Life On Mars?
Aneurin Barnard Lyrics
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To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling "No"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks
through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it
ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse
has grown up a cow
Now the workers
have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibeza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it
ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
The lyrics to "Life on Mars?" by David Bowie provide a surrealistic, thought-provoking commentary on various aspects of society, including entertainment, authority, and cultural differences. The song presents a story of a girl with a mousy hair who finds solace in watching movies, though she realizes that the film is a repetition of her own life story. Bowie critiques the shallowness and monotony of popular entertainment as well as human obliviousness to the beauty and mysteries of the universe.
The chorus inquires about the existence of life on Mars, questioning whether there is a higher meaning to existence and whether people are too caught up in earthly affairs to consider the possibility of other life forms. The second stanza references Disney and John Lennon, satirizing the commodification of art and the pursuit of fame. Bowie's lyrics suggest that Britons have become too focused on their own culture, while there is a vast world out there with new ideas and experiences. The final chorus returns to the central theme of the song and hints at the possibility of something more beyond our grasp.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a god-awful small affair
The situation is terrible and insignificant
To the girl with the mousy hair
Addressing a girl with modest hair
But her mummy is yelling "No"
The girl's mother is objecting
And her daddy has told her to go
The father has instructed her to leave
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
The girl's friend is not around
Now she walks through her sunken dream
She traverses her crushed aspirations
To the seat with the clearest view
She goes to the most visible spot
And she's hooked to the silver screen
She's glued to the movie
But the film is a saddening bore
The movie is dull and depressing
For she's lived it ten times or more
She's watched it many times before
She could spit in the eyes of fools
She could scorn those who bother her
As they ask her to focus on sailors fighting in the dance hall
Others want her to pay attention to trivial things
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
Expressing awe at primitive people's behavior
It's the freakiest show
The show is bizarre
Take a look at the Lawman
Notice the police officer
Beating up the wrong guy
The officer is assaulting an innocent person
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
Wondering if the officer will realize his error
He's in the best selling show
The officer is part of a popular spectacle
Is there life on Mars?
The question of extraterrestrial existence
It's on America's tortured brow
America is having a difficult time
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Disney's beloved character has become commercialized
Now the workers have struck for fame
Workers are going on strike for recognition
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
Referencing the commercialization of John Lennon
See the mice in their million hordes
Many people, like mice, are in large groups
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
From exuberant vacation spots to stodgy locales
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The notion of British superiority is now unacceptable
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
Reference to unlikely fans
But the film is a saddening bore
The movie is once again depressing
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
The artist bemoans their repetitive creative process
It's about to be writ again
They're going down the same path for a new project
As I ask you to focus on sailors fighting in the dance hall
The singer wants to refocus on the trivial nonsense
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
They repeat their previous exclamation
It's the freakiest show
The spectacle is still bizarre
Take a look at the Lawman
Remind you to view the police officer
Beating up the wrong guy
The cop's violent misidentification is highlighted
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
Repeating previous wonderment
He's in the best selling show
Reiterating the police officer's popularity
Is there life on Mars?
Repeating the song's central question
Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Song Bird
It's a God-awful small affair
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling no
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen
But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man, look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man, look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
is there life on mars?
Mrs. Brightside-Casablancas
I didn't think I could love Aneurin Barnard more than I already did, but now I find out that he can also sing... how can he be so fucking gorgeous
Queeniexx 2000
can you believe I had no idea Aneurin sings!! I can't believe it myself. anyway, it's beautiful
lily
isnt it weird that my friend’s love for harry styles made me watch dunkirk which made me fall in love with aneurin barnard which made me watch this video which made me listen to david bowie again. funny how the world works like that
autumn ansell
Lily Foley omg same!!!!
autumn ansell
exept it was my love for harry styles not my friends
mrlucky777
you really have to watch this whole movie then.
lily
mrlucky777 i have!! i love it so much, its a great film
Spontaneous Sharing
watch white queen and richard iii ...!!
jon Clay
Watched this on tv last night. Love it! particularly this version of the Bowie classic, its soooo moving and charming, shame they cut out the second verse for the film(though its on the soundtrack) He's got a stunning voice! love him. actually i loved them alll! Fab film!
Melissa Challinor
Aneurin was already my favourite actor then I watched Hunky Dory and I love his voice so much!❤️