The Young Americans sessions mostly concluded by late 1974. During this tim… Read Full Bio ↴The Young Americans sessions mostly concluded by late 1974. During this time, Bowie was staying in New York, where he met John Lennon. The pair jammed together, leading to a one-day session at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. There, Carlos Alomar had developed a guitar riff for Bowie's cover of "Footstompin'" by The Flairs, which Bowie thought was "a waste" to give to a cover. Lennon, who was in the studio with them, sang "ame" over the riff, which Bowie turned into "Fame" and he thereafter wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song. Lennon performed backing vocals and guitar on the track and worked on the tape loops.

Bowie would later describe the song as "nasty, angry", and fully admitted that the song was written "with a degree of malice" aimed at the Mainman management group with whom he had been working at the time. In 1990, Bowie reflected: "I'd had very upsetting management problems and a lot of that was built into the song. I've left that all that behind me, now... I think fame itself is not a rewarding thing. The most you can say is that it gets you a seat in restaurants."

"Fame" became Bowie's biggest hit to that point in the U.S. Bowie would later claim that he had "absolutely no idea" that the song would do so well as a single, saying "I wouldn't know how to pick a single if it hit me in the face."

Fame
Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fame makes a man take things over
Fame lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame puts you there where things are hollow (fame)
Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame
That burns your change to keep you insane (fame)

Fame, (fame) what you like is in the limo
Fame, (fame) what you get is no tomorrow

Fame, (fame) what you need you have to borrow Fame
Fame, (fame) it's mine, it's mine, it's just his line
To bind your time, it drives you to crime (fame)

Is it any wonder I reject you first?
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool? (fame)
Fame, bully for you, chilly for me
Got to get a rain check on pain (fame)

Fame
Fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame, fame
Fame, fame, fame

Fame, what's your name?
Fame

Overall Meaning

In David Bowie's song Fame, the artist delves into the complexities and darker aspects of fame. Bowie seems to suggest that fame can be a double-edged sword, offering various benefits like luxury, status, and easy access to material things, but also causing loss of individuality, difficulty in handling, and hollowness. Fame can be overpowering, and it can strip individuals of their individuality and authenticity to keep them fixated on the external rewards that it offers.

Bowie emphasizes the insatiable craving for fame and the things it represents. Fame blurs the lines between what one likes and what people perceive they should like. The pressure to maintain a level of status symbolized by material things takes over, causing one to lose sight of what is important- borrowing what they need to uphold a facade that is maintained by the fire of fame. Bowie also notes how fame is weaponized by those who wield it. Those in power use fame to form a narrative and, eventually, gain the upper hand in shaping the environment in which they want to operate. Bowie wonders if being famous is worth losing one's self and if it's worth accepting lies in the place of validation, leading to the question "is it any wonder I reject you first?"

Line by Line Meaning

Fame makes a man take things over
Obtaining fame gives a person the power to control others

Fame lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame can cause a person to act recklessly, even if they find the attention overwhelming

Fame puts you there where things are hollow (fame)
Being famous can place a person in situations where everything seems meaningless and empty

Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame That burns your change to keep you insane (fame)
Fame relies on external factors like appearance, luck, and trends, and it can drive a person to madness by constantly forcing change to maintain relevance

Fame, (fame) what you like is in the limo Fame, (fame) what you get is no tomorrow Fame, (fame) what you need you have to borrow Fame Fame, (fame) it's mine, it's mine, it's just his line To bind your time, it drives you to crime (fame)
Fame can provide temporary possessions and experiences, but it often leads to a cycle of living recklessly, running out of resources, and borrowing or stealing to keep up appearances

Is it any wonder I reject you first? Fame, fame, fame, fame Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool? (fame)
People who seek fame are often untrustworthy and manipulative, and it's no surprise that others would be wary of their intentions or try to resist their charms

Fame, bully for you, chilly for me Got to get a rain check on pain (fame)
While fame might bring some benefits, it can also lead to others mistreating or exploiting the famous person, and the constant scrutiny and pressure can be emotionally draining and painful

Fame Fame, fame, fame Fame, fame, fame Fame, fame, fame, fame Fame, fame, fame, fame Fame, fame, fame Fame, what's your name? Fame
The repetition of the word 'fame' in this chorus emphasizes how obsessed society is with it, and how it can become all-consuming for those who become famous

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Carlos Alomar, David Bowie, John Lennon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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