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)
Life On Mars?
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling "No"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lenin's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
"Life on Mars" by David Bowie is a song that has a fascinating structure and storyline. The song begins with the description of a girl who is going through a turbulent phase in her life, where her parents are not supportive of her actions. Despite this, she chooses to watch the movie, drawn to the silver screen, as an escape from her reality. The lyrics suggest that the movie is not fulfilling her expectations, and she is disappointed. She has lived the movie ten times or more and knows that it is predictable, repetitive, yet she is nonetheless hooked on it.
The second verse introduces another character- a writer who thinks about the film that he has written ten times or more. The song then becomes self-reflexive, and the writer asks the listener to focus on the sailors fighting in the dance hall, cavemen, and the wrong guy being beaten up by the lawman. This part of the song seems to be juxtaposing current events with the visual culture of the mid-20th century. It goes on to mention Lenin, Mickey Mouse, and other historical figures. The song then culminates in the question of whether there is life on Mars, leaving the listener to ponder its meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a God-awful small affair
Life can feel insignificant and overwhelming
To the girl with the mousy hair
The song's protagonist is an ordinary girl, not a glamorous heroine
But her mummy is yelling "No"
Her mother disapproves of her choices
And her daddy has told her to go
Her father believes she should leave and find a better life
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
She lacks support or companionship
Now she walks through her sunken dream
She's feeling hopeless and aimless
To the seat with the clearest view
She's trying to gain perspective on her life
And she's hooked to the silver screen
She's using movies to escape reality
But the film is a saddening bore
Even the fantasy world is disappointing and unfulfilling
For she's lived it ten times or more
She's stuck in a rut, unable to move on
She could spit in the eyes of fools
She's smart and articulate, and doesn't tolerate fools
As they ask her to focus on
People are demanding her attention or asking her to conform
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
The surreal imagery suggests chaos and confusion
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
People can be primitive and barbaric, even in modern times
It's the freakiest show
The world can be strange and unsettling
Take a look at the lawman
Authority figures can abuse their power
Beating up the wrong guy
There is injustice in the world
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
It's uncertain whether the perpetrator will face accountability
He's in the best selling show
The spectacle of violence and sensationalism sells and fascinates
Is there life on Mars?
Is there a better, more fulfilling existence beyond Earth?
It's on America's tortured brow
America is plagued by its own societal problems
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Even beloved icons can become corrupted, commodified, or irrelevant
Now the workers have struck for fame
Regular people aspire to celebrity and material success
'Cause Lenin's on sale again
Even revolutionary ideals are marketed and consumed
See the mice in their million hordes
The masses can be mindless and unthinking in their consumption and conformity
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
This applies to both exotic and mundane locations
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The song critiques nationalistic pride and imperialism
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
The artist disavows traditional symbols of loyalty, love, and happiness
But the film is a saddening bore
The song repeats this line to emphasize the artist's dissatisfaction
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
The singer is self-aware and reflective, and perhaps implicates himself in society's problems
It's about to be writ again
The cycle of banality and disappointment will continue
As I ask you to focus on
The artist implores the listener to pay attention and question the status quo
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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
If you like free music and you have google chrome, try this free app .SonicHits .