David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally… Read Full Bio ↴David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music.

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)

Set The World On Fire
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Midnight in the Village
Seeger lights the candles
From Bitter End to Gaslight
Baez leaves the stage
Ochs takes notes
When the black girl and guitar
Burn together hot in rage
You've got what it takes

You say too much

Oh you will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
I can work the scene and
I can see the magazines
I can hear the nation
I can hear the nation cry
You will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
You will set it on fire

Kennedy would kill for the lines that you’ve written
Van Ronk says to Bobby "she’s the next real thing"
Crouched in the half light, screaming like a banshee
You’re in the boat babe, we're in the water
You say too much

Oh you will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
I can work the scene and
I can see the magazines
I can hear the nation
I can hear the nation cry
You will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
You will set it on fire

Oh you will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
Oh I can work the scene and
I can see the magazines
I can hear the nation
I can hear the nation cry
You will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
You will set it on fire

Oh you will set the world babe
You will set the world on fire
I can work the scene and
I can see the magazines
Oh I can hear the nation
I can hear the nation cry
You will set the world babe

You will set the world on fire
You will set it on fire

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie’s “Set the World on Fire” express the intense passion and potential of a young musician, singing about someone who is capable of changing the world through music. Bowie vividly describes the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s, where activists and musicians alike were congregating to voice their dissent against the status quo. He describes the ambiance of a typical evening in the Village, with Pete Seeger lighting candles, Joan Baez leaving the stage, and Phil Ochs taking notes. But the focus of the song is on an unnamed young black woman who is performing with her guitar, proving that music can be a powerful force for change.

Bowie’s lyrics suggest that this young woman has the potential to galvanize the public with her music and poetry, to the point where even politicians would be jealous of her talent. The reference to “Kennedy would kill for the lines that you’ve written” suggests the idea that she could potentially be a threat to the establishment. The final verse, which refers to the woman screaming like a banshee, is a powerful image of the artist’s rage against the status quo. Overall, the song is an ode to the transformative power of music, specifically folk music, to inspire social change and empower marginalized voices.

Line by Line Meaning

Midnight in the Village
The scene is set in Greenwich Village at midnight, the heart of the counterculture movement.

Seeger lights the candles
Folk musician Pete Seeger sets the tone for the night's music by lighting candles on stage.

From Bitter End to Gaslight
Reference to two famous music venues in Greenwich Village that were known havens for folk musicians.

Baez leaves the stage
Joan Baez, a prominent folk singer and activist, finishes her set and exits the stage.

Ochs takes notes
Phil Ochs, another folk singer and protest songwriter, observes the scene and commits it to memory.

When the black girl and guitar
Refers to an upcoming performance by a black woman with her guitar, who is about to make a powerful statement.

Burn together hot in rage
Her performance is passionate and intense, fueled by her anger and determination.

You've got what it takes
The singer admires the woman's talent and courage in speaking out.

You say too much
The singer warns her that speaking out too much can be dangerous in a world that is hostile to dissenters.

Oh you will set the world babe
The singer predicts that the woman's performance will inspire others and make a lasting impact on the world.

I can work the scene and
The singer is also part of the music scene and can use his influence to promote her message.

I can see the magazines
He has connections to the media and can help her get exposure in major publications.

I can hear the nation
He knows that her message will resonate with people from all walks of life across the country.

I can hear the nation cry
He feels the pain and frustration of the people, who are longing for change and looking for a leader to rally behind.

Kennedy would kill for the lines that you’ve written
Even powerful political figures like President Kennedy would be envious of the woman's ability to inspire and mobilize people with her words.

Van Ronk says to Bobby 'she’s the next real thing'
Dave Van Ronk, a folk musician and mentor to many younger performers, recognizes the woman's potential to become a major force in the music world.

Crouched in the half light, screaming like a banshee
The woman's performance is so intense that she seems almost possessed, channeling her anger and passion into her music.

You’re in the boat babe, we're in the water
The singer and the woman are both part of the same struggle, fighting against entrenched power structures and seeking to create a better world.

You will set the world on fire
The singer remains convinced that the woman's performance will ignite a spark that will inspire others to join the cause and work towards change.

You will set it on fire
Reiterating his belief that the woman's performance will have a powerful and lasting impact on the world.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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