We passed upon the stair
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise
I spoke into his eyes "I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago"

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world

I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare
At all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long, long time ago

Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world

Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world

Overall Meaning

David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” is an enigmatic and haunting song that appears to be about the nature of identity, power, and control. The song begins with the singer encountering an old friend and speaking to him about the past. However, the singer is surprised to learn that the friend believes he is still alive, even though he has died a long time ago. The singer then asserts his independence, saying that he has never lost control.

As for what the lyrics mean, there are multiple interpretations of the song. Some suggest that it is about Bowie negotiating his own identity as he transitioned from his old persona to a new persona, such as Ziggy Stardust, while others believe it could be about addiction or the idea of selling one's soul for fame and fortune. Additionally, the lines “We must have died alone / A long, long time ago” could also be interpreted as a metaphor for the loss of spiritual wisdom or detachment from emotion that occurs as a person attains power and success.

Overall, “The Man Who Sold the World” remains an elusive and haunting song, with multiple layers of meaning that continue to inspire fans and music critics alike.

Line by Line Meaning

We passed upon the stair
We encountered each other while we were taking the stairs.

We spoke of was and when
We talked about the past and the present/future.

Although I wasn't there
I wasn't physically present during the events we talked about.

He said I was his friend
He claimed that we were friends.

Which came as some surprise
I was caught off guard when he made that statement.

I spoke into his eyes 'I thought you died alone A long, long time ago'
I looked directly at him and expressed my belief that he had passed away a long time ago and was alone when it happened.

Oh no, not me I never lost control You're face to face With the man who sold the world
I reject the idea that I'm the one who's lost control - you're actually confronting the man who's responsible for manipulating and selling the world.

I laughed and shook his hand
Despite the shock of seeing him and the realization that he might be dead, I laughed and shook his hand in a friendly way.

And made my way back home
After saying goodbye to him, I left and returned to my own residence.

I searched for form and land For years and years, I roamed I gazed a gazely stare At all the millions here We must have died alone A long, long time ago
I wandered aimlessly for a long time, trying to find a place to call home. As I looked at all the people in the world, I felt detached from them and came to the conclusion that everyone is actually alone - even though we're surrounded by others.

Who knows? Not me We never lost control You're face to face With the man who sold the world
I'm unsure about the nature of our reality and our level of control within it. However, I reiterate that you're in the presence of the man who's responsible for selling the world's current state of being.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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