The EP contains 3 live recordings taken from the show: Bowie's "Life on Mars?" and "Five Years," and Arcade Fire's "Wake Up".
Life on Mars?
Arcade Fire & David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 Amerikas 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 of "Life On Mars?" by Arcade Fire and David Bowie paint a picture of a girl with an average life, living in a world that seems small and limited. The girl's parents are unhappy with her and are telling her to leave, and she's feeling isolated because her friend can't be found. As she retreats into her own world, she becomes more and more absorbed by the movies that are playing on the silver screen. But the films are empty and unfulfilling, and gradually the girl becomes more disillusioned.
The second verse of the song shifts the focus to a different scene. We see sailors fighting in a dance hall and cavemen dancing to the music. The Lawman is beating up the wrong guy, and the whole spectacle is utterly bizarre. In the midst of all this madness, the question arises: Is there life on Mars? It's a question that suggests there's something wrong with life on Earth, that people are looking for a way out, perhaps to live elsewhere, even on a different planet.
Overall, the lyrics are difficult to decipher and open to interpretation. It's possible that the song is about the strange and surreal world of popular culture, or it could be a reflection on the pressures of conforming to societal expectations. The song might also be a comment on the innate human desire to escape from reality and find something more exciting and fulfilling.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a god-awful small affair
Life is insignificant and trivial
To the girl with the mousy hair
To a girl who is unimportant and overlooked
But her mummy is yelling "No"
Her mother disapproves of her choices
And her daddy has told her to go
Her father wants her to leave
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Her friend is absent and not supportive
Now she walks through her sunken dream
She's walking through her depressing thoughts and memories
To the seat with the clearest view
She wants to watch everything from the best vantage point
And she's hooked to the silver screen
She's addicted to movies and TV shows
But the film is a saddening bore
The movie is depressing and dull
For she's lived it ten times or more
She's seen it before and it's not new or exciting
She could spit in the eyes of fools
She's above the unintelligent and foolish people
As they ask her to focus on
As people ask her to pay attention to
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Men fighting in a club
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
Amazed by the primitive nature of the fight
It's the freakiest show
It's the most bizarre thing to witness
Take a look at the Lawman
Look at the police officer
Beating up the wrong guy
Assaulting an innocent person
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
I wonder if the Lawman will ever realize he's wrong
He's in the best selling show
The fight is entertaining and popular
Is there life on Mars?
Is there something more to life?
It's on Amerikas tortured brow
America is burdened and stressed
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
The innocence is gone, and things have turned negative
Now the workers have struck for fame
People work hard to gain recognition and success
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
People exploit John Lennon's fame and image for profit
See the mice in their million hordes
People in crowds are like mindless, insignificant mice
From Ibeza to the Norfolk Broads
From a party island to a rural area
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The olden days of British glory are gone
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
Even to my loved ones and entertainers
But the film is a saddening bore
The movie is depressing and dull
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
I wrote this story more than ten times
It's about to be writ again
It will be written again, retelling the same depressing story
As I ask you to focus on
As I ask you to pay attention to
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Men fighting in a club
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
Amazed by the primitive nature of the fight
It's the freakiest show
It's the most bizarre thing to witness
Take a look at the Lawman
Look at the police officer
Beating up the wrong guy
Assaulting an innocent person
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
I wonder if the Lawman will ever realize he's wrong
He's in the best selling show
The fight is entertaining and popular
Is there life on Mars?
Is there something more to life?
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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??