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)
Memory Of A Free Festival
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gathered in the dampened grass,
We played Our songs and felt the London sky
Resting on our hands
It was God's land.
It was ragged and naive.
It was Heaven.
Of holding each and every life.
We claimed the very source of joy ran through.
It didn't, but it seemed that way.
I kissed a lot of people that day.
Oh, to capture just one drop of all the ecstasy that swept that afternoon,
To paint that love upon a white balloon,
And fly it from the toppest top of all the tops that man has pushed beyond his
Brain.
Satoria must be something just the same.
We scanned the skies with rainbow eyes and saw machines of every shape and size.
We talked with tall Venusians passing through.
And Peter tried to climb aboard but the Captain shook his head
And away they soared,
Climbing through the ivory vibrant cloud.
Someone passed some bliss among the crowd.
And we walked back to the road, unchained.
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
The song "Memory Of A Free Festival" by David Bowie captures the essence of a summer's end festival in London where people came together to celebrate love, life, and the magic that the world has to offer. The lyrics speak of young people gathering in the grass and playing music, feeling the London sky resting on their hands - a moment of pure serenity and connection with the universe. The sense of unity and oneness is palpable, with Bowie referencing how they touched the very soul of holding each and every life, claiming the source of joy ran through them.
The theme of ecstasy is also strong in the song, with Bowie wishing to capture just one drop of the feeling that swept through the people that afternoon. He speaks of wanting to paint that love upon a white balloon, and fly it from the top of all the tops that man has pushed beyond his brain - a metaphor for the limitless nature of the festival's magic. The song also speaks of encounters with Venusians passing through, and the Sun Machine coming down to join in what was going to be a party for the ages.
Overall, the song speaks to the beauty of moments of connection, joy, and wonder that are possible when people come together in love and celebration. It captures the magic that can be found in life when we let go of our inhibitions and allow ourselves to be swept away by the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
The children of the summer's end
The people who gathered at the end of summer
Gathered in the dampened grass,
They gathered on wet grass
We played Our songs and felt the London sky
They played their songs and felt the sky above London
Resting on our hands
The sky seemed to be resting on their hands
It was God's land.
The place was special and holy
It was ragged and naive.
The place was rough and innocent
It was Heaven.
The place was like heaven
Touch, we touched the very soul
They were in touch with the essence
Of holding each and every life.
Of holding every single life
We claimed the very source of joy ran through.
They believed that joy came from within them
It didn't, but it seemed that way.
This was only an illusion
I kissed a lot of people that day.
He was affectionate that day
Oh, to capture just one drop of all the ecstasy that swept that afternoon,
He wished he could capture the joy of that day
To paint that love upon a white balloon,
He wanted to express that feeling of love
And fly it from the toppest top of all the tops that man has pushed beyond his Brain.
He wanted to share that feeling with the whole world
Satoria must be Something just the same.
Satori, a state of enlightenment consciousness, must be a similar experience
We scanned the skies with rainbow eyes and saw machines of every shape and size.
They saw all kinds of machines in the skies
We talked with tall Venusians passing through.
They imagined talking to Venusians
And Peter tried to climb aboard but the Captain shook his head
Peter wanted to board a spaceship, but was rejected
And away they soared, Climbing through the ivory vibrant cloud.
The spaceship left and rose into the clouds
Someone passed some bliss among the crowd.
Someone spread joy among the people
And we walked back to the road, unchained.
They walked freely on the road
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
They were looking forward to a celebration
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
They repeated their excitement for the party
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
They repeated their excitement for the party
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
They repeated their excitement for the party
"The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party."
They repeated their excitement for the party
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyndal Breen
Wonderful voice and photos
Sam Spelvin
oh scuffed satori master...RIP!