Life On Mars
Barbra Streisand Lyrics

It’s a God-awful small affair
This is a situation that seems insignificant, but is actually troublesome.

To the girl with the mousy hair
The singer of the story is a girl who is not very noticeable.

But her mummy is yelling “No”
Her mother disapproves of something that she wants to do.

And her daddy has told her to go
Her father wants her to leave and abandon her dreams.

But her friend is nowhere to be seen
In this difficult situation, she is left without any support from her friend.

Now she walks through her sunken dream
She is living a life that feels like a nightmare, with no hope in sight.

To the seat with the clearest view
She tries to find solace by watching movies in the best seat at the cinema.

And she's hooked to the silver screen
Movies are her escape and her addiction.

But the film is a saddening bore
Even though she watches movies to escape, they do not always deliver the intended result.

For she's lived it ten times or more
She is bored with these movies because she has seen them many times before.

She could spit in the eyes of fools
She is so disillusioned that she could show contempt for anyone who still has hope or a sense of wonder.

As they ask her to focus on
Other people tell her to try harder and focus on something positive.

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
The movie she is watching features absurd scenes of violence and chaos.

Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
She is commenting on how primitive and ridiculous the behavior of the people in the movie seems.

It's the freakiest show
The movie is so weird and unsettling that it has become a spectacle in and of itself.

Take a look at the Lawman
She is acknowledging the character who is supposed to be the heroic law enforcer, but is actually violent and vengeful.

Beating up the wrong guy
The law enforcer is punishing someone who does not deserve it.

Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
She is questioning if the law enforcer will ever realize that he is doing the wrong thing.

He's in the best selling show
Even though the law enforcer is doing something wrong, people are still drawn to it and it is making a lot of money.

Is there life on Mars?
At the end of the song, she asks a profound question about the nature of existence and the possibility of finding meaning in life.

It's on America's tortured brow
She feels that America is facing many problems and struggles right now.

That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
She is commenting on the commercialization and loss of meaning behind popular icons like Mickey Mouse.

Now the workers have struck for fame
People are struggling to make their voices heard and gain visibility in society.

'Cause Lennon's on sale again
She is calling attention to the commercialization of once revolutionary figures like John Lennon.

See the mice in their million hordes
The masses are being led blindly like mice in a maze.

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
The problem of people following blindly is not limited to any particular region or group.

Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The traditional values of British society no longer hold relevance or meaning.

To my mother, my dog, and clowns
Even the most important aspects of life (family, pets) and the supposedly light-hearted (clowns) are being affected by larger societal issues.

But the film is a saddening bore
Just as the movies she watches do not provide the escape she seeks, the problems of society are overwhelming and no longer inspiring.

’Cause I wrote it ten times or more
She is acknowledging the repetition and lack of new insight in her own writing.

It's about to be writ again
She is about to attempt writing again, but fears that it will lack the same inspiration and creativity as before.

As I ask you to focus on
She is looking for inspiration from others and hoping they will help her focus on something positive.