Life On Mars
David Bowie w; Stevie Ray Vaughan Lyrics

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It's a god-awful small affair
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling "No"
And her daddy has told her to go

But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view

And she's hooked to the silver screen

But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show

Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?

It's on Amerika's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again

See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibeza to the norfolk broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns

But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show

Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know

He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Bowie and Stevie Ray Vaughan's song "Life on Mars" are open to interpretation, but a commonly accepted interpretation is that it is about escapism, the power of the media, and in particular, the allure of film as a form of escape. The opening lines describe the girl with the mousy hair, whose parents are telling her to leave, and she walks through her sunken dream to watch a film, hooked to the silver screen. The film, however, is a saddening bore and she has lived it ten times or more, but she could spit in the eyes of fools as they ask her to focus on sailors fighting in the dance hall. The girl is caught in the allure of the film, despite its mundanity and even as she is asked to focus on elements of the film that would otherwise be considered banal.

The second verse of the song takes the listener to Amerika, where Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow and where the workers have struck for fame because Lennon is on sale again. The mention of Lennon could refer to the commodification of pop culture and the idea that art has become a form of commodity. The mice in their million hordes also suggest the masses who follow popular culture without question, and the fact that Rule Britannia is out of bounds to my mother, my dog, and clowns suggests that there is a hierarchy even in escapism. The final lines of the verse suggest that the film is about to be written again, and the listener is asked to focus on the sailors fighting in the dancehall and to ask whether there is life on Mars?

Overall, the song suggests a dissatisfaction with the world as it is, a longing for escape and a disillusionment with popular culture. The lyrics are open to interpretation, and the song has been analyzed in many different ways. Some have suggested that it is a commentary on the state of the music industry, while others have interpreted it as a criticism of society as a whole.

Line by Line Meaning

It's a god-awful small affair
Life on Earth is a tiny, insignificant thing in the grand scheme of things

To the girl with the mousy hair
The singer of the story is an unassuming, unnoticed girl

But her mummy is yelling 'No'
Her mother disapproves of her actions

And her daddy has told her to go
Her father has given her an ultimatum to leave

But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Her only friend is missing, leaving her alone

Now she walks through her sunken dream
She feels lost and aimless

To the seat with the clearest view
She seeks clarity and perspective

And she's hooked to the silver screen
She finds solace in movies and escapism

But the film is a saddening bore
Even her favorite movies fail to cheer her up

For she's lived it ten times or more
She's watched the same movies repeatedly

She could spit in the eyes of fools
She feels superior to those around her

As they ask her to focus on
Others try to redirect her attention to reality

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
She envisions chaos and conflict

Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
People behave rudimentarily and irrationally

It's the freakiest show
The world is a bizarre and unsettling spectacle

Take a look at the Lawman
A symbol of authority and power

Beating up the wrong guy
Abusing their power and punishing the innocent

Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
The Lawman is oblivious to their own injustices

He's in the best selling show
The world is enamored with corruption and scandal

Is there life on Mars?
The artist muses about the possibility of finding a new world with answers and meaning

It's on Amerika's tortured brow
This sense of disillusionment is widespread

That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Even symbols of American optimism and joy have become tainted and meaningless

Now the workers have struck for fame
People seek recognition and purpose through their labor

'Cause Lennon's on sale again
The commodification of art and culture cheapens their value

See the mice in their million hordes
The masses are directionless and trapped in cycles of repetition

From Ibeza to the Norfolk broads
This state of hopelessness is pervasive and far-reaching

Rule Britannia is out of bounds
Even national identity and pride bring no solace

To my mother, my dog, and clowns
These connections and comforts are not enough

But the film is a saddening bore
The artist still finds no comfort in their escapism

'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
The songwriter knows this feeling of despair firsthand

It's about to be writ again
This cycle of disillusionment will continue

As I ask you to focus on
Still, the songwriter implores others to examine their surroundings

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
The same images of chaos and conflict recur

Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
Human behavior remains primitive and irrational

It's the freakiest show
The world remains a bizarre and unsettling spectacle

Take a look at the Lawman
The same symbols of authority and power persist

Beating up the wrong guy
The same injustices and abuses of power continue

Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
The same obliviousness persists

He's in the best selling show
The same fascination with corruption and scandal persists

Is there life on Mars?
The same questions about finding meaning and purpose elsewhere linger

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: David Bowie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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