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)

Diamond Dogs
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This ain't rock'n'roll, this is genocide

As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent
You asked for the latest party
With your silicone hump and your ten inch stump
Dressed like a priest you was
Todd Browning's freak you was

Crawling down the alley on your hands and knee
I'm sure you're not protected, for it's plain to see
The diamond dogs are poachers and they hide behind trees
Hunt you to the ground they will, mannequins with kill appeal

(Will they come?)
I'll keep a friend serene
(Will they come?)
Oh baby, come unto me
(Will they come?)
Well, she's come, been and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs

The Halloween Jack is a real cool cat
And he lives on top of Manhattan Chase
The elevator's broke, so he slides down a rope
Onto the street below, oh Tarzie, go man go

Meet his little hussy with his ghost town approach
Her face is sans feature, but she wears a Dali brooch
Sweetly reminiscent, something mother used to bake
Wrecked up and paralyzed, Diamond Dogs are stabilized

(Will they come?)
I'll keep a friend serene
(Will they come?)
Oh baby, come unto me
(Will they come?)
Well, she's come, been and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs

In the year of the scavenger, the season of the bitch
Sashay on the boardwalk, scurry to the ditch
Just another future song, lonely little kitsch
(There's gonna be sorrow) try and wake up tomorrow

(Will they come?)
I'll keep a friend serene
(Will they come?)
Oh baby, come unto me
(Will they come?)
Well, she's come, been and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs

Bow-wow, woof woof, bow-wow, wow
Call them the Diamond Dogs
Dogs
Call them the Diamond Dogs, call them, call them
Call them the Diamond Dogs, call them, call them, ooo
Call them the Diamond Dogs

Keep cool
Diamond Dogs rule, ok
Hey-hey-hey-hey
Beware of the Diamond Dogs

Beware of the Diamond Dogs
Beware of the Diamond Dogs

Overall Meaning

The song "Diamond Dogs" by David Bowie is a haunting poem about a bleak, dystopian future. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a society that has descended into chaos, where people are stripped of their humanity and reduced to either hunters or hunted. The reference to "genocide" in the opening line sets the tone for the song, indicating that something terrible has happened, and there is no turning back.

The song seems to be telling the story of a protagonist who has been captured by a group of ruthless hunters called the Diamond Dogs. They are described as "poachers" who hide behind the trees and "mannequins with kill appeal." The singer is warned to "come out of the garden, baby" before she catches her death in the fog. The Diamond Dogs seemingly have a leader, a character known as the Halloween Jack, who is "a real cool cat" and "slides down a rope" to get around the city.

The imagery in "Diamond Dogs" is striking, full of bizarre, dystopian images. The characters in the song are grotesque and dehumanized, and the world they inhabit is oppressive and hopeless. The song seems to be a warning that if we do not watch out, we could end up living in a similar world, where the lines between human and animal, hunter and hunted, are blurred.

Line by Line Meaning

This ain't rock'n'roll, this is genocide
This is not just music--it's a representation of something much larger and more sinister.

As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent You asked for the latest party With your silicone hump and your ten inch stump Dressed like a priest you was Todd Browning's freak you was
You were brought out of your hospital bed and immediately asked about where the party was. Your appearance is grotesque--you have artificial body parts, and you dress like a religious figure. You're like one of the freaks from Todd Browning's 'Freaks.'

Crawling down the alley on your hands and knee I'm sure you're not protected, for it's plain to see The diamond dogs are poachers and they hide behind trees Hunt you to the ground they will, mannequins with kill appeal
You crawl through the alley on the ground, vulnerable and defenseless. The Diamond Dogs are ruthless scavengers who will hunt you down and kill you. They are like mannequins with a deadly attraction.

(Will they come?) I'll keep a friend serene (Will they come?) Oh baby, come unto me (Will they come?) Well, she's come, been and gone Come out of the garden, baby You'll catch your death in the fog Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
You hope for help, yet you keep a friend close for comfort. A woman has come and gone. You warn someone to come out of the fog or danger will find them. They refer to those who bring danger as Diamond Dogs.

The Halloween Jack is a real cool cat And he lives on top of Manhattan Chase The elevator's broke, so he slides down a rope Onto the street below, oh Tarzie, go man go Meet his little hussy with his ghost town approach Her face is sans feature, but she wears a Dali brooch Sweetly reminiscent, something mother used to bake Wrecked up and paralyzed, Diamond Dogs are stabilized
Halloween Jack is a charismatic person who lives in style. There is no working elevator, so he uses a rope. He's with a woman who is pretty but has no outstanding facial features. She has a Dali brooch that is nostalgic of homemade baking. Diamond Dogs are dysfunctional individuals who have been stabilized in their condition.

(Will they come?) I'll keep a friend serene (Will they come?) Oh baby, come unto me (Will they come?) Well, she's come, been and gone Come out of the garden, baby You'll catch your death in the fog Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs
You continue to hope for help and keep a friend close. The same woman has come and gone again. You warn someone to come out of the garden in the fog or suffer the consequences of the Diamond Dogs.

In the year of the scavenger, the season of the bitch Sashay on the boardwalk, scurry to the ditch Just another future song, lonely little kitsch (There's gonna be sorrow) try and wake up tomorrow
It's a year of scavenging and uncertainty, where the common belief is 'kill or be killed.' There's a sense of despair and people are just looking out for themselves. It's like a song about the future, lamenting the loneliness and emptiness of it all. People should try to look forward to tomorrow, even though it brings sorrow.

(Will they come?) I'll keep a friend serene (Will they come?) Oh baby, come unto me (Will they come?) Well, she's come, been and gone Come out of the garden, baby You'll catch your death in the fog Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs
You hope for help and keep a friend close. The woman has come and gone, again. You warn someone to come out of the garden in the fog or suffer the consequences of the Diamond Dogs.

Bow-wow, woof woof, bow-wow, wow Call them the Diamond Dogs Dogs Call them the Diamond Dogs, call them, call them Call them the Diamond Dogs, call them, call them, ooo Call them the Diamond Dogs
The Diamond Dogs are like dogs, with their instincts and their ferocity. They should be called that, and identified as such.

Keep cool Diamond Dogs rule, ok Hey-hey-hey-hey Beware of the Diamond Dogs Beware of the Diamond Dogs Beware of the Diamond Dogs
Stay calm, stay collected. The Diamond Dogs are in charge and must be respected. Beware of them, at all times.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS