Bleed Like A Craze Dad
David Bowie Lyrics


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Shine shine shine (x6)

Bleeds like a craze, Dad
These are the craze

Easy come, come, gotta back
In the valley of the dead man walks
How they drank from the jazz

Astral, Kestrel,
Fed into the featherfall
Fed him on a pencil carving
You will never get

Shine shine shine
Bleed like a craze, Dad
These are the craze
Shine shine shine
Bleed like a craze, Dad
These are the craze

Seek for a leather journey
Never stopped to think about
Hollywood King Kong
Domino on the side

Street light, looking right
Looking to the parlous parlors
Party on the dead
Put a net through his headache

Shine shine shine (x3)

Blee-eed, bleed like a craze, Dad
These are the craze

Living on a movie
All the Shirley/Charley films on film
Come together, party
Footnote on the footstone

Shine shine shine
Bleeds like a craze, Dad
These are the craze

Shine shine shine
Shine shine shine

CHORUS (x6)





Bleed like a craze, Dad
These are the craze

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie's song "Bleed Like A Craze" are cryptic and open to interpretation. However, they describe a chaotic, surreal world, where people are consumed by madness, and everything is upside down. The line "Bleeds like a craze, Dad, these are the craze" suggests a reference to the decay of traditional values or sanity. The song may be related to the artist's personal struggles with drug addiction, as he had a history of substance abuse throughout his career.


The lyrics also contain references to Hollywood legends like Shirley Temple and King Kong, and an allusion to the Beat Generation's focus on jazz music. The words "Astral" and "Kestrel" are enigmatic, but could be seen as a nod to the 1973 album "Aladdin Sane," where the song appears. The phrase "footnote on the footstone" seems to suggest a final farewell or epitaph, while "easy come, come, gotta back" could allude to fleeting pleasures or the impermanence of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Shine shine shine (x6)
Repeatedly highlighting the importance of shining or being bright.


Bleeds like a craze, Dad
Something is bleeding erratically and is compared to a craze. It's possible that the singer is referring to emotional turmoil or chaos.


These are the craze
The previous line refers to a specific kind of craze and this line might reiterate that the singer is referring to a particular kind of disturbance.


Easy come, come, gotta back
Possibly someone got something easy and now they need to retreat or leave their current situation.


In the valley of the dead man walks
A metaphor for a dangerous or perilous situation. Someone is like a dead man walking in a land of great danger and risk.


How they drank from the jazz
It's unclear what this means, but it might refer to people imbibing the spirit of jazz music.


Astral, Kestrel,
These words might be a reference to particular mythological or literary allusions. Their meanings are vague and mysterious.


Fed into the featherfall
Something or someone is being dropped into a situation that is ethereal or dreamlike.


Fed him on a pencil carving
Someone has been fueled or energized by something unusual or unexpected, possibly something as ephemeral as pencil shavings.


You will never get
The artist seems to be directing this phrase at someone or something. It's unclear what the artist is trying to prevent or what they will never get.


Seek for a leather journey
A journey in search of something that might be dangerous or intense.


Never stopped to think about
The person on the journey is impulsive and not considering the possible consequences of their actions.


Hollywood King Kong
A reference to a particular movie that might be empowering or inspiring to the singer or the person they are talking to.


Domino on the side
Possibly a reference to the game of dominoes or simply a representation of a quick, easy win.


Street light, looking right
A light shining into the right direction.


Looking to the parlous parlors
The artist is directing us to look at parlors that are risky or perilous.


Party on the dead
Some people might be celebrating or enjoying themselves in spite of or due to a death that has occurred.


Put a net through his headache
A metaphorical attempt to fix or stop someone's headache.


Living on a movie
Living in a fictional or unreal world or situation.


All the Shirley/Charley films on film
A group of films starring Shirley/Charley might serve as inspiration or comfort for the artist or someone they are talking to.


Come together, party
A call to unite and celebrate.


Footnote on the footstone
Something is being added to a memorial or monument, likely something small or insignificant relative to the scope of the monument itself.


CHORUS (x6)
Repeating the refrain of the song six times, likely to emphasize its significance.


Bleed like a craze, Dad
Reiteration of an earlier line and possibly a reminder of some kind of instability or chaos.


These are the craze
Reiterating that the previous line refers to a particular kind of unrest or emotional tumult.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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