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)
Rebel Never Gets Old
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
Never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
And there's never gonna be enough money
Never gonna be enough bullets
There's never gonna be enough sex
I'm never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
I'm never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
Never gonna be enough money
There's never gonna be enough drugs
Never gonna be enough bullets
There's never gonna be enough sex
3, 2, 1
And I'm running down the street of life
And I'm never gonna let you die
And I'm never ever gonna get old
And I'm never ever gonna get
And I'm never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
I'm never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
Never gonna be enough money
There's never gonna be enough drugs
Never gonna be enough bullets
There's never gonna be enough sex
3, 2, 1
Got your mother in a whirl
She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl
3, 2, 1
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's go out tonight
Never gonna be enough money
There's never gonna be enough drugs
Never gonna be enough bullets
There's never gonna be enough sex
I'm never ever gonna get old
The lyrics to David Bowie's song Rebel Never Gets Old conveys a message of defiance and refusal to conform to societal expectations. In the first verse, Bowie sings that he will never get old and he will never get high despite the allure of drugs. He repeats this sentiment throughout the song, emphasizing his rejection of the traditional desires of wealth, drugs, bullets, and sex. He is running down the street of life and vowing to never let anyone die, seemingly indicating a responsibility to keep his rebellious spirit alive.
The chorus then returns to Bowie's bold assertion that he will never get old, and he will never get high. He repeats that there will never be enough money, drugs, bullets, or sex to satisfy him. The repetition of these phrases underscores the idea that Bowie is committed to rejecting the superficial pleasures that society presents as desirable.
The final bridge of the song features a pause, followed by a reference to Bowie's classic song "Rebel Rebel." He then sings about someone's mother being in a whirl and questioning whether they are a boy or a girl. The bridge concludes with Bowie asking someone to go out with him, indicating that his rebellion is not isolated but instead a shared experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Never ever gonna get old
I refuse to age and lose my vitality
So I'm never ever gonna get high
I won't indulge in any substance that impairs my mindset
And there's never gonna be enough money
Human beings are never satisfied with their financial status
There's never gonna be enough drugs
Drugs can only temporarily alleviate problems; they can't solve anything
Never gonna be enough bullets
Violence is never the answer; we'll never run out of excuses to cause harm
There's never gonna be enough sex
Satisfying our physical desires only leads to an insatiable craving for more
And I'm running down the street of life
I take life by the reins and seize every opportunity
And I'm never gonna let you die
I'll always be there for others, even when they're at their lowest
So I'm never ever gonna get
I won't allow anything to hold me back
Got your mother in a whirl
I have a tendency to challenge conventional norms and expectations
She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl
I embrace my fluidity and resist being confined to typical gender roles
Hey babe, your hair's alright
I see beauty in even the simplest aspects of someone's appearance
Hey babe, let's go out tonight
Life is short, so let's live in the moment and enjoy ourselves
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
labyfan1313
I understand there are so many reasons why David could be staying out of the public eye now and I respect his privacy but I could literally cry when I think of the humour and joy he brings to fans with his interviews and things that we haven't seen for a long time and may never see again.
Rebel Stardust
My Hero for more than a day
Love you, Starman... forever and ever...
❤⚡❤⚡❤⚡❤
Leatherscent
@Arnold Corns ...AGREED!
Arnold Corns
@Leatherscent to me, the World is not the same anymore...
Leatherscent
@J Byers Yes, miss him terribly... still
J Byers
"may never see again." Very true now, 8/25/16. Just wishing he was still on earth, retired, never to sing in public again, whatever. Miss him here
Stephanie Leininger Wilson
David Bowie makes me feel AMAZING!!! Thank you for living Starman.
aflamethatneverfades
David Bowie and his brilliant music never gets old...
Gillian Johnson
Bloody brilliant! Love the blended tracks - great to see David and friends having do much fun ✨✨✨
Robert Spratt
Brilliant mash-up and great behind the scenes footage. Awesome video. Thanks for sharing it with the world.