David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally… Read Full Bio ↴David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music.

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)

When The Wind Blows
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So long, child, I'm on my way
And after all is done, after all is done
Don't be down, it's all in the past
Though you may be afraid

So long, child, it's awful dark
And I've never felt the sun
I dread to think of when

When the wind blows
When the wind blows
When the wind blows
When the wind blows

Life burns a savage wound, angry and wrong
Trusting a twisted word, you'll run, run away
You'll take him home
You'll spit and taunt him
But they won't believe you
No matter what you'll say

So long, child, it's awful dark
I never felt the sun
I dread to think of when
The wind blows
When the wind blows

When the wind blows
When the wind blows

Overall Meaning

David Bowie's When the Wind Blows is a haunting song that conveys a sense of fear and uncertainty. The lyrics and the melody work together to evoke a feeling of isolation and the unknown. The song is written from the perspective of a parent who is bidding farewell to his child because he knows something terrible is going to happen soon. The lyrics "So long, child, I'm on my way, And after all is done, after all is done, Don't be down, it's all in the past, Though you may be afraid" are reassurance from the parent to the child to not be sad about their separation since he has to go away to face what's coming.

The second verse "Life burns a savage wound, angry and wrong, Trusting a twisted word, you'll run, run away, You'll take him home, You'll spit and taunt him, But they won't believe you, No matter what you'll say" talks about the horrors that the parent is trying to protect the child from. The twisted word might refer to a government's propaganda, and the child is urged to stay away from it, even as they see others being lured in.

The chorus of "When the wind blows" is a metaphor for something terrible happening that the parent knows is inevitable. It could be a nuclear catastrophe, war, or some other natural calamity. The parent has no option but to watch their child from afar, knowing well that the future is bleak.

One interesting fact about the song is that it was originally written as the title track for the animated movie of the same name. Another is that the song makes an eerie contrast to the original movie's theme which was upbeat and optimistic. The movie was about a couple who survived a global nuclear war and their struggles to rebuild their life. In contrast, the song talks about the fear of something terrible happening and being helpless to prevent it from happening.

David Bowie's song When the Wind Blows was released in 1986, the same year as his album "Absolute Beginners." The song is often considered one of his best works, and his album received positive reviews. The song's sombre tone and lyrics are reflective of the anxiety felt in the '80s about the prospects of a nuclear war.

Another interesting fact is that the song was written and recorded around the same time as Bowie's other political hits, such as "Heroes," "Let's Dance," and "China Girl." Bowie was a vocal critic of the British and American governments' foreign policies and the song's message about the helplessness of people in the face of events beyond their control is a deliberate commentary on this point.

The song's melody is melancholic and introspective, which underscores the song's lyrics' dark themes. The melody is slow and sombre with a repetitive piano riff that turns more dissonant in the song's chorus.

The chords used in the song are quite simple, but the song's sombre tone makes up for it. The song uses the same chords throughout the whole song on the piano—Am, F, C, G.

Overall, When the Wind Blows is a powerful song with an eerie melody that tells a story of human struggle and the helplessness of individuals in the face of external events. The song's haunting lyrics and Bowie's soulful voice make it a standout song that is still relevant today. It is a classic example of how music can reflect the collective fears and anxieties of an entire generation.

When The Wind BlowsDavid Bowie Lyrics

DrJKintobor

on I Can't Give Everything Away

Peter Bonney

on Diamond Dogs

When The Wind Blows
David Bowie Lyrics