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)

Ashes To Ashes
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you remember a guy that's been
In such an early song?
I've heard a rumor from Ground Control
Oh no, don't say it's true

They got a message from the Action Man
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too
I've loved all I've needed, love

Sordid details following"

The shrieking of nothing is killing, just
Pictures of Jap girls in synthesis and I
Ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair
But I'm hoping to kick but the planet it's glowing

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low

Time and again I tell myself
I'll stay clean tonight
But the little green wheels are following me
Oh no, not again
I'm stuck with a valuable friend
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too"
One flash of light but no smoking pistol

I never done good things (I never done good things)
I never done bad things (I never done bad things)
I never did anything out of the blue, woh-o-oh
Want an axe to break the ice
Wanna come down right now

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low

My mother said, to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom

My mother said, to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom

My mother said, to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom

My mother said, to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom

Overall Meaning

"Ashes to Ashes" is David Bowie's sequel to his hit song "Space Oddity," and features reprises of some of the elements from that song. The song's opening line references a character from Bowie's earlier song "The Bewlay Brothers." The rumored news Bowie alludes to is the death of his alter-ego, Major Tom. Ground Control, the organization mentioned in "Space Oddity," confirms that Major Tom is now dead. The Action Man mentioned in the song is a reference to Major Tom.

Throughout the song, Bowie reflects on his own career and personal life. The line "The shrieking of nothing is killing" is likely a reference to the pressures of fame and the anxieties that come with that. He then mentions "Pictures of Jap girls in synthesis," most likely referencing the influence of Japanese culture on his music. The line "I ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair" may be a reference to Bowie's look at the time, which featured a brightly dyed, spiky hairstyle.

The chorus of the song brings all these elements together, as he sings "Ashes to ashes, funk to funky / We know Major Tom's a junkie / Strung out in heaven's high / Hitting an all-time low." Here, Bowie uses the death of Major Tom as a metaphorical representation of his own struggles with addiction, and comments on the sometimes seedy and dark world of the music industry.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you remember a guy that's been In such an early song?
Do you recall a man who was featured in a song from long ago?

I've heard a rumor from Ground Control Oh no, don't say it's true
I've received some information from Ground Control, but I hope it's not what I fear it might be.

They got a message from the Action Man "I'm happy, hope you're happy too I've loved all I've needed, love Sordid details following"
The Action Man sent them a message: he's content and wishes them the same. He's had his fill of love, and there are some questionable specifics he'd like to share.

The shrieking of nothing is killing, just Pictures of Jap girls in synthesis and I Ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair But I'm hoping to kick but the planet it's glowing
I'm distressed by the lack of meaning in the world, and while I see robots and Japanese girls in synthetic imagery, I don't have the resources to make any changes. However, I maintain optimism despite the planet's dull condition.

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky We know Major Tom's a junkie Strung out in heaven's high Hitting an all-time low
The cycle of life goes from ashes to ashes, and we know that Major Tom is struggling with addiction, seemingly disillusioned with the heavenly heights he achieved, and is now at his lowest point.

Time and again I tell myself I'll stay clean tonight But the little green wheels are following me Oh no, not again I'm stuck with a valuable friend "I'm happy, hope you're happy too" One flash of light but no smoking pistol
I keep promising myself I'll stay away from drugs, but temptation seems to follow me relentlessly. I'm accompanied by a friend who's valuable to me, but who may bring me down with their habits. Although I see something promising, it fails to live up to its initial appearances.

I never done good things (I never done good things) I never done bad things (I never done bad things) I never did anything out of the blue, woh-o-oh Want an axe to break the ice Wanna come down right now
I've never done what one might consider good or bad things. There's nothing special about my existence, and I'd like to have a sudden change that will shake things up for me. I'm eager to make a move right away.

My mother said, to get things done You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mother taught me that to accomplish anything, I must not get in Major Tom's way.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Bowie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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