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)
Dirty Boys
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living on a lonely road
I will pull you out of there
We will go to Finchley Fair
I will buy a feather hat
I will steal a cricket bat
Smash some windows, make a noise
When the sun goes down
When the sun goes down and the die is cast
When the die is cast and you have no choice
We will run with Dirty Boys
We all want men we all want you
Me and the boys we all go through
You've got to learn to hold your tongue
They said the moon was his burning son
When the sun goes down
When the sun goes down and the die is cast
When the die is cast and you have no choice
We will run with Dirty Boys
In "Dirty Boys," David Bowie describes a life on the outskirts of society, akin to a modern-day Tobacco Road. He's painting a picture of a fan of his, someone who's living on a lonely road, someone who feels trapped. However, Bowie is there to rescue this person, and together they will find their way back to Finchley Fair. They will do so with the help of some dirty boys. Bowie will buy a feather hat and steal a cricket bat while they are out, making a commotion and smashing windows creating the perfect opportunity to run with the dirty boys.
The chorus, "when the sun goes down and the die is cast, and you have no choice, we will run with dirty boys," emphasizes the feeling of desperation, of being at the end of one's rope. It doesn't matter what the risk might be; they're willing to do anything to escape the isolation and find a sense of belonging.
The lyrics allude to the fact that they are willing to take risks to find the freedom they desire, and in the process, they will run with other "Dirty Boys," who are similarly searching for a way out. Still, the overall message of the song is optimistic, promising redemption and the possibility of a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Something like Tobacco Road
I'm comparing this experience to a rough, gritty path that must be traversed.
Living on a lonely road
This journey means that you'll be isolated from others and that everything will be much more difficult.
I will pull you out of there
Don't worry, I'll rescue you from this terrible place and make it better for you.
We will go to Finchley Fair
Together, we'll escape to an exciting place where we can have fun and forget about our troubles.
I will buy a feather hat
I'll treat you to something new and special to make you feel better and remind you how much you're worth.
I will steal a cricket bat
I'm willing to take risks and bend the rules to make you happy and show you a good time.
Smash some windows, make a noise
Let's do something wild and reckless to feel alive and free for a little while.
We will run with Dirty Boys
We'll escape with those who embrace chaos and the unconventional, and revel in feeling alive.
When the sun goes down
The darkness of night is a time when anything can happen and people's true selves are revealed.
When the sun goes down and the die is cast
Once the night has begun, there's no turning back and we're all in this together.
When the die is cast and you have no choice
We may not have control over everything that happens tonight, but we can still choose how we respond.
We all want men we all want you
Despite our differences, we're all united in our desires and our pursuit of pleasure.
Me and the boys we all go through
We're all struggling in our own way, and we can find comfort and solidarity in that shared experience.
You've got to learn to hold your tongue
Sometimes it's better to keep quiet and observe, rather than speak up and risk causing trouble.
They said the moon was his burning son
Some legends and stories are bizarre and contradictory, but we still find them fascinating and meaningful.
When the sun goes down
Once again, the night brings with it the unknown and the thrilling, and we're ready for anything.
When the sun goes down and the die is cast
As before, we're all in this together and must face whatever comes our way.
When the die is cast and you have no choice
While we can't control the events of tonight, we can control how we respond and who we choose to be.
We will run with Dirty Boys
Once again, we'll embrace the wild and the unconventional, and feel alive in the face of chaos.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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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