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)
Red Sails
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nearly pin it down some time
Red sail action wake up in the wrong town
Boy, I really get around
Thunder ocean
Thunder ocean
Red sails take me
Red sails, and a mast so tall
Red sails
Red sails
Do you remember we another person
Green and black and red and so scared
Graffiti on the wall kept us all in tune
Bringing us all back home
Red sails
Thunder ocean
Red sails
Sailor can't dance like you, ooh, yooou
Ahh, red sail
Red sail action
Red sail
Some reaction
Action boy seen living under neon
Struggle with a foreign tongue
Red sails make him strong
Action make him sail along
Life stands still and stares
The hinterland, the hinterland
We're gonna sail to the hinterland
And it's far far, far far far, far far far away
Its a far far, far far far fa da da da-da da
1
2
3-4
Ooh
The lyrics to David Bowie's song "Red Sails" are complex and layered, as is typical of many of Bowie's works. The first verse describes a feeling of being "roughed up" and frightened, and a sense of being lost in the wrong town. The following lines add to the chaos with the image of "thunder ocean" and "red sails," suggesting a turbulent and mysterious voyage. The lyrics alternate between these vivid, unsettling images and more nostalgic nostalgic memories of the past, such as the graffiti on the walls that kept the singer "in tune" with others, and a person who was once scared but now seems to be stronger and more at peace, strengthened by the "red sails." Even the references to the hinterland, a somewhat obscure term, add to the sense of a journey– one that is both physical and emotional.
At its core, "Red Sails" seems to be about a journey– a journey of self discovery, perhaps, or simply a journey through unknown, frightening areas of life. The thunder ocean and red sails imagery suggest a struggle against metaphorical elements of the unknown, such as the unpredictable nature of the future or the hard-to-see aspects of one's own psyche. Yet, the song also seems to suggest that these struggles are necessary in order to become stronger and more resilient, and that even the difficulties of the journey itself can be beautiful and life-affirming. Together, these lyrics present a compelling portrait of a person who is both scared and brave, lost and found, and who is willing to face the unknown in order to grow.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel a bit roughed up, feel a bit frightened
I am uneasy and tense at the moment
Nearly pin it down some time
I can almost grasp what is eluding me
Red sail action wake up in the wrong town
Unexpectedly finding myself in an unfamiliar place with excitement and adventure
Boy, I really get around
I have been everywhere and seen it all
Thunder ocean
The vast and powerful sea
Red sails take me
The bright sails guide me forward
Make me sail along
Propelling me onwards
Red sails, and a mast so tall
The magnificent sails contrasted with the towering mast
Do you remember we another person
Do you recall how we once were so different
Green and black and red and so scared
Feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the different colors surrounding us
Graffiti on the wall kept us all in tune
The same art keeping us aligned
Bringing us all back home
Bringing us to a place of comfort and belonging
Sailor can't dance like you, ooh, yooou
I admire your dance style more than any sailor at sea
Ahh, red sail
Expressing admiration and awe at the beauty of the sail
Red sail action
The sail's movement is captivating
Some reaction
I am responding to this experience in a unique way
Action boy seen living under neon
A young man thriving in a vibrant, artificially-lit environment
Struggle with a foreign tongue
Language barrier making communication difficult
Red sails make him strong
The sails' strength empowering him
Action make him sail along
His energy propelling him forward
Life stands still and stares
All is quiet and still, a moment of reflection and contemplation
The hinterland, the hinterland
The remote, undeveloped regions
We're gonna sail to the hinterland
We will explore those uncharted territories
And it's far far, far far far, far far far away
The hinterland is very distant
Its a far far, far far far fa da da da-da da
The melody carries us away, leading us to new horizons
1
2
3-4
Ooh
Counting out the beats of the music, accompanied by a cry of delight
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, BRIAN PETER GEORGE ENO
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
If you like free music and you have google chrome, try this free app .SonicHits .