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)

5_15 The Angels Have Gone
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

5:15
I'm changing trains
This little town
Let me down
This foreign rain
Brings me down

5:15

Train overdue
Angels have gone
No ticket
I'm jumping tracks
I'm changing towns
We never talk anymore
Forever I will adore you

5:15
All of my life
Angels have gone
I'm changing trains
Angels like them
Thin on the ground
All of my life
All legs and wings
Strange sandy eyes

5:15
Train overdue
Angels have gone
We never talk anymore
Forever I will adore you
Cold station

All of my life
Forever I'm out here forever

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie's "5:15 The Angels Have Gone" narrate a story of a person who feels lost and hopeless that has lost contact with their loved ones. This individual is changing trains in a little town that has let him down, and a foreign rain is bringing him down. He has missed his train, and the angels have gone, symbolizing a loss of faith and hope in something divine. The person jumps tracks and changes towns, possibly indicating that they are running away from something, or looking for a new start. The chorus repeats, referencing the angels and the importance they have had in this person's life. However, they are now gone, and this loss is shown in the form of train being overdue.

The second verse highlights the pain and numbness the individual experiences as the angels have gone, and he is forced to move on without them. His life has been intertwined with the angels, and they have now disappeared. The angels he once knew seem thin on the ground, and all he is left with is the memory of strange sandy eyes. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the weight of the loss.

The final verse repeats the same words from the second verse and chorus but adds an interesting line saying "Forever I'm out here forever." This lyric pointing shows the sense of being lost and not having a home, or anywhere to go. The song suggests that the loss of faith the individual has feels like being forever lost and alone. The composition tells the story of the larger theme of love and loss, struggles in life, and needing hope to push forward.

Line by Line Meaning

5:15
The singer is referring to a specific time (5:15) when he is going through a change or transition in his life.

I'm changing trains
The singer is literally changing trains, but also metaphorically changing his life direction.

This little town
The singer is in a small town that has disappointed him in some way.

Let me down
The town didn't meet the artist's expectations.

This foreign rain
The artist is in a place with unfamiliar weather that is making him feel down.

Brings me down
The singer is feeling sad or depressed.

Train overdue
The train is running late, which may cause the singer to miss his connection or add to his frustration.

Angels have gone
The artist feels like he has lost something important in his life, like guardian angels.

No ticket
The artist doesn't have a train ticket, which can be a metaphor for feeling unprepared or not in control of his life.

I'm jumping tracks
The artist is making a spontaneous decision to change his life path or course.

I'm changing towns
The singer is leaving his town or home behind in search of something new.

We never talk anymore
The artist has lost communication or connection with someone important in his life.

Forever I will adore you
The singer still has feelings of love or affection for the person he has lost connection with.

All of my life
The singer's entire life or existence is being described.

Angels like them
The singer has lost people in his life who he considered to be like guardian angels or protectors.

Thin on the ground
The artist is having a hard time finding these types of people again.

All legs and wings
These 'angels' are being described as having physical features like legs and wings, which may be a metaphor for their ability to fly or be free.

Strange sandy eyes
These 'angels' are also being described as having odd or unusual eyes, which could signify their heavenly or supernatural nature.

Cold station
The singer is in a physical place that is isolated or uninviting, which adds to his feeling of loneliness or sadness.

Forever I'm out here forever
The artist is expressing that he feels like he will be searching for something or someone forever, and may never find it or them.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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