The Man Who Sold the World
@ Жива Версія: Nirvana Lyrics


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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 gazley stare at all the millions here
We must have died along, 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

Overall Meaning

"The Man Who Sold The World" by Nirvana is a song that talks about a conversation that takes place between the singer and a man he meets on the stairs. According to the lyrics, they spoke about what was and when, and the man referred to the singer as his friend, which surprised him. The dialogue between the two portrays the man as someone who knows more about the singer than he knows himself. The singer is also surprised to discover that the man is still alive, although he thought he died a long time ago. The song's chorus proclaims that the singer has never lost control, even though he is facing the man who sold the world.


The lyrics of "The Man Who Sold The World" has been interpreted in many different ways, with some people suggesting that it is about fame, while others suggest it is about drugs, mental illness or even death. One of the most famous interpretations is that the song is about a schizophrenic man who sees his doppelganger on the stairs. This other "man" is a representation of the singer's alter ego or his insanity, and he later realizes that the man he met was himself.


Line by Line Meaning

We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when
We met on the stairs and talked about things that happened in the past.


Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend
Even though I wasn't present, he considered me his friend.


Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes
I was surprised, but I looked into his eyes and spoke to him.


I thought you died alone, a long long time ago
I believed that you died alone many years ago.


Oh no, not me
I didn't believe that.


I never lost control
I always remained in control of myself.


You're face to face
You are now face to face.


With the man who sold the world
You are now looking at the man who fooled everyone and made them believe in a false reality.


I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home
I laughed and shook his hand, then left to go back home.


I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed
I spent many years searching for meaning and direction in life.


I gazed a gazley stare at all the millions here
I looked around at the many people surrounding me with a blank expression.


We must have died along, a long long time ago
We must have died inside a long time ago.


Who knows? Not me
I don't know for sure.


We never lost control
We always maintained a sense of control despite our inner turmoil.


You're face to face
You are now face to face.


With the man who sold the world
You are in the presence of the man who created a façade to deceive and manipulate others.




Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, TINTORETTO MUSIC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@AG_Personal

Bury all your secrets in my skin
Come away with innocence
And leave me with my sins
The air around me still feels like a cage
And love is just a camouflage
For what resembles rage again

So if you love me, let me go
And run away before I know
My heart is just too dark to care
I can't destroy what isn't there
Deliver me into my fate
If I'm alone, I cannot hate
I don't deserve to have you
My smile was taken long ago
If I can change, I hope I never know

I still press your letters to my lips
And cherish them in parts of me
That savor every kiss
I couldn't face a life without your light
But all of that was ripped apart
When you refused to fight

So save your breath, I will not care
I think I made it very clear
You couldn't hate enough to love
Is that supposed to be enough?
I only wish you weren't my friend
Then I could hurt you in the end
I never claimed to be a saint
My own was banished long ago
It took the death of hope to let you go

So break yourself against my stones
And spit your pity in my soul
You never needed any help
You sold me out to save yourself
And I won't listen to your shame
You ran away, you're all the same
Angels lie to keep control
My love was punished long ago
If you still care, don't ever let me know
If you still care, don't ever let me know



@surmi0431

Bury all your secrets in my skin
Come away with innocence,
And leave me with my sins
The air around me still feels like a cage
And love is just a camouflage
For what resembles rage again...

So if you love me, let me go.
And run away before I know.
My heart is just too dark to care.
I can't destroy what isn't there.
Deliver me into my fate -
If I'm alone I cannot hate
I don't deserve to have you...
My smile was taken long ago
If I can change I hope I never know

I still press your letters to my lips
And cherish them in parts of me that savor every kiss
I couldn't face a life without your light
But all of that was ripped apart when you refused to fight

So save your breath, I will not care.
I think I made it very clear.
You couldn't hate enough to love.
Is that supposed to be enough?
I only wish you weren't my friend.
Then I could hurt you in the end.
I never claimed to be a saint...
Ooh, my own was banished long ago
It took the death of hope to let you go

So break yourself against my stones
And spit your pity in my soul
You never needed any help
You sold me out to save yourself
And I won't listen to your shame
You ran away - you're all the same
Angels lie to keep control...
Ooh, my love was punished long ago
If you still care, don't ever let me know
If you still care, don't ever let me know...



@OdessitDK

This song powerfully and poignantly
captures deep emotional experiences. The
lyrics articulate painful feelings of loss
self-denial, and relationship complexities
There's a heaviness of the past and a
struggle with inner demons felt in every
line. The musical accompaniment
amplifies the emotional weight of the
words, making the song captivating and
multifaceted. It speaks to the difficulty of
accepting oneself and letting go of loved
ones, especially when feeling unworthy of
that love. This song leaves a profound
impact and prompts reflection on the
nature of human relationships and the
influence of the past on the present. 😭



@kaizen20205

I used to carry this pain with me since 2015 and it was real.

Last Christmas I let the pain and guilt go when I was shown a way to leave it all behind by someone.

Today I feel so much lighter and I honestly never entered a relationship with girls because I didn’t have one with myself.

Just meaningless meet ups and nights out to forget who I was and I hated myself for so long.

None of it was self pity I just genuinely accepted I wasn’t good.

I don’t think that way anymore 😊



All comments from YouTube:

@rva

fuel for the mind.

@artieriesterer8633

Rebecca Vocal Athlete OH HELLO RVA

@parthshandilya9421

Hi Rebecca❤️

@sanction2

thanks RVA wouldnt have heard this song if it wasnt for you. love

@MM-wi4dt

Fuel for the heart

@aarong2253

👏🏻👏🏻

153 More Replies...

@TurntUpJimmy

The saddest part of life is when the person who gave you the best memories becomes a memory.

@spirosmats403

💔

@TypicalChoppa

Wow…😢. Be missing my grandpa now…never looked at it like that.

@comradedyatlov199

I feel that rn

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