Repetition
David Bowie Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Johnny is a man
And he's bigger than you
But his overheads are high
And he looks straight through when you ask him how the kids are

He'll get home around seven
'Cause the chevy's real old
And he could have had a cadillac
If the school had taught him right
And he could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
He could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse

And the food is on the table
But the food is cold
(Don't hit her)

"Can't you even cook?
What's the good of me working when you can't damn cook?"

Well Johnny is a man
And he's bigger than her
I guess the bruises won't show
If she wears long sleeves
But the space in her eyes shows through

And he could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
He could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
Shows through




Shows through
Shows through

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie's song "Repetition" tell a story of a man named Johnny who works hard and has a wife named Anne. Although Johnny is physically larger than Anne and provides for the family through his work, he is emotionally distant and abusive towards her. Anne, on the other hand, has a sadness and emptiness in her eyes that reveals the pain of her situation despite the facade of her long sleeves hiding her bruises. The repetition in the song title and throughout the lyrics speaks to the cyclical nature of their relationship- the cold food on the table and Johnny's disappointment and anger towards Anne is a daily occurrence that never seems to change.


The repetition also reflects the monotony and hopelessness of their lives- Johnny could have had a more luxurious life had the educational system not failed him, and Anne could have had a better life had she married someone who treated her with kindness and respect. The song highlights the societal structures and expectations that trap people in their circumstances, leaving them feeling powerless and unable to make changes for the better.


Line by Line Meaning

Johnny is a man
Johnny is the main character of this song.


And he's bigger than you
Johnny feels superior to others because of his size.


But his overheads are high
Johnny has a lot of expenses to pay.


And he looks straight through when you ask him how the kids are
Johnny doesn't care about his own children.


He'll get home around seven
Johnny has a set schedule for his daily routine.


'Cause the chevy's real old
Johnny drives an old, run-down car.


And he could have had a cadillac
Johnny could have had a newer, more luxurious car if he had been taught better in school or had more opportunities in life.


If the school had taught him right
Johnny blames his lack of success on his education.


And he could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
Johnny could have married someone who is wealthy and wears expensive clothes.


He could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
Johnny mentions Anne twice to emphasize his missed opportunities.


And the food is on the table
There is food available to eat.


But the food is cold
However, the food is not good.


(Don't hit her)
An implied warning to Johnny not to physically harm someone.


"Can't you even cook?
Johnny criticizes the cooking skills of someone, likely his wife or partner.


What's the good of me working when you can't damn cook?"
Johnny believes that his work is more important than cooking, and blames his partner for his dissatisfaction with life.


Well Johnny is a man
The song repeats this line to remind the listener of the main character.


And he's bigger than her
Johnny is physically larger than his partner.


I guess the bruises won't show
Johnny has likely physically abused his partner before, causing bruises that can be hidden under clothing.


If she wears long sleeves
The partner can cover up the bruises if she wears long sleeves.


But the space in her eyes shows through
Despite her attempts to conceal the abuse, the partner still shows signs of emotional pain and emptiness.


Shows through
The song repeats this line to further emphasize the emotional distress of the partner.


Shows through
The song ends by repeating this line once more.




Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Great Gigs

The very first Bowie album I ever bought with my own money was LODGER... and this track was the absolute standout... everything about it, the sordid subject matter, the overwrought, exhausted and wearisome vocal combined to etch it in my mind as a lifetime DB favourite... even David considered it to be one of his best.

'Johnny is a man
And he's bigger than you
But his overheads are high
And he looks straight through when you ask him how the kids are
He'll get home around seven
'Cause the chevy's real old
And he could have had a cadillac
If the school had taught him right
And he could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
He could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
And the food is on the table
But the food is cold
(Don't hit her)
"Can't you even cook?
What's the good of me working when you can't damn cook?"
Well Johnny is a man
And he's bigger than her
I guess the bruises won't show
If she wears long sleeves
But the space in her eyes shows through
And he could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
He could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse
Shows through
Shows through
Shows through



BlueGrenadeTom

I think he’s even kind of quoting an early Lou Reed/VU song “There She Goes Again”:

You see her walkin' on down the street
Look at all your friends she's gonna meet
You better hit her
There she goes again
She's knocked out on her feet again
She's down on her knees, my friend
The line "you’d better hit her" was obviously pretty controversial, and Bowie’s response to this, sung in a very similar manner was in this song; "Don’t hit her"
Now whether Lou meant hit as in physical violence, or as in make a pass (hit on her) is unclear, but the former seems more likely in the context of the song and its delivery, and that’s the interpretation Bowie’s referencing.

A very smart bloke was our David... we’ll never get a chance to see the likes again.



All comments from YouTube:

The Story Time Kitchen

This man’s compassion blows everything else out of the water.

Ketut Suaryana

Wow

LemonBreadSF

Pinned by David Bowie

Olivia DI

LemonBread His essence is here and doing very well!

The Story Time Kitchen

Olivia DI I feel that too, almost daily he shows up for me. I just got Netflix and the first thing I decide to watch was Luther - loving it and have been over joyed at the two Bowie tributes in it so far, I had no idea. Yesterday in a friends garden the neighbours started playing him - but more than that, I just talk to him in my head. I feel when he was alive - especially at the end of his life he belonged very much to his family - tightly so, and had every right to privacy. Now that he has exploded over the stratosphere in a shower of stars (have you noticed that recent fashion for stars in everything? That’s him, that is.) he belongs to all of us - almost equally and I know he can be just about everywhere at once. :-)

Stella Coul

David Bowie was a unique and fantastic music artist. I wish he was still here. So glad I got to see his concert many years ago. It is a wonderful memory.

Olivia DI

David Bowie’s essense is still around us in every Video of his.

Claas Scholz

I’m so glad I caught the Reality tour. I was, at that time, resigned to the idea I’d never see him.

Inoshikacho Konoyaro Bakayaro

Lucky!!

Eve Laing

@DewCranzz just bite them. That's what I do when I meet a person who SHARED SPACE WITH BOWIE. That way I can have a piece of it as well as HURT them for hurting me -

1 More Replies...
More Comments

More Versions