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)

Alladin Sane
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Watching him dash away
Swinging an old bouquet
Dead roses

Saki and strings divine
Uh-uh-uh-uh, uh-uh
You'll make it

Passionate bright young things
Takes him away to war
Don't fake it

Sadden glissando strings
Uh-uh-uh-uh, uh-uh
You'll make it

Who will love Aladdin Sane?
Battle cries and champagne just in time for sunrise
Who will love Aladdin Sane?

Motor sensational
Paris or maybe hell
I'm waiting

Clutches of sad remains
Waits for Aladdin Sane
You'll make it

Who will love Aladdin Sane?
Millions weep a fountain, just in case of sunrise
Who will love Aladdin Sane?

Will love Aladdin Sane?
Will love Aladdin Sane?

Who will love Aladdin Sane?
Millions weep a fountain, just in case of sunrise
Who will love Aladdin Sane?
Will love Aladdin Sane?
Will love Aladdin Sane?

(See the lights all shining bright on Broadway)

[laughter]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie's "Aladdin Sane" are open to interpretation, but they seem to be expressing an eerie sense of detachment and uncertainty about the main character, Aladdin Sane. The chorus asks a rhetorical question about who will love him, suggesting that he is an enigmatic and possibly unlovable figure. There are references to war and to the hedonistic pleasures of Paris, suggesting that Aladdin Sane is searching for something in these experiences but may not find what he's looking for. The imagery of "dead roses" and "clutches of sad remains" suggests that there may be a sense of futility or despair in his quest. The repeated refrain of "you'll make it" suggests that there may be a glimmer of hope even in his bleak situation.

The song is particularly notable for its use of the piano, which creates a sense of urgency and tension. It also features a prominent saxophone solo by Bowie himself, which has become a lasting part of the song's legacy. The song's title is a play on words, combining the name of the character Aladdin with the word "insane," suggesting that the character is caught between the dream world of fairy tales and the harsh realities of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Watching him dash away
Observing him leave in a hurry

Swinging an old bouquet
Holding a wilted arrangement of flowers

Dead roses
Flowers lacking vitality and freshness

Saki and strings divine
Refined Japanese wine and heavenly music

Uh-uh-uh-uh, uh-uh
Vocalization without specific meaning

You'll make it
You will succeed

Passionate bright young things
Energetic and enthusiastic young people

Takes him away to war
Forced to go to battle

Don't fake it
Do not pretend

Sadden glissando strings
Sad and sliding musical notes

Who will love Aladdin Sane?
Which person will show affection for Aladdin Sane?