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)

Where Have All the Good Times Gone
David Bowie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In my life I've never stopped
To worry about a thing
Opened up and shouted out
And never tried to see
Wondering if I'd done wrong
Will this depression last for long?

Won't you tell me?

Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?

Once we had an easy ride
And always felt the same
Time was on our side
And I had everything to gain
Let it be like yesterday
Please let me have happy days

Ma and Pa looked back on all the things they used to do
Didn't have no money and they always told the truth
Daddy didn't have no toys
And Mummy didn't need no boys

Won't you tell me?
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?

Yesterday was such an easy game for you to play
But let's face it things are so much easier today
Guess you need some bringing down
Get your feet back on the ground

Won't you tell me?
Where have all the good times gone?

Where have all the good times gone?
Where have all the good times gone?

Overall Meaning

David Bowie's song "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" speaks about nostalgia for the past and the sense of loss that comes with growing up. The lyricist seems to be reflecting on the good ol' days of his youth, when he didn't worry about anything and life was easy. He expresses a yearning for those carefree times, asking where they have all gone. The singer is also aware of the depression that can come with growing up and wonders if it will persist forever.

The verses speak to the experience of the singer's parents, who didn't have much money but were honest and enjoyed life without the need for material possessions. They seemed content with what they had and didn't get caught up in the rat-race of life. The chorus repeats the question of where the good times have gone, suggesting that the singer feels disconnected from happiness and joy in the present.

Overall, the song captures the universal feeling of nostalgia that many people experience as they grow older. It is a melancholic reflection on the passage of time and the loss of innocence that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

In my life I've never stopped
I've never let anything hold me back

To worry about a thing
I haven't wasted time fretting

Opened up and shouted out
I've expressed myself freely

And never tried to see
I haven't always examined the consequences of my actions

Wondering if I'd done wrong
I'm questioning myself now

Will this depression last for long?
I'm feeling down and wondering when it will end

Won't you tell me?
I'm seeking answers

Where have all the good times gone?
I'm wondering what happened to the happy times

Once we had an easy ride
Things were simpler before

And always felt the same
We were on the same page

Time was on our side
We had plenty of it