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)
Lust For Life
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machine
He's gonna do another strip tease
Hey man where'd you get that lotion?
I been hurting since I bought that gimmick
About something called love
Yeah something called love
Well I'm just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life
I'm worth million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a G.T.O.
Wear a uniform
All on a government loan
I'm worth a million in prizes
Yeah I'm through with sleeping on the side-walk
No more beating my brains
No more beating my brains
With the liquor and drugs
With the liquor and drugs
We'll I'm just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Oh a lust for life
Oh a lust for life
A lust for life
I got lust for life
I got lust for life
Well I'm just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life
Well here comes Johnny yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machine
I know he's gonna do another strip tease
Hey man where'd you get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Oh love love love
Well that's like hypnotizing chickens
Well I'm just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Oh Lust for life
I got a lust for life
Yeah lust for life
I got a lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
The lyrics of Lust for Life by David Bowie talk about the experience of a man who is addicted to drugs, alcohol and the thrill of living life on the edge. The opening lines "Here comes Johnny yen again, with the liquor and drugs and a flesh machine, he's gonna do another strip tease" depict the arrival of the singer, Johnny Yen, who is associated with a life of debauchery and is known for his strip teases, fueled by drugs and alcohol. The reference to "something called love", which is like hypnotizing chickens, suggests the singer's cynicism towards the notion of love or any other positive emotion that might dilute the thrill of his addictive lifestyle.
The lyrics also touch upon the financial aspect of Johnny Yen's life, with lines such as "I'm worth a million in prizes, with my torture film, drive a G.T.O, wear a uniform, all on a government loan". This represents his reckless financial decisions, where he spends his money on torture films (which could refer to snuff films) and other materialistic luxuries rather than investing it in a more stable, long-term means of growth. Towards the end of the song, the line "Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick, about something called love" suggests that the singer's lifestyle choices come with consequences, like the itch that comes with using cheap skin lotion.
Overall, the lyrics of Lust for Life by David Bowie describe the life of a man who's addicted to the rush of living on the edge, fueled by drugs and alcohol, while also representing the risks and consequences that come with such a lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes Johnny yen again
Johnny yen is coming back again
With the liquor and drugs
Bringing alcohol and drugs
And the flesh machine
With a sensual mindset
He's gonna do another strip tease
Johnny yen is going to perform a sensual dance
Hey man where'd you get that lotion?
Asking where the lotion is from
I been hurting since I bought that gimmick
Feeling down ever since he bought something called love
About something called love
Something that he bought and it's called love
Yeah something called love
Referring to the same thing as before, love
Well that's like hypnotizing chickens
Describing love as hypnotic, like making chickens sleep
Well I'm just a modern guy
Describing himself as someone who fits into the modern world
Of course I've had it in the ear before
Of course he's heard it all before
'Cause of a lust for life
He has a strong desire for life
'Cause of a lust for life
His strong desire for life is the reason for his actions
I'm worth million in prizes
He's extremely valuable
With my torture film
Referring to his art and his creative output
Drive a G.T.O.
He drives a car with class
Wear a uniform
He's part of a group and follows certain rules
All on a government loan
At first glance he appears to be well off but in reality, he's not as wealthy as he seems
Yeah I'm through with sleeping on the side-walk
He's done with living life as if he's homeless
No more beating my brains
Not feeling tortured anymore
With the liquor and drugs
Without relying on alcohol or drugs
We'll I'm just a modern guy
Reinforcing that he fits into the modern world
'Cause of a lust for life
His desire for life makes him who he is
'Cause of a lust for life
Reinforcing that his desire for life is immensely important
I got a lust for life
He has a strong desire and motivation to live life to the fullest
Got a lust for life
Reinforcing his strong desire and motivation to live life to the fullest
Oh a lust for life
Expressing his enthusiasm and excitement for life
Oh a lust for life
Reinforcing his enthusiasm and excitement for life
A lust for life
Referring to his intense desire for life
I got lust for life
Reinforcing his intense desire for life
Well here comes Johnny yen again
Reinforcing that Johnny yen is coming back again
With the liquor and drugs
Bringing alcohol and drugs
And the flesh machine
With a sensual mindset
I know he's gonna do another strip tease
He's certain that Johnny yen will perform a sensual dance
Hey man where'd you get that lotion?
Asking again where Johnny yen got the lotion
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
The gimmick that is love is causing negative effects
About something called love
Reinforcing that the gimmick is love
Oh love love love
Reinforcing that the gimmick is love
Lust for life
Title of the song, reinforcing his desire for life
Lust for life
Reinforcing his desire for life
Lust for life
Reinforcing his desire for life
Lust for life
Reinforcing his desire for life
Contributed by Mateo S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ANDY YEO
Without doubt Bowie is worth more than a million in prizes. What would we have done without him. Enjoy your retirement davidxxx andy
Stay Well and Strong
Gritty and street-wise version, performed by the composer, himself. Brilliantly 👏 👏 👏
1963michael
Sir Bowie is Timeless !
Get it here, Thing.
He just takes up the whole stage 😖😭 come back star man!!!
Mark Holland
If mozart was a genius then I don't now how to describe this man . Best there as ever been.
Rainbow Of Love.
WOWZER; Ive never heard David sing this. What a treat. THANKYOU.
Mark Holland
F--------g amazing. When people say I don't like david bowie I say witch one the man was a genius.
Patty Cassiani
Bella canzone...grande Bowie...love
Ranjeet Saxena
Sigh...how fuckin great is this. Gratitude for penning this classic, and then blowing it awaaaay!🙏
Perle Pinpin
Iggy, David🙋♀️presque la même voix🔥et reprennent tout à tour les titres l’un de l’autre: Lust for Life, i wanna be your dog🥰