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)
The Man Who Sold The World
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise
I spoke into his eyes "I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago"
Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare
At all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long, long time ago
Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” is an enigmatic and haunting song that appears to be about the nature of identity, power, and control. The song begins with the singer encountering an old friend and speaking to him about the past. However, the singer is surprised to learn that the friend believes he is still alive, even though he has died a long time ago. The singer then asserts his independence, saying that he has never lost control.
As for what the lyrics mean, there are multiple interpretations of the song. Some suggest that it is about Bowie negotiating his own identity as he transitioned from his old persona to a new persona, such as Ziggy Stardust, while others believe it could be about addiction or the idea of selling one's soul for fame and fortune. Additionally, the lines “We must have died alone / A long, long time ago” could also be interpreted as a metaphor for the loss of spiritual wisdom or detachment from emotion that occurs as a person attains power and success.
Overall, “The Man Who Sold the World” remains an elusive and haunting song, with multiple layers of meaning that continue to inspire fans and music critics alike.
Line by Line Meaning
We passed upon the stair
We encountered each other while we were taking the stairs.
We spoke of was and when
We talked about the past and the present/future.
Although I wasn't there
I wasn't physically present during the events we talked about.
He said I was his friend
He claimed that we were friends.
Which came as some surprise
I was caught off guard when he made that statement.
I spoke into his eyes 'I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago'
I looked directly at him and expressed my belief that he had passed away a long time ago and was alone when it happened.
Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I reject the idea that I'm the one who's lost control - you're actually confronting the man who's responsible for manipulating and selling the world.
I laughed and shook his hand
Despite the shock of seeing him and the realization that he might be dead, I laughed and shook his hand in a friendly way.
And made my way back home
After saying goodbye to him, I left and returned to my own residence.
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare
At all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long, long time ago
I wandered aimlessly for a long time, trying to find a place to call home. As I looked at all the people in the world, I felt detached from them and came to the conclusion that everyone is actually alone - even though we're surrounded by others.
Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I'm unsure about the nature of our reality and our level of control within it. However, I reiterate that you're in the presence of the man who's responsible for selling the world's current state of being.
Lyrics © 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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