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)
Heathen
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sky made of glass
Made for a real world
All things must pass
Oo-o
Waiting for something
Looking for someone
Is there no reason?
Oo-o, Oo-o
You say you'll leave me
And when the sun is low
And the rays high
I can see it now
I can feel it die
Oo-o, Oo-o
The lyrics to David Bowie's song Heathen are open to interpretation, as with many of his songs. It seems that the first two lines are a description of a modern, industrial landscape - steel on the skyline and a sky of glass suggest towering buildings and a sense of permanence. However, the next line - made for a real world - undermines this sense of solidity, suggesting perhaps that the world is not as steady as we would like to think. The next line - all things must pass - is evocative and meditative, suggesting that although the world may seem permanent, it will eventually fade away.
The next two lines - waiting for something, looking for someone - suggest a sense of longing or emptiness, perhaps a quest for meaning or purpose. The line - is there no reason? - underlines this feeling and implies that the search may be frustrating or fruitless. The repetition of Oo-o, Oo-o creates a sense of melancholy and sadness.
Finally, the lyrics turn to a narrative of loss and despair. The singer's partner says they will leave him, and he watches as the sun sets and the world around him becomes less bright and less beautiful. The line - I can feel it die - is particularly poignant and suggests a sense of finality and inevitability.
Overall, the song Heathen is a haunting and beautiful meditation on the nature of the world and the human experience. It is a tribute to Bowie's talent as a songwriter and his ability to create music that is both deeply personal and universal in its scope.
Line by Line Meaning
Steel on the skyline
There's a sense of industrialization and growth in the city skyline
Sky made of glass
A reference to the modern, sleek architecture of the city
Made for a real world
The city is built to cater to practical needs of the people who inhabit it
All things must pass
A reminder that all things are temporary and will eventually come to an end
Oo-o
A vocalization that adds to the song's overall mood and tone
Waiting for something
Feeling a sense of anticipation for some kind of change or event to occur
Looking for someone
Searching for a connection with someone or something
Is there no reason?
Questioning the purpose or meaning behind the current situation
Have I stared too long?
Wondering if thinking about something for too long has resulted in over-analyzing
Oo-o, Oo-o
Continuing the vocalization from earlier, contributing to the overall feel of the song
You say you'll leave me
A betrayal, disappointment, or loss in a personal relationship is hinted at
And when the sun is low
Indicating the passage of time, an end of a day as the sun starts to set
And the rays high
The contrast between the evening sun and the height of the buildings
I can see it now
A moment of clarity or realization of the impending loss
I can feel it die
An emotional response to the loss or end of something
Oo-o, Oo-o
Repeating the vocalization to highlight the emotional impact of the loss
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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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