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)
Rock 'N' Roll Suicide
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You pull on your finger, then another finger
Then cigarette
The wall-to-wall is calling, it lingers
Then you forget
Oh oh, oh, oh, you're a rock 'n' roll suicide
You're too old to lose it
And the clock wait's so
Patiently on your song
You walk past a cafe but you don't
Eat when you've lived too long
Oh, no, no, no
You're a rock 'n' roll suicide
Chevy brakes are snarling as you
Stumble across the road
But the day breaks instead, so you hurry home
Don't let the sun blast your shadow
Don't let the milk float ride your mind
You're so natural, religiously unkind
Oh no, love, you're not alone
You're watching yourself
But you're too unfair
You got your head all tangled up
But if I could only make you care
Oh no, love, you're not alone
No matter what or who you've been
No matter when or where you've seen
All the knives seem to lacerate your brain
I've had my share
I'll help you with the pain you're not alone
Just turn on with me and you're not alone
Let's turn on and be, not alone (Wonderful)
Gimme your hands, 'cause you're wonderful
(Wonderful)
Gimme your hands, 'cause you're wonderful
(Wonderful) oh, gimme your hands
In David Bowie's Rock 'N' Roll Suicide, the lyrics appear to be about the hedonistic lifestyle of a rock star, and the feeling that this brings. The opening lines of the song could be interpreted as addressing an individual who may have been responsible for the downfall of the rock star, "You always were the one that knew, they sold us for the likes of you." The rock star then describes their desire to leave their current surroundings and find something new, while those around him (or her) cry and struggle in the heat.
The line, "When you rock and roll with me," is repeated throughout the song, indicating that the rock star is not alone in their lifestyle and that they feel some sort of connection to the person/people they are addressing. They feel that no one else could understand or do what they do while also acknowledging the toll it takes on their emotions, "I'm in tears again..."
The song also touches on the fact that while the rock star is enjoying success and fame, others are waiting in line for their moment in the spotlight. However, despite the pressures of the lifestyle, the rock star ultimately feels alive and free when they are performing.
Overall, Rock 'N' Roll Suicide can be interpreted as a meditation on the duality of the rock star lifestyle: the highs of fame and success and the lows of isolation and emotional turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
You always were the one that knew
You were always the one with the answers
They sold us for the likes of you
People like you are the reason we sold out
I always wanted new surroundings
I have always wanted to change my environment
A room to rent while the lizards lay crying in the heat
A place to stay while everything else is falling apart
Trying to remember who to meet
Trying not to forget the people who matter
I would take a foxy kind of stand
I would take a bold and daring approach
While tens of thousands found me in demand
While many people wanted to see me perform
When you rock and roll with me
When we are together and enjoying music
No one else I'd rather be
There is no one else I would rather spend time with
Nobody here can do it for me
No one else can make me feel the way you do
I'm in tears again
I am emotional once more
Gentle hearts are counted down
Kind and empathetic people are undervalued
The queue is out of sight and out of sounds
The line is so long that it is out of sight and sound
Me, I'm out of breath, but not quite doubting
I am exhausted, but still have faith
I've found a door which lets me out
I have found an escape from my current situation
Oh, when you rock and roll with me
Oh, when we are together and enjoying music
There's no one else I'd rather be
There is no one else I would rather spend time with
Nobody down here can do it for me
No one else can make me feel the way you do
I'm in tears, I'm in tears
I am emotional
When you rock and roll with me
When we are together and enjoying music
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
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
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