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)
London Bye Ta Ta
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
London bye ta-ta
Strange young town
London bye ta-ta
brought me down
Don't like your new face
that's not nice
Got to go far, far
Gigi, Gigi
take me away
Gigi, Gigi
take me today
The boys in the clothes shop
sold me curry for a pound
His cardboard face is soggy,
and his sellings thorny crown
I loved her!
I loved her!
I've got to get away,
but I loved her!
Oh-oh-oh
{chorus}
Red light, green light
Make up your mind
Red light, green light
You're far too un-kind
She loves to love all beauty,
and she says the norm is funny
But she whimpers in the morning
when she finds she has no money
I loved her!
I loved her!
I've got to get away,
but I loved her!
Ahhh!
Oh-oh-oh
{chorus}
Ahh
{chorus}
Oh, London bye ta-ta
Oh, London bye ta-ta
Oh, ehh
The song "London Bye Ta Ta" by David Bowie is a classic piece of his early work. The song is an upbeat and catchy tune that is both energizing and sorrowful. Bowie's lyrics paint a picture of a young man who is fed up with London, the city he once loved. He sings about the changes he has seen in the city, the people, and how it has changed him. The chorus is an anthem of sorts, a farewell to the city that has let him down.
The song's verses are filled with imagery that reflects the disillusionment and anger that Bowie feels towards London. He sings about a girl he loved who has left him, and how he must get away from her. The lyrics evoke a sense of desperation and heartache, a feeling that many people who have been in a toxic relationship can relate to. He also sings about the shabby clothes shops, curry houses, and poverty that is rampant in London.
The song's chorus is the most memorable part of the song. It sums up Bowie's feelings towards London, and how he must leave to find a new start. The repetition of the phrase "London bye ta-ta" gives the song a bittersweet quality, reflective of the memories that Bowie has of the city. In conclusion, "London Bye Ta Ta" is a powerful, honest, and heart-wrenching song about love, loss, and the complexities of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
London bye ta-ta
Saying goodbye to London, leaving this strange and young town behind
Strange young town
London is an unusual and youthful place to be
brought me down
Being in London made the singer feel depressed or disheartened
Don't like your new face
The artist dislikes the changes they're seeing in London
that's not nice
The artist is disappointed in the direction London is taking
Got to go far, far
The singer needs to get away from London
Gigi, Gigi
The singer is calling out for someone to take them away from London
take me away
The artist wants to leave London behind, with someone else to guide them away
take me today
The artist is in a hurry to leave London and wants someone to take them right away
The boys in the clothes shop
A group of male employees in a clothing store
sold me curry for a pound
The singer bought curry from them for a low price
His cardboard face is soggy,
The seller's face is made of cardboard and has become wet
and his sellings thorny crown
The singer sees selling things on the street as a hard but necessary yet not so glamorous way to make a living
I loved her!
The singer still has feelings for an unknown person
I've got to get away,
The singer needs to leave London to rid themselves of the past
but I loved her!
Even though the artist knows they need to leave, they still have feelings for someone they met in London
Red light, green light
Stop and go lights on the streets of London
Make up your mind
The singer is frustrated with the indecisiveness of London's traffic
You're far too un-kind
London's streets seem unkind or unfriendly to the singer
She loves to love all beauty,
The artist is referring to a woman who is enamored with beauty in all its forms
and she says the norm is funny
This woman sees the traditional expectations of society as laughable or strange
But she whimpers in the morning
Despite her facade, this woman has underlying fears or struggles
when she finds she has no money
This woman is financially struggling and it affects her mood
Oh, London bye ta-ta
The artist is saying goodbye to London one last time
Oh, ehh
An exclamation of some sort, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: D. BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
crowsbaneful
I see the novelty has well and truly worn off for the sycophantic five minute 'fans'. I adored Bowie well before he died! This was one of my faves I used to sing it to myself at work in London of course! The early stuff gets so overlooked in favour of later stuff like Let's Dance, it's annoying to me. His music got me through so much it was like losing a good friend, I'm glad I have my collection. Thanks for this ditty.
Hans Schetselaar
Many thx for uploading early Bowie songs, I like them.
These songs deserve many thumbs up!
Lella
I MISS YOU DAVID 😥💙💙⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡💫💫💔
chris primee
second son perfect memory of the """"
father"s!!!"""