"Lady Stardust" is a song written by David Bowie that appeared on the album… Read Full Bio ↴"Lady Stardust" is a song written by David Bowie that appeared on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972). The song is generally interpreted as alluding to fellow glam rock icon Marc Bolan. The original demo version was entitled "A Song for Marc."

Lady Stardust
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

People stared at the makeup on his face
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace

And he was alright, the band was altogether

Yes, he was alright, the song went on forever
Yes, he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
And he sang all night long

Femme fatales emerged from shadows
To watch this creature fair
Boys stood upon their chairs
To make their point of view
I smiled sadly for a love
I could not obey
Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and dismay

And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes, he was alright, his song went on forever
And he was awful nice
Really quite paradise
And he sang all night, all night long

Oh, how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name

Oh, that was alright, the band was altogether
Yes, he was alright and the song went on forever
He was awful nice

Really quite paradise
He sang all night long

Overall Meaning

In David Bowie's song Lady Stardust, the lyrics describe a performer who is androgynous and captivating to the crowd. The first verse paints the picture of the performer's appearance, with people staring at his makeup and animalistic grace. The second verse speaks to the audience's reaction to the performance, with femme fatales appearing from the shadows and boys standing on chairs to get a better view. The singer, however, can't fully enjoy the spectacle as he sighs about not knowing the performer's name.

The chorus repeats that the performer was "alright" and "awful nice" and that the song went on forever. This repetition gives the feeling that the singer is trying to convince himself that everything is okay, although it's clear from the rest of the lyrics that he's deeply affected by what he's seeing and hearing.

Line by Line Meaning

People stared at the makeup on his face
The man's eccentric appearance drew attention from onlookers.

Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
Those who observed him found humor in his unique persona and his effortless movement.

The boy in the bright blue jeans
A young man with flashy attire took center stage.

Jumped up on the stage
He swiftly took to performing his art.

Lady Stardust sang his songs
The performer known as Lady Stardust serenaded the crowd with his own creations.

Of darkness and disgrace
The themes of Lady Stardust's music displayed a somber and negative aura.

And he was alright, the band was altogether
Lady Stardust and his bandmates were functioning well and in harmony.

Yes, he was alright, the song went on forever
Lady Stardust's performance was long but enjoyable.

Yes, he was awful nice
Despite the dark themes in his lyrics, Lady Stardust was a kind figure.

Really quite out of sight
He was beyond the norm of what one is used to seeing.

And he sang all night long
Lady Stardust performed for an extended period of time.

Femme fatales emerged from shadows
Dangerous women revealed themselves from obscurity.

To watch this creature fair
They were attracted to Lady Stardust's mysterious appearance.

Boys stood upon their chairs
Men rose from their seats to express their opinions.

To make their point of view
They wished to share their thoughts with the performer.

I smiled sadly for a love
The artist held a melancholy expression for an unrequited love.

I could not obey
The artist was unable to act on their feelings.

Of darkness and dismay
Lady Stardust's music continued to possess grim undertones.

Oh, how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name
The singer breathed deeply when questioned if they could identify Lady Stardust.

Really quite paradise
Despite the negative themes in his music, Lady Stardust embodied an almost heavenly quality.

He sang all night, all night long
Lady Stardust continued to perform into the early hours of the morning.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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