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 ↴
I'm changing trains
This little town
Let me down
This foreign rain
Brings me down
5:15
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
David Bowie's song "5:15 The Angels Have Gone" is about a man who is trying to escape his life and move on to a different town. The first verse sets the scene with the singer being let down by a small town and feeling uninspired by the foreign rain. He is changing trains because his current situation is not what he desires. The singer then mentions that the angels have gone, which could indicate a loss of hope or guidance. Without hope or guidance, the singer is taking matters into his own hands by jumping tracks and changing to a different town.
As the song progresses, the singer repeats the phrase "all of my life" which could imply that he feels like he has been searching for something or struggling for a long time. He mentions that the angels are thin on the ground, which could indicate a lack of support or comfort. Despite feeling adrift and alone, the singer proclaims that he will always adore the absent angels.
The final verse brings us back to the train, which is now overdue. The singer is still waiting but the angels are gone, he feels disconnected from the world around him. The cold station serves as the perfect metaphor for his current emotional state. He reaffirms that he will always adore the angels, but he will remain out here forever. The song is a melancholic reflection on feeling lost and alone, but ultimately still holding onto hope.
Line by Line Meaning
5:15
The specific time when the events of the song take place
I'm changing trains
The singer is switching from one train to another, perhaps as a metaphor for moving on in life
This little town
Refers to the current location of the singer and their disappointment in how it has let them down
Let me down
The town has not met the artist's expectations in some way
This foreign rain
The rain is unfamiliar to the artist, possibly emphasizing their sense of displacement
Brings me down
The rain is contributing to the singer's negative feelings
Train overdue
The train the singer wishes to take is running late
Angels have gone
Refers to a time when life was better, as if angels watching over the artist have left them alone
No ticket
The artist does not have a ticket to ride the train
I'm jumping tracks
The artist is taking a risk and changing their path in life
I'm changing towns
Similar to changing trains, the singer is leaving their current location behind
We never talk anymore
Some kind of relationship or connection previously existed between the artist and another person, but it has since faded away
Forever I will adore you
Despite the lack of communication, the singer still has strong feelings for this person
All of my life
The singer is reflecting on their entire life up to this point
Angels like them
Referring to people who were positive influences in the singer's life, much like the angels referenced earlier in the song
Thin on the ground
The artist does not encounter enough of these positive individuals in their current situation
All legs and wings
Describes the appearance of the angels, emphasizing their otherworldly nature
Strange sandy eyes
A further description of the angels, adding to their mysteriousness
Cold station
The setting of the song is described as cold, which adds to the singer's sense of displacement
Forever I'm out here forever
The artist feels stuck in their current situation, with no end in sight
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJKintobor
on I Can't Give Everything Away
I can totally imagine this being the end theme of Sabrina Online, when Sabrina marries Richard and they drive off into the sunset...
Peter Bonney
on Diamond Dogs
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