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)
Seven Years in Tibet
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been shot in the head
And I'm holding your brains
The old woman said
So I drink in the shadows
Of an evening sky
See nothing at all
And the snow looks so old
The frail form is drifting
Beyond the yoga zone
Turn to question the mountain
Why pigs can fly
It's nothing at all
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes away
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes
I praise to you
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes away
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes away
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes, nothing ever goes
Nothing
The lyrics to David Bowie's song "Seven Years in Tibet" are both cryptic and thought-provoking. The opening lines suggest a violent event has occurred, with the singer holding someone's brains in their hands after being shot in the head. However, the following lines change the mood entirely, as the singer drinks in the quiet evening sky and sees nothing at all. Here, the song takes on a more introspective and contemplative tone.
The following verse delves further into the singer's introspection. They observe the stars and snow, both of which are impressive, yet fleeting. The "frail form" that is drifting beyond the yoga zone is ambiguous but can be interpreted as an allusion to death. The singer then looks to the mountain, seeking answers for why impossible things can happen - in this case, asking why pigs can fly. The repetition of the line "It's nothing at all" suggests that the answers are insignificant and not worth excessively pondering.
The refrain - "I praise to you, nothing ever goes away" - offers a final, contemplative statement to the entire song. By repeating the line, Bowie suggests that some things in life are certain: nothing ever truly leaves us. The song is open to interpretation and can be seen as a meditation on the delicate nature of life, death, and the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you OK?
I'm concerned for your well-being.
You've been shot in the head
You've sustained a severe injury to your brain.
And I'm holding your brains
I'm trying to save or salvage what's left of your mind.
The old woman said
An elderly sage informed me of your fate.
So I drink in the shadows
I'm trying to drown out the pain and grief with alcohol.
Of an evening sky
As darkness falls, my surroundings become more ominous.
See nothing at all
I'm lost in my thoughts and cannot perceive the present.
The stars look so special
The constellations above seem particularly significant or poignant to me.
And the snow looks so old
The snow on the ground arouses a sense of nostalgia or sentimentality.
The frail form is drifting
A fragile body is moving aimlessly or without purpose.
Beyond the yoga zone
The individual is venturing beyond the limits of physical and mental discipline.
Turn to question the mountain
I'm seeking answers or guidance from an impenetrable or inscrutable source.
Why pigs can fly
I'm asking an absurd or impossible question, acknowledging the ambivalence of fate.
It's nothing at all
In the grand scheme of things, my concerns and inquiries are trivial or insignificant.
I praise to you
I extol your virtues or sing your praises.
Nothing ever goes away
The events and emotions we experience leave an enduring impression upon us.
Nothing ever goes
We cannot outpace the impact of our past or the progression of time.
Nothing ever goes away
The memories and scars of our lives remain with us always.
Nothing ever goes
We cannot escape the cycle of joy and sorrow that accompanies existence.
I praise to you
I honor and glorify your enduring presence.
Nothing ever goes away
Even death cannot erase our impact upon the world.
I praise to you
Though our lives may be transient, our legacies persist endlessly.
Nothing ever goes, nothing ever goes
The somber reality of impermanence echoes endlessly.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, REEVES C GABRELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leonardo Vázquez
"Are you OK?
You've been shot in the head
And I'm holding your brains,"
The old woman said
So I drink in the shadows of an evening sky
See nothing at all
The stars look so special
And the snow looks so old
The frail form is drifting
Beyond the yoga zone
Time to question the mountain: Why pigs can fly?
It's nothing at all
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes away
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes
I praise to you
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes away
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes away
I praise to you
Nothing ever goes, nothing ever goes
Nothing
Andrei Souza
Finally!!! I don't think there is a single bad song on this album.
SzlafRock
We're damn lucky he left us his music:)
Wa Wa
I think the same about all Bowie' discography
SzlafRock
Yeah, you're right... Earthling is an experience, just like his other albums from '90s.
Andrei Souza
@DANIEL EMILE GEORGES Not at all, that one is a bop. Don't think its a good song to end an album though.
MostlyLoveOfMusic
I agree it is very creative and cohesive as an album
The Thin Pale Whale
Im so glad that this Bowie's channel is still active and is stlll uploading masterpieces.
imnotcreative 22
Whatever decade whether it was from the 70's, 80's 90's 2000's Bowie had hits. And I'm really digging these HD videos.
Lyroth
Aren’t we all? They’re fantastic!
Yonnis
This was David's favorite song out of Earthling and it's pretty easy to see why