'87 and Cry
David Bowie Lyrics


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It's just a one dollar secret
A lover's secrets in the UK
Torn apart in the UK
In the dribble of May-Day
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry
And there's nothing inside
And there's nothing in mind
And only you
Rocket on through the sky
It couldn't be done without dogs
It couldn't be once without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry

When the days were the days were the days boys
When blue ties were for the biggy guys
Frannie dressing down for the enemy
You saw him hangin' on the enemy
And there's no one in love
And there's nowhere to scream
And only you
Race on to wonder where
It couldn't be done without dogs
It couldn't be once without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry
You can't make love with money
You can't make mistakes with babies
Nothing looked good on you
That's how I liked you best
Now you're ready for the real McCoy

Deep in the heart of Cupid
Murders on the heels of love
Just the ghost of a story
Just a one dollar secret
Baby these were the sounds
Baby these were the sounds
And only you
Whisper these things aren't true
It couldn't be done with dogs
It couldn't be once without us




'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie's song '87 and Cry is a mixture of poetry and stream-of-consciousness narration, with complex rhyming schemes and cryptic lines. The song begins with the line "It's just a one dollar secret," referring to hidden and taboo affairs that lovers keep in the UK. It's a cryptic line that speaks to the idea of betrayal and forbidden love. The song seems to be set against the backdrop of May Day in 1987, a time of political turmoil in the UK. Bowie's lyrics speak to a sense of chaos and unrest that pervades the streets, with the repetitive refrains of "87 and Cry" emphasizing a sense of collective despair.


As the song progresses, Bowie introduces another layer of meaning, a nostalgia for a bygone era. He references "the days when blue ties were for the biggy guys" and "Frannie dressing down for the enemy," lines that speak to a time when things were simpler and yet somehow more intense. In the end, the lyrics seem to circle back to the theme of love and its paradoxical nature. Bowie sings "You can't make love with money, you can't make mistakes with babies," lines that speak to the weight of responsibility and the fragility of relationships.


One of the most striking aspects of the song is its cryptic quality, with lyrics that are open to multiple interpretations. The chorus of "87 and Cry" is particularly memorable for its repetition and ambiguity. Whether Bowie is singing about forbidden love, political upheaval, or the mysteries of the human heart, his lyrics remain enigmatic and yet hauntingly evocative.


Line by Line Meaning

It's just a one dollar secret
There's a secret that only costs a dollar; it's not very valuable.


A lover's secrets in the UK
This secret is related to a lover in the UK.


Torn apart in the UK
The lover's relationship is falling apart in the UK.


In the dribble of May-Day
The breakup is happening around the time of May Day, but it's not a significant event in itself.


'87 and Cry
This is happening in 1987 and is a sad situation.


And there's nothing inside
The person feels empty inside.


And there's nothing in mind
The person can't think straight.


And only you
The person is focused on their lover, who is the only thing that matters right now.


Rocket on through the sky
The person is feeling a sense of freedom and excitement about what lies ahead.


It couldn't be done without dogs
Whatever is happening, it wouldn't be possible without the help of some 'dogs' - possibly slang for helpers or friends.


It couldn't be once without us
This 'us' could refer to the people involved in the situation or relationship, and it's saying that what's happening couldn't have happened without them.


When the days were the days were the days boys
This is reminiscing about a time when things were simpler or easier.


When blue ties were for the biggy guys
This is referring to a time when certain dress codes or ways of dressing held significance and were indicative of status or power.


Frannie dressing down for the enemy
Frannie is potentially the lover mentioned earlier, and it's suggesting that they're trying to blend in or seem less noticeable to avoid unwanted attention.


You saw him hangin' on the enemy
Someone is hanging out with 'the enemy' - potentially someone who is a rival or a threat to the relationship.


And there's no one in love
No one seems to be feeling loved at the moment.


And there's nowhere to scream
The situation is frustrating, but there's no outlet for the person to express their frustrations.


And only you
Once again, the person's focus is on their lover.


Race on to wonder where
There's a sense of rushing forward blindly, unsure where they're headed.


