Born Keren Ann Zeidel in Caesarea, Israel on 10th March 1974, she lived in the Netherlands and Israel until the age of eleven, when her family moved to France. Her first group, KAB (for Keren Ann Band), lasted three years. In 1997, she wrote the song "Father" for the film K by Alexandre Arcady, in which she also acted a small part. The next year, at the age of twenty-four, she formed Shelby with two other women; the group released one album and had a small success with the song "1+1+1", whose composer Benjamin Biolay became an important collaborator. In 2000 she began her solo career with La biographie de Luka Philipsen -- "Luka" in homage to the Suzanne Vega song, "Philipsen" after her maternal grandmother -- written with and produced by Biolay, who also co-wrote and -produced its follow-up, La disparition. (In return, she helped write his debut album, Rose Kennedy.) The pair also wrote several songs for Henri Salvador's best-selling, prize-winning 2000 comeback album, Chambre avec vue.
Lady & Bird is a collaboration with Bardi Johannsson of the Icelandic group Bang Gang.
Not Going Anywhere, which includes several songs from La disparition re-sung in English, was her first U.S. release, but her American breakthrough came with its follow-up, Nolita. Recorded in Paris and New York, it is named for Nolita, her neighborhood in lower Manhattan; it is sung half in French and half in English.
Life On Mars
Keren Ann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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?
The lyrics to Keren Ann's song "Life on Mars" are an exploration of the surreal, the mundane, and the otherworldly. The opening lines set the stage with a sense of resignation and despair. The girl with the mousy hair is caught between conflicting demands from her parents: her mother is yelling at her to stay, while her father wants her to leave. She wanders through her "sunken dream," presumably feeling lost and disconnected.
The next verse seems to be a commentary on societal norms and expectations. The girl is "hooked to the silver screen," perhaps watching a movie, but finds it is "a saddening bore" as she has "lived it ten times or more." She can "spit in the eyes of fools" because she is disillusioned by the world and sees through the superficiality of those around her. The reference to sailors fighting in a dance hall, cavemen, and a lawman beating up the wrong guy creates surreal imagery that underscores the sense of disorientation and confusion.
The final verse seems to be a criticism of capitalism and consumerism. The workers have "struck for fame" because even John Lennon is for sale again. The image of mice in their million hordes suggests that countless people are caught up in the relentless pursuit of material possessions. The reference to Rule Britannia being out of bounds to "my mother, my dog, and clowns" echoes the theme of social exclusion and alienation. The song's title, "Life on Mars," is left ambiguous, leaving listeners to wonder whether it refers to life elsewhere in the universe or a surreal existence on Earth.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a god-awful small affair
Life seems insignificant and trivial
To the girl with the mousy hair
The singer has a timid and unremarkable appearance
But her mummy is yelling "No"
Her mother is disapproving of her choices and behavior
And her daddy has told her to go
Her father wants her to leave the situation she is in
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Her friend, who could have supported her, is absent
Now she walks
through her sunken dream
She is lost and feeling hopeless
To the seat with the clearest view
She seeks a sense of clarity and perspective
And she's hooked to the silver screen
She is addicted to watching movies and escaping reality
But the film is a saddening bore
Even the movies fail to bring her joy or comfort
For she's lived it
ten times or more
She has seen this same story play out over and over again
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
She has no patience for meaningless distractions or small talk
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?
The world is a ridiculous and chaotic place filled with violence and confusion, and there may be no escape or purpose beyond our planet
It's on Amerika's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse
has grown up a cow
American culture has lost its innocence and become corrupt
Now the workers
have struck for fame
People are willing to do whatever it takes to become famous
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
Even the iconic figure of John Lennon has been commercialized and commodified
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
Pop culture has spread far and wide, leaving little room for national identity or personal connections
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
Even the artist's own creations fail to bring her satisfaction or fulfillment, and she struggles to find meaning and purpose in her life
Writer(s): David Bowie
Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.