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)
Warszawa
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sula vie dilejo
Mmmm-mm-mm-ommm
Sula vie milejo
Mmm-omm
Cheli venco deho
Malio
Mmmm-mm-mm-ommm
Helibo seyoman
Cheli venco raero
Malio
Malio
The lyrics to David Bowie's song Warszawa are very interesting and are open to interpretation. The lyrics are largely nonsensical, consisting of a repeated chant of "Mmmm-mm-mm-ommm, sula vie dilejo, sula vie milejo," followed by a more chaotic repetition of "Cheli venco deho, cheli venco deho, malio." The chanting is accompanied by atmospheric synthesizer sounds that rise and fall in intensity.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that they could be an attempt to convey a sense of prayer or meditation. The repeating sounds and words are reminiscent of mantras, and the absence of any concrete meaning could be seen as an attempt to transcend the physical world and connect with something deeper. Alternatively, the lyrics could be seen as an attempt to convey the chaos and confusion of a place like Warsaw (formerly known as Warszawa), a city that has experienced upheaval and trauma throughout history.
Overall, the lyrics to Warszawa are highly abstract and open to interpretation. They are an integral part of the song's haunting, otherworldly atmosphere, which makes it one of the most unique tracks in Bowie's discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmmm-mm-mm-ommm
Opening chant that sets the mood for the song.
Sula vie dilejo
Invokes a feeling of sadness and loss.
Mmmm-mm-mm-ommm
Repeating the opening chant to emphasize the mood.
Sula vie milejo
A sense of longing or desire for something that is lost.
Mmm-omm
An introspective moment where the singer is contemplating the past.
Cheli venco deho
The burden of his past experiences weighs heavily on the singer's mind.
Cheli venco deho
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize the weight of the burden.
Malio
An exclamation of sorrow or pain.
Mmmm-mm-mm-ommm
Repeating the opening chant again to create a sense of atmosphere.
Helibo seyoman
An expression of a state of confusion or uncertainty.
Cheli venco raero
The singer feels trapped in his own thoughts and memories.
Malio
Repeating the exclamation of sorrow or pain to highlight the emotional turmoil.
Malio
Repeating the exclamation one more time, bringing the song to a close.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elliewilliams4118
Bowie visited Warsaw twice, in 1973 and 1976. In May 1973, returning to Great Britain from the Soviet Union, where he traveled on the Trans-Siberian Railway, he was unable to get off the train due to the lack of appropriate documents. In April 1976, while traveling from Moscow to West Berlin, he stopped for a short time at the Warszawa Gdańska station, from where he went for a walk to the nearby Komuny Paryskiej Square, where he bought a few CDs in a bookstore. One of them were recordings of Polish folk songs performed by the "Śląsk" Song and Dance Ensemble.
The direct inspiration for the song was reportedly the son of Tony Visconti, the producer of many Bowie albums. Brian Eno heard him repeat three notes on the piano: AB-C. Eno sat down at the piano with him and "played" the next few notes, thus composing the beginning of the piece.
The middle, vocal part of the song is probably based on the theme from the song "Helokanie". It is not an original folk song, but a song written by Stanisław Hadyna, the composer and founder of the band "Śląsk". This piece was repeatedly recorded by the band "Śląsk" and was almost certainly on the album that Bowie bought.
"Warszawa" was the first song played during Bowie's tour, which took place in 1978 and 2002. In 1993, Philip Glass included this song on the Low Symphony album, which included symphonic impressions of Bowie's songs.
According to Ian Curtis, founder of the group Joy Division, the band was originally called "Warsaw" in honor of this song. The name was changed later, mainly to avoid confusion with the band "Warsaw Pakt" that existed in London at that time.
@MarioWorldKids
Jay is ready for me...
Jay is ready for me...
Jay is ready for me...
This skeleton is telling me to go this way...
I must follow...
Just follow...
I made it.... I made it.
THIS.. is how i exit... And get my life back...
-Vinny
@simondeun9692
Song came out 14 January 1977, my mom was 58 years old and love this one. Say to me, when I am dead play it on my funeral. She died at age 91 in 2010, we let it play because she wanted and I love it. Of course this is a special one for me. Love you DB and mom.
@chadczternastek
My condolences to you. I know what it's like to lose a mom. It makes me smile she went out a Bowie fan. I can't put into words how David Bowie changed me in so many good ways. So many deep levels of sophistication.
God bless you 🙏
@stupka1111
I'm from Warsaw, and when I hear this song, I'm so touched, and I want to cry, because it's so beautiful. It realy has a Warsaw soul. It is a great picture of this tragic city, so unfair touched by history and wars a Cementary-City.
@MsBlonde0000
I can't believe your comment is 12 years old. I'm also from Warsaw and I only just discovered this song.
@vincenzostr4488
Now Warsaw is beautiful and i can say also rich city. Warsaw has very good future ahead
@becin2107
@Vincenzo Str Unfortunately ruled by an utter numpty as a president.
@springfieldmugshotshouser5113
Joy Division’s first name was Warsaw from this song. They were greatly inspired by Bowie
@beachturkey7643
@Becin in some ways yes, but I respect him for what he's done for free speech, then again, I respected a few people because of that and then they end up signing some very bad things... never trust a politican I guess
@Jeremyparker
The song that inspired the band Warsaw, that later became Joy Division and then New Order.
@TarzansMom
@Jeremy parker Is that true? Sources, please. :)