Bowie developed an interest in music from an early age. He studied art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity", released in 1969, was his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie's single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK fans but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. In 1977, he again changed direction with the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.
After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had three number-one hits: the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure" (a 1981 collaboration with Queen). He achieved massive commercial success in the 1980s starting with Let's Dance (1983). Between 1988 and 1992, he fronted the hard rock band Tin Machine before resuming his solo career in 1993. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death from liver cancer at his home in New York City. He died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum, eleven gold and eight silver album certifications, and released 11 number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest artists in history. As of 2022, Bowie was the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie
Studio albums
David Bowie (1967)
David Bowie/Space Oddity (1969)
The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Hunky Dory (1971)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Aladdin Sane (1973)
Pin Ups (1973)
Diamond Dogs (1974)
Young Americans (1975)
Station to Station (1976)
Low (1977)
"Heroes" (1977)
Lodger (1979)
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Let's Dance (1983)
Tonight (1984)
Never Let Me Down (1987)
Black Tie White Noise (1993)
The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)
Outside (1995)
Earthling (1997)
Hours (1999)
Heathen (2002)
Reality (2003)
The Next Day (2013)
Blackstar (2016)
'87 and Cry
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
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
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.