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)

See Emily Play
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Emily tries but misunderstands
She`s often inclined to borrow somebody`s dreams `till tomorrow
There is no other day
Let`s try it another way
You`ll lose your mind and play
Free games for May
See Emily play
Soon after dark Emily cries

Gazing at trees in sorrow hardly a sound `till tomorrow
There is no other day
Let`s try it another way
You`ll lose your mind and play
Free games for May
See Emily play
Put on a gown that touches the ground
Float on a river for ever and ever
Emily
There is no other day
Let`s try it another way
You`ll lose your mind and play

Free games for May
See Emily play

Overall Meaning

David Bowie's song "See Emily Play" is a psychedelic tune that tells the story of a young girl named Emily who is constantly searching for something beyond her own reality. The lyrics suggest that she tries to find an escape in borrowing other people's dreams, indicating that she may feel trapped in her own life. She is described as someone who cries alone by trees, highlighting her sense of loneliness and longing for something more.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "There is no other day, let's try it another way" several times, possibly to suggest that Emily is constantly searching for different paths to escape her mundane life. The song concludes with the lyric "Put on a gown that touches the ground, float on a river forever and ever," which is reminiscent of a fairy tale ending, suggesting that Emily is searching for something magical that will transport her to a new world full of adventure and excitement. The song ultimately seems to be about the universal urge to escape from reality and find something more fulfilling in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Emily tries but misunderstands
Emily attempts to comprehend, but often fails to understand the situation and its implications

She's often inclined to borrow somebody's dreams 'till tomorrow
Emily tends to rely on someone else's hopes and aspirations, hoping they will come true sometime in the future

There is no other day
There is no time to delay, the present moment is all we have

Let's try it another way
Let's experiment, explore new possibilities and take a different approach to the problem at hand

You'll lose your mind and play
By letting go of rationality and embracing the unknown, one can find freedom and joy in playing

Free games for May
Enjoying the pleasures of life, like children playing carefree, without worrying about the future or the consequences. May is a metaphor for youth and vitality.

See Emily play
Observe Emily's behavior, witness her playful and carefree attitude, and learn from her example

Soon after dark Emily cries
After going through a period of fun and excitement, Emily feels sadness and despair, which she tries to hide

Gazing at trees in sorrow hardly a sound 'till tomorrow
Emily expresses her grief by looking at trees without making any noise, hoping that the next day will bring better times

Put on a gown that touches the ground
Dress elegantly and extravagantly, feeling like royalty or a fairy tale character who can have anything she wants

Float on a river for ever and ever
Drift aimlessly through life, enjoying the journey without worrying about the destination, as if on a river that never ends

Emily
The person or persona that embodies the qualities of youth, impulsivity, and creativity, which are celebrated in the song

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Syd Barrett

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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