Life On Mars
Arcade Fire/David Bowie Lyrics

It's a God-awful small affair
The situation is insignificant and meaningless

To the girl with the mousy hair
There is a girl with unremarkable features

But her mummy is yelling "No"
Her mother is disapproving of something

And her daddy has told her to go
Her father has instructed her to leave

But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Her friend is not present or available

Now she walks through her sunken dream
She is living in a world that has lost its luster

To the seat with the clearest view
She seeks a place where she can see everything clearly

And she's hooked to the silver screen
She is obsessed with movies and TV

But the film is a saddening bore
The movie is dull and depressing

For she's lived it ten times or more
She has seen this story played out many times before

She could spit in the eyes of fools
She feels superior to those who are entertained by the movie

As they ask her to focus on
Others want her to pay attention to what's happening on the screen

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
There is a chaotic and violent scene unfolding

Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
The people behaving badly seem primitive and uncivilized

It's the freakiest show
The spectacle is outrageous and unusual

Take a look at the lawman
There is an authority figure present

Beating up the wrong guy
The authority figure is punishing the wrong person

Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
The innocent victim may never know why he was punished

He's in the best selling show
The whole spectacle is popular and well-regarded

Is there life on Mars?
There is a sense of alienation and longing for something more

It's on America's tortured brow
The situation is emblematic of larger cultural issues in America

That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Familiar characters and symbols are no longer meaningful

Now the workers have struck for fame
People are desperate for recognition and attention

'Cause Lenin's on sale again
Even political figures have been reduced to commodities

See the mice in their million hordes
People are insignificant and numerous, like mice

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
This applies to people from all over the world, including remote areas

Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The old power structures no longer apply

To my mother, my dog, and clowns
Even these familiar things are irrelevant

But the film is a saddening bore
Once again, the movie is dull and depressing

'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
The repetition of this motif emphasizes its importance

It's about to be writ again
The cycle is about to repeat itself

As I ask you to focus on
The artist is trying to draw attention to something important

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Once again, there is a violent and chaotic scene

Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
This time, the absurdity of it all is emphasized

It's the freakiest show
The spectacle is outrageous and bizarre

Take a look at the lawman
Once again, there is an authority figure present

Beating up the wrong guy
Once again, the authority figure is punishing the wrong person

Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
The victim may never understand why he was punished

He's in the best selling show
Once again, the spectacle is popular and well-regarded

Is there life on Mars?
The song returns to its central question, expressing a sense of alienation and longing