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)
Starman
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll
"Lotta soul," he said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That wasn't no DJ, that was hazy cosmic jive
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
I had to phone someone, so I picked on you
Hey, that's far out, so you heard him too
Switch on the TV, we may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window, I can see his light
If we can sparkle, he may land tonight
Don't tell your papa or he'll get us locked up in fright
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
Starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
The first verse of Starman sets the scene: the persona is sitting in a dark room, listening to the radio when they hear a song. The song is a "rock 'n' roll" one full of "soul," and the persona becomes captivated by it. Suddenly, the sound on the radio seems to phase out, but then it returns with something entirely different. Instead of the DJ, the persona hears an otherworldly voice, the "hazy cosmic jive" of the Starman. The subsequent verses describe the persona's sense of awe and wonder towards this alien, who seems to be hovering in the sky, offering the prospect of communicating with humanity. The Starman sings a song of hope and encouragement to the persona, urging them to let "the children" use and enjoy music and imagination.
Overall, the song is about hope, communication, and the value of imagination. It is often interpreted as a sort of anthem for the counterculture movement of the 1970s, with its embrace of creating new art, exploring new ideas, and seeking out unconventional experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't know what time it was, the lights were low
I was unsure of the time since it was dark and the lights were dim
I leaned back on my radio
I reclined while listening to music on my radio
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll
Some guy was playing some great rock music
"Lotta soul," he said
He said the music had a lot of soul
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
The music suddenly became less loud
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
The music returned gradually like a soft voice on a signal wave
That wasn't no DJ, that was hazy cosmic jive
The music wasn't from a DJ but from an otherworldly source
There's a starman waiting in the sky
There's an extraterrestrial being waiting above in space
He'd like to come and meet us
He wants to visit and connect with us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
He's concerned that his presence might be overwhelming for us
He's told us not to blow it
He's advised and cautioned us to handle his arrival properly
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He's sure that it's going to be a valuable experience for both sides
He told me
He communicated this message to me personally
Let the children lose it
He urged us to let go and have fun like children
Let the children use it
He encouraged us to use our creative imagination like children
Let all the children boogie
He wanted all of us to dance and celebrate like children
I had to phone someone, so I picked on you
I had to talk to someone, and I chose to call you
Hey, that's far out, so you heard him too
Wow, that's amazing, you heard his message as well
Switch on the TV
Turn on the television
We may pick him up on channel two
We may be able to receive a signal from him on channel two
Look out your window, I can see his light
Look out of your window since I can see his light in the sky
If we can sparkle, he may land tonight
If we can impress him, he might land and visit us tonight
Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright
Don't tell your father, or he might get us in trouble for talking about extraterrestrial beings.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@quandovoceestiverlendoosco2839
David Bowie - Starman
The Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man
The Beatles - Nowhere Man
The Doors - Back Door Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man
Bob Dylan - Mr.Tambourine Man
Elton John - Rocket Man
Johnny Cash - Solitary Man
Eric Clapton - Forever Man
Queen - The Invisible Man
Fleetwood Mac - Station Man
Rush - Working Man
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
Pink Floyd - Vegetable Man
America - Tin Man
Billy Joel - Piano Man
R.E.M - Hollow Man
Prince - Party Man
Eurythmics - Missionary Man
Elvis Presley - Guitar Man
Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man
Pearl Jam - Better Man
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - My Lovely Man
Aerosmith - Blind Man
Heart - Magic Man
Iron Maiden - Wicker Man
Blue Oyster Cult - Florida Man
Pantera - Medicine Man
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man
Neil Young - Old Man
Ian Gillan - Fighting Man
The Smiths - This Charming Man
Taylor Swift - The Man
The Weeknd - Lesser Man
Morgan Wallen - Dying Man
Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man
Beastie Boys - Heart Attack Man
Chuck Berry - Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Jimmy Cliff - Struggling Man
Alice in Chains - Sick Man
The Outfield - Mistery Man
Ramones - Spider Man
Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man
Wu Tang Clan - Method Man
The Jackson 5 - The Boogie Man
Eminem - Superman
N.W.A - Dope Man
Frank Zappa - Muffin Man
Stevie Wonder - Black Man
Ween - Ocean Man
ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man
The Killers - Space Man
Josh Turner - Your Man
Grateful Dead - Candyman
Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man
Jimmy Barnes - Working Class Man
Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man
Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Midnight Man
Blind Melon - Holyman
The Kinks - Apeman
Bob Seger - Ramblin' Gamblin Man
Zakk Wilde - Machine Gun Man
Sia - Snowman
Tyler, The Creator - Stuntman
Lemon Demon - Cabinet Man
Styx - Blue Collar Man
The Fall - Dice Man
The Chordettes - Mr. Sandman
Blur - Charmless Man
Tally Hall - Banana Man
The Moody Blues - Melancholy Man
The Spinners -The Rubberband Man
Roxy Music - Bogus Man
Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man
Sam & Dave - Soul Man
Bad Religion - The Automatic Man
Soundgarden - Spoon Man
Herbie Hancock- Watermelon Man
Jack Stauber - Inch Man
Kyuss - One Inch Man
Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
Salt N' Peppa - Whatta Man
The Dean Ween Group - Exercise Man
Boney M - Painter Man
Chris Andrews - Yesterday Man
Polo G - Bad Man
Tom Waits - Ice Cream Man
Angel Witch - Free Man
5th Dimesion - Puppet Man
They Might Be Giants - Particle Man
Sammy Copley - Moon Man
Nina Simone - Sinnerman
this list is still not complete
@zedbags
This song conveys the "Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened." emotion
@johncorley8751
This song reminds me of Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke which conveys the same sort of emotion (to some).
@boggle1575
Thank you, Keicho-aniki
@futurem6367
Thanks you Keicho Nijimura
@crymeariver546
@The Alright Tank Historian who cares . I bet they’d understand.
@jeanne5922
This song makes me cry like a baby :')
@deccadente
1899’s final chapter with this masterpiece made me cry… goosebumps always that I listen any Bowie’s theme.
@shoto42
Same bro, did not expect that fucking ending to come out of nowhere
@wizsharif1357
show was insane, threw me completely off with that!!!!
@user-yg4rr6xe5f
Maura is android.