David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally… Read Full Bio ↴David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music.

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)

Right
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Taking it all the right way
Keeping it in the back
Taking it all the right way
Never no turning back
Never need, no
Never no turning back

Flying just a sweet place

Coming inside and safe
Flying just a sweet place
Never been known to fail
Never been, no
Never been known to fail

Wishing you, wishing that sometimes (sometimes)
Doing it, doing it right, 'til, ahh time, (one time)
Gets you when you're down
(Nobody, nobody, do it again, get off)
Ahh, sometimes, (doing)
Wishing sometimes (give it back)
Up there, up there (giving it)
Oh, my darling
(No) ah, my darling, (giving it) ah (up there) why?
(Gimme, gimme) up there, (yeah) gimme, (doing)
Taking with me (sometimes)
Loving it, doing it (right) 'til (take it) one time
Gimme (doing it)
Giving it (giving it back)

Taking it all the right way (taking it)
Keeping it in the back (hey hey)
Taking it all the right way
Never no turning back (never never never never)
Never no turning back

Taking it all the right way
Keeping it in the back
Taking it all the right way
Never no turning back
Never need, no
Never no turning back

(Taking it)
Taking it all the right way (yeah)
Keeping it in the back (taking it)
Taking it all the right way
Never no turning back (never never never never)
Never no turning back

Flying just a sweet place
Coming inside and safe
Flying just a sweet place
Never been known to fail
Never been, no
Never been known to fail

(Taking it all the right way)
Taking it all the right way
(Keeping it in the back)
Keeping it in the back
(Taking it all the right way)
Taking it all the right way
(Never no turning back) never never never
(Never need, no)
(Never no turning back)
(Never no turning back)
(Never need no)
(Never no turning back)
(Never no turning back)
(Never, never, never)
(Never, never, never, never)
(Never, never)
(Never no turning back)
(Never no turning back)
(Never no turning back)
(Never no turning back)
(I never, I never, I never, I never
I never, I never, I never, I never)

(I never no turning back)
(Never no turning back)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie's song "Right" are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation. The repetition of "taking it all the right way" and "never no turning back" implies a sense of following a straight and narrow path, taking things as they come and never looking back. The references to flying and being in a "sweet place" suggest a feeling of being uplifted and safe, but also possibly disconnected from reality. The lines "wishing that sometimes" and "gets you when you're down" hint at a longing for something more or a sense of unease creeping in. The repeated pleas of "gimme" and "giving it back" suggest a desire to give and take, to engage with the world in a more meaningful way.

Overall, the lyrics of "Right" seem to be expressing a mix of resignation and aspiration. The repeated phrases give a sense of being stuck in a rut, but the occasional shifts in tone and perspective suggest a desire for change. It's possible to interpret the lyrics as being about a person who feels trapped in their daily routine and is longing for something more, but is also afraid to take risks and change their life.

Line by Line Meaning

Taking it all the right way
Accepting life's challenges positively and with a positive attitude

Keeping it in the back
Keeping negative thoughts from creeping in your mind

Never no turning back
Never giving up on challenges, always moving forward

Flying just a sweet place
Enjoying life's sweet moments, like flying in the sky

Coming inside and safe
Feeling secure and safe from harm's way

Never been known to fail
Always succeeding and never failing

Wishing you, wishing that sometimes (sometimes)
Sometimes just wishing and dreaming can be enough

Doing it, doing it right, 'til, ahh time, (one time)
Doing it right and doing it well, all the way until the end

Gets you when you're down
Life's challenges can take you down at times

(Nobody, nobody, do it again, get off)
Urging someone to stop repeating the same mistake

Ahh, sometimes, (doing)
Sometimes we must do what we have to do

Wishing sometimes (give it back)
Sometimes wishing for opportunities we once had

Up there, up there (giving it)
Urging someone to give their best and aim high

Oh, my darling
An endearing expression to a loved one

(No) ah, my darling, (giving it) ah (up there) why?
Questioning why someone is not giving their best in life

(Gimme, gimme) up there, (yeah) gimme, (doing)
Urging someone to give their best and aim high

Taking with me (sometimes)
Taking life's lessons and experiences with us

Loving it, doing it (right) 'til (take it) one time
Loving what you do and doing it right until you succeed

Gimme (doing it)
Urging someone to give their best and aim high

Giving it (giving it back)
Urging someone to give their best and aim high

Taking it all the right way (taking it)
Accepting life's challenges positively and with a positive attitude

Keeping it in the back (hey hey)
Keeping negative thoughts from creeping in your mind

Never no turning back (never never never never)
Never giving up on challenges, always moving forward

Never need, no
Never having doubts about yourself

(Taking it all the right way)
Accepting life's challenges positively and with a positive attitude

(Keeping it in the back)
Keeping negative thoughts from creeping in your mind

(Never no turning back) never never never
Never giving up on challenges, always moving forward

(Never need, no)
Never having doubts about yourself

(I never, I never, I never, I never
Never giving up on challenges, always moving forward

(I never no turning back)
Never giving up on challenges, always moving forward

(Never no turning back)
Never giving up on challenges, always moving forward

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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TRACKS