Life On Mars
London Symphony Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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 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





Dring-dring-dring

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Life On Mars" by the London Symphony Orchestra depict a young girl's struggle to escape from her mundane life and immerse herself in the world of Hollywood movies. Despite her parents' disapproval, she walks through her "sunken dream" to a seat with the clearest view of the silver screen. However, the movie she's watching is a "saddening bore," something she's already lived ten times before, and she's indifferent to the sailors fighting in the dance hall and the cavemen in the freakiest show. Instead, she pities the fools who ask her to focus on such trivialities.


The next verse of the song switches to an entirely different scene, where the workers have gone on a strike to gain fame and Lennon's on sale again. The writer, David Bowie, uses this verse to satirize the society of his time, where pop culture icons like Mickey Mouse and Lennon have emerged as commercial trademarks. He reminds us that while we chase after fame and fortune, we leave behind traditions like Rule Britannia, memories of our mothers and our dogs, and people who make us smile, like clowns. The song ends abruptly with the sound of a telephone ringing, leaving the listeners to contemplate its significance.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a god-awful small affair
This situation is terrible and insignificant


To the girl with the mousy hair
This is happening to a specific young woman with unremarkable features


But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
Her mother disagrees or disapproves


And her daddy has told her to go
Her father is telling her to leave or move on from something


But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Her friend is not present or not acting supportive


Now she walks through her sunken dream
She moves through her complicated or difficult inner world


To the seat with the clearest view
She tries to find perspective or clarity in her situation


And she's hooked to the silver screen
She's using media or entertainment to escape or distract herself


But the film is a saddening bore
The media is unsatisfying and depressing


For she's lived it ten times or more
She's experienced this before and is getting tired of it


She could spit in the eyes of fools
She's angry and frustrated with people who don't understand her situation


As they ask her to focus on
Other people are trying to get her to pay attention to something she doesn't care about


Sailors fighting in the dance hall
This is a chaotic situation with people engaging in physical conflict


Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
The people involved seem primitive or uncivilized


It's the freakiest show
This is an unusual, perhaps even disturbing, spectacle


Take a look at the Lawman
There's someone involved in this situation who holds legal or authoritative power


Beating up the wrong guy
There's an injustice happening here


Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
It's unclear if the perpetrator understands they're in the wrong


He's in the best selling show
This is the most popular or widely-consumed spectacle around


Is there life on Mars?
The situation is so surreal or confusing, it makes her question the nature of reality itself


It's on America's tortured brow
This situation is taking place in the US, which is facing significant strife or turmoil


That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Even beloved, childhood symbols are getting twisted or corrupted


Now the workers have struck for fame
Ordinary people are pushing back against systems or industries that exploit them


'Cause Lennon's on sale again
Even revered or legendary figures are being commodified or exploited


See the mice in their million hordes
There are masses of people or entities involved in this situation


From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
This situation is happening in a wide range of geographic locations


Rule Britannia is out of bounds
Traditional systems of power or influence no longer apply or hold sway here


To my mother, my dog, and clowns
This situation is beyond comprehension, even for those who are close or important in her life


Dring-dring-dring
Unknown or ambiguous noise, perhaps signifying something unexpected or disconcerting




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Max

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



All comments from YouTube:

Petros Papageorgiou

Hearing his songs played by a full orchestra, excellently arranged, brings home even more clearly the genius behind them... RIP Mr Bowie... you and your music will never be forgotten... for generations.... great music.. great songs...a lovely soundtrack to our lives...we were so lucky to have had the joy of listening to you...

Suzie Tschirsch

read your comment today and tearing up again......feel still sad.........

Andrew Smith

my dad has this album, and 25 years ago this was my introduction to Bowie.

Gam Gammerz

And Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Rolling Stone's Paint It Black, Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade Of Pale... oh hell, all of the titles!

gerald hone

I used to go into my Dad's house... he was 82 years of age...and he'd have this blasting!! The windows were rattling! He loved this one...and Bohemian Rhapsody... 1,00 decibels!! ha ha ha

Budi Rahardjo

yes, this album is a masterpiece ...

cyro reis

Simplesmente maravilhosa performance de uma das mais belas músicas de David Bowie, nosso lendário camaleão!!!

__

Way to make an entry, that brass section hit like a truck! Brilliant job

Emma L

This instrumental version is amazing :D as a huge Bowie fan, i am going to be using this for my dance at college :D a tribute to a legend!

Rainman

Thanks for Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross from 'Watchmen' for introducing such an awesome piece of art

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