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)
Survive
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Naked eyes
I should have kept you
I should have tried
I should have been a wiser kind of guy
I miss you
Give me wings
Give me money for a change of face
Those noisy rooms and passion pants
I loved you
Where's the morning in my life?
Where's the sense in staying right?
Who said, "Time is on my side?"
I've got ears and eyes and nothing in my life
But I'll survive your naked eyes
I'll survive
You alone across the floor
You and me and nothing more
You're the great mistake I never made
I never lied to you, I hated when you lied
But I'll survive your naked eyes
I'll survive
Beatle boys, all snowy white
Razzle dazzle clubs, every night
Wish I'd sent a Valentine
I love you
I'll survive
Naked eyes
I'll survive
I'll survive
My naked eyes
I'll survive
I'll survive
Naked eyes
I'll survive
I'll survive
I'll survive
The lyrics to David Bowie's song Survive are about regret, nostalgia, and lost love. The song begins with the singer expressing his regret over losing someone important to him. He acknowledges that he made mistakes and should have been wiser, indicating that he believes he could have saved the relationship. He misses this person and wishes they could be reunited.
In the second verse, the singer asks for freedom and money to change his appearance. He describes his previous experiences with love as being in "noisy rooms and passion pants," suggesting that his past relationships were shallow and have not fulfilled him. He seeks something more meaningful but is struggling to find it.
Throughout the chorus, the singer questions where his life is going and what he is doing with his time. He wonders why he is not happy and why he cannot find a sense of purpose. However, he ends each chorus by stating that he will survive with his naked eyes, indicating that he has hope and will overcome whatever obstacles are in his way.
The final verse addresses the singer's past mistakes and a lost opportunity for love. He regrets not sending a Valentine and expressing his love for this person. However, he still declares that he will survive and get through the pain of the relationship's end.
Overall, the lyrics to Survive convey a sense of longing, regret, and hope. The singer wishes he could turn back time and fix his past mistakes but understands that he must move on and survive with what he has.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my
Expressing an exclamation, suggests the presence of an emotional distress or unease.
Naked eyes
Referring to the fact of being exposed or vulnerable.
I should have kept you
Revealing a regret for a past action or decision, having a sense of nostalgia.
I should have tried
Expressing a feeling of self-disappointment or responsibility for a missed opportunity.
I should have been a wiser kind of guy
Reflecting a self-critique or personal assessment relating to the need for better judgment or insight.
I miss you
Indicates a sense of loss or regret for a past relationship or an unfulfilled desire.
Give me wings
Asking for freedom, specifically liberation, and a sense of individuality.
Give me space
Asking for distance, privacy, or room to maneuver.
Give me money for a change of face
Desiring the aid of financial resources for altering or enhancing one's appearance.
Those noisy rooms and passion pants
Referring to a scene or event where an emotional or sexual encounter took place.
I loved you
A confession about a past feeling, an expression of sincere emotions.
Where's the morning in my life?
A rhetorical question, suggesting a despair regarding a lost sense of hope or possibility.
Where's the sense in staying right?
Questioning the rationality of making right choices or following norms or traditions.
Who said, "Time is on my side?"
Challenging the concept of time, questioning its benefits or effectiveness.
I've got ears and eyes and nothing in my life
Expressing a feeling of emptiness, lacking achievement or meaning in one's existence.
But I'll survive your naked eyes
An affirmation of overcoming, an assertion of personal strength and resilience.
You alone across the floor
Designating a place, an environment, or a social situation where the subject is observing or interacting with another person.
You and me and nothing more
Describing a relationship, specific or theoretical, where nothing else matters apart from the two persons involved.
You're the great mistake I never made
Expressing the contradiction of feeling both regret and satisfaction towards a particular event or decision.
I never lied to you, I hated when you lied
Expressing a reaction to someone's action, specifically the negative emotion that comes out of dishonesty.
Beatle boys, all snowy white
Referring to a specific group, possibly the Beatles, suggesting their influence on popular culture.
Razzle dazzle clubs, every night
Suggesting a night-life where glamour and spectacle are prominent, possibly associating with a sense of superficiality.
Wish I'd sent a Valentine
Regretting a missed opportunity to express one's affection to another person or a missed celebration.
I love you
A declaration of affection or attachment towards another person.
I'll survive
A repetition of the main assertion, affirms one's personal strength and resilience.
Naked eyes
A repetition of a concept, referring to the state of being exposed, vulnerable, or authentic.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tgone23
[Verse 1]
Oh my, naked eyes
I should have kept you, I should have tried
I should have been a wiser kind of guy
I miss you
[Verse 2]
Give me wings, give me space
Give me money for a change of face
These noisy rooms and passion pants
I loved you
[Chorus 1]
Where's the morning in my life?
Where's the sense in staying right?
Who said time is on my side?
I've got ears and eyes and nothing in my life
But I survive your naked eyes
I'll survive
[Chorus 2]
You alone across the floor
You and me and nothing more
You're the great mistake I never made
I never lied to you, I hated when you lied
But I'll survive your naked eyes
I'll survive
[Verse 3]
Beatle boys, all snowy white
Razzle dazzle clubs every night
Wish I'd sent a Valentine
I love you
[Outro]
I'll survive
Naked eyes
I'll survive
I'll survive
My naked eyes
I'll survive
Susana Silva
"Where's the morning in my life?
Where's the sense in staying right?
Who said, "Time is on my side?"
I've got ears and eyes and nothing in my life"
Ive always been a huge fan of Bowie. And I was always mesmerized by this song but today it touched me deeply.
Being someone with borderline and bipolar, life isn't being too kind at the moment. It's being incredibly tough.
I really needed to listen to this song to feel such a comfortable embrace.
Thank you for everything, Mr. Bowie 💜
Josh Jwillway
When we go to Mars all we’ll find is Bowie sitting on a rock asking what took us so long
jonny favors
But we will make sure to pick up his astronaut suit he left on the moon on the way for him.😉
JOHN GORDON
Is there life on Mars, yes , he knew.
Lucy Haigler
Let's go
the angry gamer
The Perseverance rover just recorded drum sounds on Mars so it could be....
Guithulhu Guitar
Dressed in his Ziggy Stardust outfit, riding a spider.
washies
one of my favorite songs of all time, rest in peace Bowie.
Deidre Zbiegien
Mine Tooo!
Lie Likes Music
Bowie never really died. He lives on in his music!
Vincent Vendetta V:V
His career lives on in his music sure but the man himself is still alive and lives in Virginia.