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)
Little Bombardier
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little Frankie Mear
Peace left him a loser
The little bombardier
Lines of worry appeared with age
Unskilled hands that knew no trade
Spent his time in the picture house
Frankie drank his money
The little that he made
Told his woes to no man
Friendless, lonely days
Then one day, in the ABC
Four bright eyes gazed longingly
At the ice-cream in the hand of
The little bombardier
Sunshine entered our Frankie's days
Gone his worries, his hopeless maze
His life was fun and his heart was full of joy
Two young children had changed his aims
He gave them toffees and played their games
He brought them presents with every coin he made
Then two gentlemen called on him
Asked him for his name
Why was he friends with the children
Were they just a game?
Leave them alone or we'll get sore
We've had blokes like you in the station before
The hand of authority said no more
To the little bombardier
Packed his bags, his heart in pain
Wiped a tear and caught a train
Not to be seen in the town again
The little bombardier
The song 'Little Bombardier' by David Bowie tells the tragic story of a man named Frankie Mear. The song begins with the lines that depict the contrast between Frankie's life during war and peace. He was a soldier during war, but he became a "loser" when peace was restored. The lines "Lines of worry appeared with age, Unskilled hands that knew no trade" suggest that Frankie's life was directionless and full of despair. He spent most of his time in a picture house, which indicates that he was trying to escape from reality. However, things change when two young children come into his life. The song suggests that the children give Frankie a renewed sense of purpose, and he starts enjoying life again.
Frankie's tragic fate becomes clear when two gentlemen come to question his friendship with the children. The lines "Leave them alone or we'll get sore, We've had blokes like you in the station before" suggest that Frankie has been accused of inappropriate behavior, which was a recurring theme in the media during that period. The authorities act on the accusations, and Frankie has to leave town, as he cannot clear his name. The end of the song is a poignant farewell to Frankie as he leaves town with a heavy heart, leaving behind the children he had come to love.
Line by Line Meaning
War made him a soldier
Little Frankie Mear became a soldier due to war
Peace left him a loser
Frankie lost his way after the war ended
The little bombardier
Frankie was a former bombardier
Lines of worry appeared with age
Frankie aged and began to show signs of distress
Unskilled hands that knew no trade
Frankie lacked skills and experience in other trades
Spent his time in the picture house
Frankie spent his days watching movies
Frankie drank his money
Frankie spent a lot of his money on alcohol
The little that he made
His income was low
Told his woes to no man
Frankie kept his problems to himself
Friendless, lonely days
Frankie was alone and had no friends
Then one day, in the ABC
One day, while at the ABC cinema
Four bright eyes gazed longingly
Two children were staring at him eagerly
At the ice-cream in the hand of
They were looking at the ice-cream in Frankie's hand
Sunshine entered our Frankie's days
Frankie's life was brightened up by the children's presence
Gone his worries, his hopeless maze
Frankie's problems and feelings of aimlessness disappeared
His life was fun and his heart was full of joy
Frankie's life became enjoyable and he was happy
Two young children had changed his aims
Frankie had new goals because of the children
He gave them toffees and played their games
Frankie spent time with the children, playing games and giving them treats
He brought them presents with every coin he made
Frankie spent his money on buying gifts for the children
Then two gentlemen called on him
Two men came to talk to Frankie
Asked him for his name
They wanted to know who he was
Why was he friends with the children
They questioned why Frankie was socializing with the children
Were they just a game?
They suspected that Frankie was manipulating the children
Leave them alone or we'll get sore
Frankie was warned to stay away from the children
We've had blokes like you in the station before
The authorities had dealt with similar cases in the past
The hand of authority said no more
Frankie was prohibited from seeing the children
Packed his bags, his heart in pain
Frankie left town, feeling sad and upset
Wiped a tear and caught a train
Frankie left by train, after shedding a tear
Not to be seen in the town again
Frankie left town and did not return
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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