Try Some, Buy Some is a song composed by George Harrison. It was first perf… Read Full Bio ↴Try Some, Buy Some is a song composed by George Harrison. It was first performed in 1971 by Ronnie Spector and released as a single. George Harrison included the song on his 1973 album Living in the Material World.

"Try Some, Buy Some" is "an all-time favourite" of English singer David Bowie. He covered the song on his 2003 album Reality. Bowie had originally intended to record it for a planned follow-up to Pin Ups, his 1973 collection of cover versions. Talking to Rolling Stone shortly before the release of Reality, he said of his recording: "We were pretty true to the original arrangement, but the overall atmosphere is somewhat different. It's a dense piece."

Bowie occasionally performed "Try Some, Buy Some" live on his 2003–04 Reality Tour. In a review for the limited-edition box set David Bowie Box (2007), critic Thom Jurek described Reality as a "schizophrenic recording", on which the covers of "Try Some, Buy Some" and the Modern Lovers song "Pablo Picasso" "(distinguish) this set more than anything else".

Try Some Buy Some
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Way back in time
Someone said try some
I tried some
Now buy some, I bought some
Oh oh oh
After a while
When I had tried them, denied them
I opened my eyes and I saw you

Not a thing did I have
Not a thing did I see
'Till I called on your love
And your love came to me
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh ohhh

Through my life
I've seen grey sky, met big fry
Seen them die to get high
Ohhh
And when it seemed that I would only be lonely
I opened my eyes and I saw you

Not a thing did I feel
Not a thing did I know
'Till I called on your love
And your love sure did grow
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh ohhh

Won't you try some
Baby won't you buy some
Won't you try some
Baby won't you buy some
Oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh ohhh

Overall Meaning

In David Bowie's song 'Try Some Buy Some', the singer seems to be addressing someone or something that has given him a new, enlightening perspective on life. He starts off by singing about trying some, presumably referring to trying some new experiences, ideas or perhaps even drugs to broaden his horizons. The next line then shifts to him buying some, suggesting that he has accepted and embraced these new ideas and incorporated them into his life.

The lyrics then take a turn and the singer describes how, after experiencing these new things, he opened his eyes and saw someone, likely a person that he loves or admires. The singer then expresses how he was previously lost and alone, but finding this person has been a profound change in his life. He describes how his life previously seemed dull and colorless (seen grey sky) and full of people struggling with addiction, (met big fry/seen them die to get high) but suddenly everything changed.

The lyrics then loop back to repeating the chorus where the singer urges the listener to "try some" and "buy some". This could be interpreted as both a literal and metaphoric statement as the listener is encouraged to try and embrace new experiences or ideas. Furthermore, Bowie seems to suggest that one must be open to new things in order to appreciate and experience the world fully, especially love and meaningful relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Way back in time
Referring to the past

Someone said try some
Someone suggested trying something, possibly a drug or a product

I tried some
The singer took the suggestion and tried it out

Now buy some, I bought some
After trying, the suggestion turned into a sales pitch and the singer purchased it

Oh oh oh
Expressing emotion

After a while
Time passed

When I had tried them, denied them
After trying the product, the singer rejected it for some reason

I opened my eyes and I saw you
The singer realized the true love that was always there

Not a thing did I have
The singer had nothing before the love that was discovered

Not a thing did I see
The singer's life was empty before the discovery

'Till I called on your love
The singer found love by looking for it