Life On Mars?
Arcade Fire Lyrics


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It's a God awful small affair
To the girl with the mousey hair
But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is no where to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seats with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen
But the film is sadd'ning bore
Cause she's lived it ten times or more
It's about to be lived again
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 Americas tortured brow
Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
And 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 sadd'ning 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!
I wonder if he'll ever know




He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Arcade Fire's cover of David Bowie's "Life On Mars?" tell the story of a girl with "mousey hair" who seeks solace in the cinema, but finds little relief in the films she watches. The reference to the "sadd'ning bore" suggests a sense of ennui and dissatisfaction with her life, an inability to escape the mundane and find meaning. The chorus poses the question of whether there is life on Mars, and the verses explore the idea of a world where even the most fantastical movies no longer offer an escape or a sense of wonder.


The second verse shifts focus to broader social commentary, with references to the commercialization of pop culture (Mickey Mouse has "grown up a cow"), labor strikes for fame, and political conflicts. However, the central theme of disillusionment and disillusionment with the world remains, and the chorus seems to suggest that the search for meaning may have to extend beyond Earth to find answers.


Overall, the lyrics to "Life on Mars?" are a reflection on the human condition and our desire to find meaning and escape the banality of everyday life, but also an acknowledgment that these things may be elusive and hard to find. The chorus poses a question that is both literal and metaphorical, and the verses offer a series of vignettes that illustrate the struggles we face in finding satisfying answers.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a God awful small affair
It's an insignificant event, but it's still important to her.


To the girl with the mousey hair
Referring to a girl who feels insignificant and plain in comparison to others.


But her mummy is yelling, 'No!'
Her mother is trying to hold her back and prevent her from doing what she wants.


And her daddy has told her to go
Her father has encouraged her to leave and find her own path.


But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Her friend, who she may rely on, is unavailable.


Now she walks through her sunken dream
She's wandering through a fanciful, lost world in her own head.


To the seats with the clearest view
She wants to find a clear vision on things and find a sense of direction in life.


And she's hooked to the silver screen
She's indulging in an escape from her reality by watching movies or TV shows—an opportunity to escape from her humdrum life and dream away.


But the film is sadd'ning bore
The film is not living up to the expectations of excitement she had of it.


Cause she's lived it ten times or more
She's already bored of the mundane storylines she's seen countless times before.


It's about to be lived again
She is ready to experience the same mundane life as before.


As they ask her to focus on
The people around her want her to concentrate on dull, everyday things.


Sailors
A chaotic depiction of a scene unfolding around her—the world is in chaos.


Fighting in the dance hall
People have lost sight of the positive side of things and are fighting to deal with the overwhelming chaos they see around them.


Oh man!
Expressing confusion, distress or general surprise at the unfolding events.


Look at those cavemen go
Referencing the archaic mindset of society, individuals are not as evolved as one may think.


It's the freakiest show
The world is a bizarre and strange place to be, and society and the people around might seem just as bizarre.


Take a look at the lawman
Looking at individuals who have been treated as the authoritative figures when they're not always on the right side.


Beating up the wrong guy
Showing that even the people expected to uphold the law of order may be on the wrong side.


Oh man!
Again, expressing confusion, distress or general surprise at the unfolding events.


I wonder if he'll ever know
Questioning the morals and motivations of the people around them.


He's in the best selling show
People are all too obsessed with selling an idea of themselves and their lives, rather than living authentic lives.


Is there life on Mars?
Touching on existentialism and the search for meaning in life, using the idea of Martians (life on another planet) to look for a grander concept of existence beyond the planet Earth.


It's on Americas tortured brow
The idea that America has been perpetually plagued by problems and suffering and the struggle to maintain hope in the face of it all.


Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
The idea that our culture's innocence has been lost and replaced by something commercialized and perverse.


And the workers have struck for fame
Depicting the working class's frequent desperation to get out of their current situations and achieve success.


'Cause Lennon's on sale again
Speaking to the commercialization of things that were formerly revered or sacred.


See the mice in their million hordes
Critiquing the way that people often follow others in a sort of mass hysteria, even if it might not represent their true values or selves.


From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Alluding to the idea that this misguided trend-following and mass hysteria isn't just one place, but rather ubiquitous throughout society.


Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The idea that traditional cultural mores and ways of doing things are irrelevant or obsolete.


To my mother, my dog, and clowns
Referencing pop culture's distractions and the way it can pull people away from what truly matters


But the film is a sadd'ning bore
Commenting on the predictability and mundanity of the stories and narratives we see on TV, in movies, or in the media.


'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
The idea that we recycle the same stories, same narratives, same views, over and over again.


It's about to be ‘writ’ again
The idea that the same predictable narratives and ideas will be repeated endlessly in the future.


As I ask you to focus on
Suggesting the media, TV or movie industry and those who perpetuate these stories benefit from entrancing people into their narratives.


Sailors
A chaotic depiction of a scene unfolding around us—the world is in chaos.


Fighting in the dance hall
The world is full of chaos and confusion, and we must all fight our own battles.


Oh man!
Once again, the singer is expressing confusion, distress or general surprise at the unfolding events.


Look at those cavemen go
People are not as advanced, sophisticated, or civilized as we might want or expect them to be.


It's the freakiest show
The world is an unpredictable, bizarre place, and we are all just actors in this bizarre show.


Take a look at the lawman
Looking at people who have been expected to uphold the law of order but are not necessarily on the right side.


Beating up the wrong guy
The people who are supposed to protect us might actually be part of the problem.


Oh man!
The singer is once again expressing confusion, distress or general surprise at the unfolding events—you can never truly expect them.


I wonder if he'll ever know
Questioning the intentions of the people around us and how they contribute to our lives or a broader sense of existence.


He's in the best selling show
Referencing the idea that people are more focused on selling themselves with mask-like identities, instead of living and presenting their true selves.


Is there life on Mars?
Trying to get in touch with existential issues again and the meaning of life, yet again asking if there's a possibility of other planets having the meaning of existence.




Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

dk

I think this is my favourite version of Life on Mars. He just sings it so well.

ujustgotpwned2008

Mine too.

MC F

I love Arcade Fire but holy crap Bowie is the epitome of a rock n roll god. Voice, stage presence, song writing.. will be forever missed. RIP David.

Felicity Scanlon

Dear Arcade Fire, you really need to keep these beautiful songs going.  He was giving them to you, to someone he rated, and I really think he did you.  Please keep them going for him, for you, for us!  RIP DAVID BOWIE

Dom Guillochon

Awesome version ... his voice ... here especially is amazing !

elle scott

beautiful, absolutely beautiful, equally good as the original!

⚒ ELTEL 1010 ⚒

Saw Bowie do this live for net aid from front of the stage I could die any day after that and not care only that I would of missed the 20 gigs I saw him do after that!

Nella Crosiglia

Great David and super great band , Arcade Fire!

gabyale66

Impressionante!!!!!! I miss you David....

Patrick James

Fantastic (as all Bowies live versions of life on mars are, but especially in the 90s and early 2000s with solo piano), but, um, where's arcade fire??

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