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)

Beauty And The Beast
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ooo-ooh

Weaving down a byroad, singing a song
That's my kind of highroad gone wrong
(My, my smile at least)
You can't say no to the beauty and the beast

Something in the night

Something in the day
Nothing is wrong but darling, something's in the way
There's slaughter in the air
Protest on the wind
Someone else inside me
Someone could get skinned, how?
(My, my) someone fetch a priest
You can't say no to the beauty and the beast
Darling

(My, my)
You can't say no to the beauty and the beast
(Liebling)
(My, my)
You can't say no to the beauty and the beast

I wanted to believe me
I wanted to be good
I wanted no distractions
Like every good boy should

(My, my)

Nothing will corrupt us
Nothing will compete
Thank god heaven left us
Standing on our feet
(My, my)
Beauty and the beast (my, my)
Just beauty and the beast (you can't say no to the beauty and the beast)
Darling

My, my
My

My, my
My

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Beauty and the Beast" by David Bowie describe the struggle between two opposing forces within the singer. The beauty represents his desire for freedom and expression, while the beast represents his self-destructive tendencies. The song is set on a byroad, where the singer is weaving and singing a song. He acknowledges that his highroad has led him in the wrong direction, but he's still smiling because he can't resist the beauty and the beast.

The chorus urges the listener to not say no to the beauty and the beast, which may be interpreted as the singer's plea to himself not to give in to his self-destructive tendencies. He feels like there's something in the night and in the day that's blocking his path, and there's slaughter in the air and protests on the wind. He also acknowledges that someone else is inside of him, and he could get "skinned" if he's not careful.

The final lines of the song suggest that the singer has come to a resolution. He wanted to be good and free from distractions, but nothing could corrupt him or compete with the beauty and the beast. He's grateful that heaven has left him standing on his feet, and the beauty and the beast remain, just as powerful as ever.

Line by Line Meaning

Weaving down a byroad, singing a song
Traveling along an unpaved road while joyfully singing.

That's my kind of highroad gone wrong
This is the kind of path I prefer, even if it's not the most conventional.

(My, my smile at least)
Despite the chaos around him, he's still able to smile.

You can't say no to the beauty and the beast
It's impossible to resist the allure of both the beautiful and the grotesque things in life.

Something in the night
There's an ambiguous feeling that arises when things get dark.

Something in the day
Even in the light of day, there's something not quite right.

Nothing is wrong but darling, something's in the way
Despite the absence of any clear danger, there's an obstacle in the way of true happiness.

There's slaughter in the air
There's violence in the atmosphere.

Protest on the wind
There's a sense of rebellion in the air.

Someone else inside me
He feels like a different person entirely.

Someone could get skinned, how?
The situation is dangerous enough that he fears someone might actually get hurt.

(My, my) someone fetch a priest
The situation seems so dire he can only think of a religious figure for help.

I wanted to believe me
He once had confidence in his own beliefs.

I wanted to be good
He wished to be morally correct.

I wanted no distractions
He hoped for a clear path forward without interruptions.

Like every good boy should
Presumably, he feels some societal pressure to comply with conventional morality.

Nothing will corrupt us
He's convinced that nothing will be able to taint him or his beliefs.

Nothing will compete
There's no challenge to his sense of righteousness.

Thank god heaven left us
He's grateful that he has a secure place to rest his ideals.

Standing on our feet
He's confident that he has a solid foundation to maintain his beliefs.

Beauty and the beast (my, my)
Regardless of whether it's a beautiful experience or an ugly one, he recognizes and accepts the duality of life.

Just beauty and the beast (you can't say no to the beauty and the beast)
Everything in life, both good and bad, has its own unique value that cannot be ignored.

Darling
A term of endearment, perhaps also used to indicate that he's speaking to someone specific.

My
An exclamation used to express his awe or confusion at the situation.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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