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)
We Are Hungry Men
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
According to the latest world population survey
The figures have reached danger point, my god
London 15 million 75 thousand
New York 80 million
Paris 15 million and 30
China 1000 million
Billington-Spa lots
My studies included suffragy
I formed my own society
to study the power of fecundity
The world will overpopulate
Unless you claim infertility
So who will buy a drink for me, your messiah
We are not your friends
We don't give a damn for what you're saying
We're here to live our lives
I propose to give the pill
Free of charge to those that feel
That they are not infertible
The crops of few, the cattle gun
There's only one way to linger on
So who will buy a drink for me, your messiah
We are not your friends
We don't give a damn for what you're saying
We're here to live our lives
Achtung, achtung, these are your orders
Anyone found guilty of consuming more than their allotted amount of air
Will be slaughtered and cremated
Only one cubic foot of air is
I have prepared a document, legalizing mass abortion
We will turn a blind eye to infanticide
We are not your friends
We don't give a damn for what you're saying
We're here to live our lives
You don't seem to hear me clear
Do I talk above your sphere?
Let me explain my project dear
Show you how I'll save the world
Or let it die within the year
Why do you look that way at me, your messiah
We are not your friends
We don't give a damn for what you're saying
We're here to live our lives
We are hungry men
We don't give a damn for what you're saying
We're here to eat you
In "We Are Hungry Men", David Bowie paints a dystopian vision of a world where overpopulation has reached dangerous levels. The song starts with an announcement of the latest world population figures, which have surpassed dangerous levels. Bowie then introduces his character, a man who had formed his own society to study the power of fecundity. He proposes the idea of offering the pill free of charge to those who feel they are not infertile to prevent the world from overpopulating.
However, as the song progresses, Bowie's dystopian world reveals itself to be more sinister. He talks about legalizing mass abortion and turning a blind eye to infanticide as possible solutions to control the population. He issues orders that anyone found guilty of consuming more than their allotted amount of air will be slaughtered and cremated.
Throughout the song, Bowie's character asserts his messianic status, claiming that he alone can save the world or let it die within the year. He repeatedly declares that "We are not your friends" and "We're here to live our lives," emphasizing the nonchalant and selfish attitude of those living in this world.
Overall, "We Are Hungry Men" is a biting critique of the dangers of overpopulation and the inhumanity that can arise in a society that values individual freedom above all else.
Line by Line Meaning
Here is the news
I have important information to share
According to the latest world population survey
I have data that supports what I am about to say
The figures have reached danger point, my god
The current statistics indicate a critical situation
London 15 million 75 thousand
The population of London has exceeded 15 million
New York 80 million
The population of New York has exceeded 80 million
Paris 15 million and 30
The population of Paris has exceeded 15 million
China 1000 million
The population of China has exceeded 1 billion
Billington-Spa lots
An unspecified location also has a growing population
My studies included suffragy
I have explored women's right to vote and advocate for their reproductive choices
I formed my own society
I created a community to further discuss and explore these topics
to study the power of fecundity
Our focus is on the ability to produce offspring
The world will overpopulate
Given current trends, the human population will soon become unsustainable
Unless you claim infertility
We must take action to limit reproduction
So who will buy a drink for me, your messiah
Will you support my cause as a leader or visionary?
We are not your friends
We do not prioritize your interests or opinions
We don't give a damn for what you're saying
We do not care about your objections or criticisms
We're here to live our lives
We will act according to our own beliefs and priorities
I propose to give the pill
I suggest using birth control methods to limit reproduction
Free of charge to those that feel
We will make this option accessible to anyone who wishes to use it
That they are not infertible
This option is for those who wish to avoid pregnancy
The crops of few, the cattle gun
We must make difficult decisions to manage resources and limit overconsumption
There's only one way to linger on
We must take drastic action to ensure a viable future
Achtung, achtung, these are your orders
Listen carefully to these instructions
Anyone found guilty of consuming more than their allotted amount of air
We must strictly control resources to limit consumption
Will be slaughtered and cremated
Punishment for overconsumption will be severe
Only one cubic foot of air is
There is a limited amount of resources available to us
I have prepared a document, legalizing mass abortion
Legalizing abortion could help to limit population growth
We will turn a blind eye to infanticide
We may need to make difficult decisions to ensure the survival of the human race
You don't seem to hear me clear
You appear to be missing the gravity of this situation
Do I talk above your sphere?
Are my ideas too complex for you to understand?
Let me explain my project dear
Allow me to clarify my plan
Show you how I'll save the world
My plan will help to ensure the survival of human civilization
Or let it die within the year
Without action, society will begin to collapse
Why do you look that way at me, your messiah
Do not doubt my ability to lead or inspire change
We are hungry men
We are driven by a sense of urgency and the need to survive
We're here to eat you
We must take drastic action to ensure our survival, regardless of the cost to others.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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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