You can't make love with money
Money can't buy love or happiness.


You can't make mistakes with babies
This could be a metaphor for something that needs to be handled carefully and without mistakes.


Nothing looked good on you
There's a sense of dissatisfaction with the way things are going.


That's how I liked you best
Despite the dissatisfaction, the person still prefers their lover just the way they are.


Now you're ready for the real McCoy
The 'real McCoy' could refer to something genuine or authentic, so this could be suggesting that the person is finally ready for something real.


Deep in the heart of Cupid
This could be a reference to the idea of being in love.


Murders on the heels of love
This creates a sense of tension or danger - perhaps implying that love can be difficult or deadly.


Just the ghost of a story
This suggests that what's happening is not significant enough to last or be remembered.


Just a one dollar secret
Once again, emphasizing that this secret isn't very important.


Baby these were the sounds
This could be a reference to the sounds of love or of something ending.


Whisper these things aren't true
There's a sense that things are being denied or not acknowledged.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Sameer Hossain

"'87 And Cry"

It's just a one dollar secret
A lover's secrets in the UK
Torn apart in the UK
In the dribble of May-Day
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry
And there's nothing inside
And there's nothing in mind
And only you
Rocket on thru the sky
It couldn't be done 
without dogs
It couldn't be once 
without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry

When the days were the days were the days boys
When blue ties 
were for the biggy guys
Frannie dressing down for the enemy
You saw him hangin' on the enemy
And there's no one in love
And there's nowhere to scream
And only you
Race on to wonder where
It couldn't be done without dogs
It couldn't be once without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry
You can't make love with money
You can't make mistakes with babies
Nothing looked good on you
That's how I liked you best
Now you're ready for the real McCoy

Deep in the heart of Cupid
Murders on the heels of love
Just the ghost of a story
Just a one dollar secret
Baby these were the sounds
Baby these were the sounds
And only you
Whisper these things aren't true
It couldn't be done with dogs
It couldn't be once without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry



All comments from YouTube:

Sameer Hossain

"'87 And Cry"

It's just a one dollar secret
A lover's secrets in the UK
Torn apart in the UK
In the dribble of May-Day
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry
And there's nothing inside
And there's nothing in mind
And only you
Rocket on thru the sky
It couldn't be done 
without dogs
It couldn't be once 
without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry

When the days were the days were the days boys
When blue ties 
were for the biggy guys
Frannie dressing down for the enemy
You saw him hangin' on the enemy
And there's no one in love
And there's nowhere to scream
And only you
Race on to wonder where
It couldn't be done without dogs
It couldn't be once without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry
You can't make love with money
You can't make mistakes with babies
Nothing looked good on you
That's how I liked you best
Now you're ready for the real McCoy

Deep in the heart of Cupid
Murders on the heels of love
Just the ghost of a story
Just a one dollar secret
Baby these were the sounds
Baby these were the sounds
And only you
Whisper these things aren't true
It couldn't be done with dogs
It couldn't be once without us
'87 and Cry
'87 and Cry

Livia Lautenschlager

Thank You.
By the way, Bowie fans are awesome. Keep Rockin.

Anthony

David was such a good man and will never be forgotten

Fernando García

Este album definitivamente esta infravalorado! me parece un álbum fresco e increíble!

Rian

This song sounds much more balanced, with the rhythm section complementing the phrasing of the vocal parts much more cleanly. They also retained that little bit of dynamic juxtaposition in the pre-chorus/chorus nicely. The guitar is mixed relatively low, though.

St. Armanini

These guys made the whole album fun to listen!

Michael P

I still like the original version the best, but this version is really cool too! I'm not a fan of most of the re-recorded songs on the 2018 version of "Never Let Me Down", but there are a few songs I like. This is one of them!

roofuss61

Never thought about it before but his phrasing in the verses reminds me of the much later song, The Next Day.

Chris Meadows

I think that was intentional. You can hear a bit of it in I'll Take You There as well. The Next Day is a very throwback sounding album.

Graeme Knowles

Reeves is all over this. Friggin awesomeness. Love the new version.

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