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)
I Can't Give Everything Away
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pulse returns for prodigal sons
With blackout hearts, with flowered news
With skull designs upon my shoes
I can't give everything
I can't give everything
Away
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 for prodigal sons
With blackout hearts, with 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
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 © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
the Toast of Science Fiction
I'm going to sum up what I think of it. Probably not accurate, but I'll try.
1. Blackstar is "Shock". It's a shocking piece, naturally. And almost distracting, maybe.
2. Denial. 'Tis a Pity was released originally before he was diagnosed, like a reminder of a time before then. It also seems to have little to do with death (unlike pretty much everything else on the album), if anything. Again, denial.
3. Anger. Lazarus doesn't seem angry, but it's definitely not happy and satisfied. "I'll be free", but with this in mind it's more like a "I don't have to like it either" kind of way. He doesn't want to go anywhere, and he's reminiscing of the good and the bad.
4. Bargaining. Again, a song released before his diagnosis, as if saying "if I keep doing this like I always have I'll come through it. I'm going to beat this."
5. Depression. Girl Loves Me is dark and weird, more so than any other song on the album, except maybe the title track. I think of Station to Station, also written out of desperation and I would assume some depression. The lyrics are deliberately cryptic and delirious, like the depression David's feeling that no one can relate to, no matter how much pain they might be feeling for him.
6. Testing. Dollar Days' refrain uses the phrase "push their backs against the grain". Experimentation and testing the waters have always been Bowie's way, and now he's having to apply them elsewhere by seeking a solution out. And then...
7. Acceptance. "I Can't Give Everything Away" is definitely about acceptance, even upbeat in a way. This is David saying "I'm going, but it was worth it. Every second. Goodbye."
Probably very wrong, but it's just how I'm choosing to see it.
Tourbillon 13
@the Toast of Science Fiction Perfect, my friend. Thankyou.
That has actually settled me quite a lot. Went through it with both my amazing Parents within 2 years of each other, and your piece of writing describes the journey with great understanding and compassion.
David's music 🎶 has always been my "restoration" throughout everything good and bad.
Now you have just confirmed that he understood the stages of grieving for one's own life and others... Damn it, he is even helping us to grieve for him!!! Because of what we meant to him... His worldwide extended Family 💔 Like a letter to each of us... Saying "It's time for me to go on ahead now, I am at peace within myself, let me help you to feel the same, as my way of saying thankyou..."
Coming up to 3 years. This is the first time have been able to listen to "Blackstar."
Darling David. A Gentleman to the very end of his adventure on earth.
God bless Iman, Duncan and Lexie...
Once again, Thankyou so much. Take care...
(And I'll be darned if that ain't one heck of a band up in heaven!!! With my Papa in the middle of it saying "Fancy doing Diamond Dogs there David?!!)" He adored that song and was a fantastic Singer... Aw man, tearing up again. 9 years gone January 14th. Love on ya everyone and turn those flippin' guitars down 🤣!!!
Ulcar
This feels like the credits theme of Bowie's life
Southsideman
INFINITY%!
Walter Bianco
I agree. And it's so bittersweet...
6langosta6
You really nailed it!
Raspaah
deep
Automatic Bzootie
😭 WHY TOU GOTTA SAY THAT MAN
Pierre Ripplinger
He was fighting cancer when he did all this work, right?
I find it overwhelming he created one of his best albums while facing death.
Never has anyone said goodbye so elegantly and beautifuly.
Southsideman
He was ahead if us.
God bless his soul and his surviving family.
Julia Stephens
You said it
Esther Locatelli
Freddie also did it with Queen's album Innuendo