Life On Mars
Jasper Steverlinck Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's a God awful small affair
To the girl with the mousey hair
But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is no where to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seats with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen
But the film is sadd'ning 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 America'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 Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a sadd'ning 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 song Life On Mars by Jasper Steverlinck and Steven & Stijn Kolacny tells the story of a girl with mousey hair caught in a small and unpleasant situation that she can't seem to escape from. Her parents are fighting with her and wanting her to go away, while her friend has disappeared. The girl is walking through a sinking dream and watch movies on the silver screen to escape the unwelcoming reality of her world. However, the film is a saddening bore because she has lived it so many times, and she is unfazed by the fools who try to distract her from her own feelings. The second verse shifts gears and criticizes American culture, as Mickey Mouse has grown into a cow on the tortured brow of the nation. The workers strike for fame, and even rule Britannia is out of bounds to many. The song ends with a call to focus on the sailors fighting in the dancehall and the wonder of whether there is life on Mars.


The song resonates with listeners on many levels. On a personal level, it speaks to the sense of feeling trapped and wanting to escape from unpleasant situations. The narrative of wanting to go to Mars to escape earth's problems is a common theme in science fiction and fantasy, making the song resonate with those interested in those genres.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a God awful small affair
The situation is not good and is quite trivial.


To the girl with the mousey hair
Referring to a girl with plain, unremarkable looks.


But her mummy is yelling, 'No!'
The girl's mother is disapproving of something she wants to do.


And her daddy has told her to go
The girl's father has given her orders to leave.


But her friend is no where to be seen
The girl's friend is absent, and she is feeling lonely.


Now she walks through her sunken dream
Feeling hopeless and defeated, the girl continues on her path.


To the seats with the clearest view
She moves towards a place from where she can see everything clearly.


And she's hooked to the silver screen
The girl is watching a movie and is completely engrossed in it.


But the film is sadd'ning bore
The movie is depressing and uninteresting.


For she's lived it ten times or more
She has watched the movie multiple times before and is tired of it.


She could spit in the eyes of fools
She has no patience for people who cannot understand her point of view.


As they ask her to focus on sailors
Other people are trying to get her attention, but she is not interested in what they have to say.


Fighting in the dance hall
The sailors are battling each other in a ballroom setting.


Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
The behavior of the sailors is savage and primitive, like that of cavemen.


It's the freakiest show
The scene is bizarre and unusual.


Take a look at the lawman
The girl sees a police officer who is trying to enforce the law.


Beating up the wrong guy
The police officer is attacking someone who is innocent.


Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
The girl is curious if the police officer will realize his mistake.


He's in the best selling show
Despite his mistake, the police officer is still in a position of power and influence.


Is there life on Mars?
The girl is contemplating the possibility of extraterrestrial life on Mars.


It's on America's tortured brow
America is going through a difficult time.


That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Even a beloved cultural icon like Mickey Mouse can become disgraceful and irrelevant.


Now the workers have struck for fame
Workers are going on strike to gain recognition and social status.


'Cause Lennon's on sale again
John Lennon is being commercially exploited once more, leading to dissatisfaction among those who truly respect him.


See the mice in their million hordes
There are many people who are easily led and controlled, like mice in a group.


From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
This situation is widespread and affects all communities, from popular party destinations to more rural areas.


Rule Britannia is out of bounds
The pride in and respect for Britain's history is diminishing.


To my mother, my dog, and clowns
Even those who are normally content with simpler things are finding themselves disillusioned as well.


But the film is a sadd'ning bore
The movie that is being shown is still dull and morbid.


'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
The person who wrote the movie is going through a cycle of repetition and boredom.


It's about to be writ again
The cycle of writing something that is uninspired is about to start once more.


As I ask you to focus on
The attention shifts back to the girl who is watching the movie and feeling disconnected from the world around her.


Sailors
Back to the image of the fighting sailors.


Fighting in the dance hall
The scene of the sailors fighting in a ballroom is once again described.


Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
The same image of the sailors as being primitive and savage is repeated.


It's the freakiest show
The bizarre nature of the scene is reiterated once again.


Take a look at the lawman
The police officer is still there.


Beating up the wrong guy
The same unfortunate event is still unfolding.


Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
The outcome is still uncertain.


He's in the best selling show
Despite everything going on, the show is still very popular.


Is there life on Mars?
The girl is still pondering about possible extraterrestrial life.




Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Dhaique D'hoker

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
as 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, just look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, i wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?

It's on America'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 Ibiza 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, i wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?



All comments from YouTube:

What's it to you

THIS WAS EXTRAORDINARY. This made me cry, and I am a hard bitten man who rarely feels anymore. God bless you Jasper. You deserve so much more success than the miserable elites in today's music industry

Evy Bastiaens

Prachtig. Wat een talentvolle zanger. Laat ons die koesteren. Love this.

What's it to you

This is by far the best cover of this magnificent song that I have ever heard.
In JD Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye," the character Holden Caulfield says that when he reads a good book he wants to sit down with the writer and have a talk with him and perhaps become friends. I feel that way with Jasper.

Ingrid Coninx

Mijn broer zei altijd: zangers die goed live kunnen zingen,dat zijn de echte zangers. En bij jou is dat zeker het geval Jasper!

Ingrid Coninx

Life on Mars, ik blijf het een prachtig nummer vinden!!

Peter Raemen

Laat deze Stem aan de hele wereld horen , Steven . Dit is teveel talent en emotie voor een streek of landje.

discofrisko

Je bedoelt Jasper?

Louise Steel Music

This was brilliant! A heartfelt tribute and excellent singer and pianist! :)

ROOS BENOIT

Louise Steel Music k

Nancy

Blijft een mooi lied❤️❤️❤️

More Comments

More Versions