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)
Cracked Actor
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The best of the last, the cleanest star they ever had
I'm stiff on my legend
The films that I made
Forget that I'm fifty
'Cause you just got paid
Show me you're real
Smack, baby, smack, is that all that you feel
Suck, baby, suck
Give me your head
Before you start professing
That you're knocking me dead
Oh, stay, please stay, please stay
You caught yourself a trick down
On Sunset and Vine
But since he pinned you, baby
You're a porcupine
You sold me illusions for a sack full of checks
You've made a bad connection 'cause I just want your sex
Crack, baby, crack
Show me you're real
Smack, baby, smack, is that all that you feel
Suck, baby, suck
Give me your head
Before you start professing
That you're knocking me dead
Oh yeah
Oh, stay for a day
Oh yeah
Don't you dare
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah
In the opening lines of David Bowie's 1973 song "Cracked Actor," the singer acknowledges his past as a young, promising Hollywood actor. He claims to now be "stiff on [his] legend," indicating that he is aware of the myth-making that has surrounded him throughout his career. However, he also insists that his age is irrelevant, urging his audience to "forget that [he's] fifty." These opening lines set the stage for the rest of the song, which explores themes of sex, identity, and performance.
As the song progresses, Bowie takes on different roles, using language that suggests he is engaging with different personas or archetypes. He encourages his listeners to "crack" and "smack" and to "suck" him in, using provocative language that suggests he is both commanding and vulnerable. When he sings "You caught yourself a trick down on Sunset and Vine / But since he pinned you, baby, you're a porcupine," he is once again referencing the complexities of identity, as well as the power dynamics that come into play in sexual encounters.
The lyrics to "Cracked Actor" suggest that Bowie is exploring the ways in which we perform our identities for others, and the ways in which those performances can be both liberating and constraining. The song is a powerful commentary on fame, sexuality, and the ways in which our identities are shaped by societal expectations and pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
I've come on a few years from my Hollywood Highs
I've left my wild days behind, and I'm not the same person I was when I was younger.
The best of the last, the cleanest star they ever had
I was once a shining star in Hollywood, and I was known for being one of the cleanest and least scandalous celebrities.
I'm stiff on my legend
I'm very particular about how I'm remembered, and I take pride in my legacy.
The films that I made
I'm proud of the movies that I acted in and the characters that I played.
Forget that I'm fifty
Don't write me off just because I'm getting older.
'Cause you just got paid
I don't care about my age as long as people are still willing to pay to see me perform.
Crack, baby, crack
Show me you're real
Smack, baby, smack, is that all that you feel
Suck, baby, suck
Give me your head
Before you start professing
That you're knocking me dead
I want you to prove to me that you're authentic and not just pretending. Don't hold back your emotions or your desires. Give me your full attention before you start bragging about how great you are.
Oh, stay, please stay, please stay
I want you to stick around, even if it's just for a little while longer.
You caught yourself a trick down
On Sunset and Vine
But since he pinned you, baby
You're a porcupine
You found someone to be with, but now you're closed off and prickly because he's too clingy or possessive.
You sold me illusions for a sack full of checks
You lied to me and took advantage of me to make money.
You've made a bad connection 'cause I just want your sex
You chose the wrong person to try to manipulate because all I want from you is physical pleasure.
Oh yeah
An expression of agreement or confirmation.
Oh, stay for a day
Please spend some more time with me.
Don't you dare
I'm warning you not to do something.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
An expression of enthusiasm or excitement.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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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