I Can't Give Everything Away
David Bowie Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know something's very wrong
The pulse returns the prodigal sons
The blackout hearts, the flowered news
With skull designs upon my shoes

I can't give everything
I can't give everything away
I can't give everything away

Seeing more and feeling less
Saying no but meaning yes
This is all I ever meant
That's the message that I sent

I can't give everything
I can't give everything away
I can't give everything away
I can't give everything
I can't give everything away
I can't give everything away

I know something's very wrong
The pulse returns the prodigal sons
The blackout hearts, the flowered news
With skull designs upon my shoes

I can't give everything
I can't give everything away
I can't give everything away
I can't give everything

I can't give everything away
I can't give everything away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to David Bowie's "I Can't Give Everything Away" are poignant and introspective, suggesting a sense of frustration or regret. The opening line, "I know something is very wrong," sets the tone for the song and hints at some deeper meaning or truth that the singer is struggling to grasp. The repetition of the phrase "With blackout hearts, with flowered news, with skull designs upon my shoes" suggests a feeling of emptiness or confusion in a world that is both beautiful and sinister.


The chorus, "I can't give everything away," is also repeated throughout the song and reflects the singer's sense of limitation or inability to fully express themselves. This feeling is further accentuated by the lines "Seeing more and feeling less, saying no but meaning yes," which suggest a sense of internal conflict or tension.


Taken as a whole, the lyrics to "I Can't Give Everything Away" seem to speak to the human experience of feeling both overwhelmed and underwhelmed by the world around us. The song suggests that there is a deep longing inside all of us to connect with something greater than ourselves, but that this connection is often elusive or impossible to find.


Line by Line Meaning

I know something is very wrong
I feel like something is definitely not right.


The pulse returns for prodigal songs
The intense emotions that I experience are often focused on music.


With blackout hearts, with flowered news
My heart is dark and heavy with sadness, even though I try to stay positive and optimistic by focusing on the good news.


With skull designs upon my shoes
Even my outward appearance reflects my inner turmoil and alienation from mainstream society.


I can't give everything
I am not able to share all of myself with others, as much as I might want to.


I can't give everything
I have limits and boundaries on what I can offer and how much I can give.


Away
This is a repetition of the previous lines, which reinforces the idea that I cannot give everything away.


Seeing more and feeling less
I am becoming more aware of the world around me, but at the same time I am feeling less and less connected to it.


Saying no but meaning yes
I often say no to things, but deep down I really want to say yes and be involved.


This is all I ever meant
This is the essence of who I am as a person and an artist.


That's the message that I sent
This is what I am trying to communicate to my fans and to the world through my music and my art.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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DrJKintobor

I can totally imagine this being the end theme of Sabrina Online, when Sabrina marries Richard and they drive off into the sunset...

Comments from YouTube:

@concox2450

Let's take a moment to realize that this is the last Bowie song EVER

RIP

@largekfc630

Rest IN Peace 😢

@joeperson6244

He had demos for his next album already when he died so those'll probably get released in a few years but yea this is the last finished one :(

@Evil666llama

Concox it's still being released

@yuriydisman6829

Concox yeah not exactly. its the last song on his last album but not necessarily the last he recorded

@manuelastorga2493

hopefully there are few in the vaults they can dig out.

19 More Replies...

@NilahMonai

If you're ever sad, just remember the world is 4.543 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie.

@translucent.

@Pete K Sweet isn't it

@catyd.gutierrez4794

somehow i managed to be born the same day as him, but 50 years later

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