kaufmann As I understand it, he booked the band to do just one song, and then decided on the studio performance to do the album with them. Once again, my dream happens to someone else lol
@johnkaufmann8875
+Richard Williams Yes. SUE OR IN A SEASON OF CRIME
@richardburchett
I saw an interview with a guitar player on the local news in Nashville today. That's sort of what happened to him. He was playing guitar for someone else on the same bill and went to introduce himself as being one of Bowie's biggest fans. David asked if he wanted to play for him and he joined his touring band for a few years. He said David was kind and always encouraged him to play how he felt it.
@DiegoSita
This is the most emotional song on the album. One can easily notice he's using his last bit of vital energy to sing it to its maximum. He's giving all of himself. Amazing.
@Psergiorivera
That high pitch on “whore” is so unexpected. It reminds me of the “ooo-hing” at the end of “Ziggy Stardust”.
@kimberlyjohnson1371
What song are you speaking of here.. please do tell..ty
@chickenmuffin
@@kimberlyjohnson1371 The song in this video...