Marc had played guitar since the age of 9, but started to pursue music more seriously around 1964, when he became Toby Tyler, covering songs by Bob Dylan, and Dion.
(A track recorded around this time as Mark Feld, "All At Once" has recently been discovered will be released soon.) In his teen years, Marc became known as one of the first "mods". This led him to a brief stint as a model, and he chose to leave school when he was 14 years old. He also played guitar in a band called John's Children. Marc was needed for this group as a 'Pete Townshend' figure, but after 3 months, he left the band.
Together with Steve Peregrin Took, he formed his own duo Tyrannosaurus Rex, which quickly gained a large underground following. After 3 successful albums, Steve Peregrin Took's drug habits and suggestion of doing some of his own songs was enough for Marc to kick him out of the duo. Mickey Finn quickly replaced Steve, and the new duo recorded the album A Beard Of Stars, with Marc replacing Steve's backing vocals on the tracks they already began recording.
On Marc's second album with Finn, he decided to shorten the name of the band to T. Rex, and found fame and chart succes in 1970 with Ride a White Swan.
Following that success, Marc wrote several more top 10 hits and albums, Electric Warrior(1971), The Slider (1972), Tanx(1973), Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow Or a Creamed Cage In August)(1974), Bolan's Zip-Gun(1975), Futuristic Dragon(1976) and the final album
Dandy In the Underworld(1977).
Marc Bolan tried to make it clear during his lifetime that he was NOT to be grouped in the lot called Glam Rock. In 1973, he appeared under the headline "Glam Rock Is Dead: Says Marc" - he felt he was not being treated seriously as an artist, so with Zinc Alloy onward, he moved into a Rock & Soul sound, radically different than what was the musical trend at the time. Many of Marc's fans stayed behind with the Glam movement, but Marc pursued further into less commercial music adventures, with the help of his soul-singer girlfriend, Gloria Jones. Together they had a son, Rolan Bolan, in 1975.
Tragically, Marc died in a car crash on 16 September 1977 in a purple Mini driven by Gloria Jones.
Cosmic Dancer
Marc Bolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was dancing when I was twelve
I was dancing when I was out
I was dancing when I was out
I danced myself right out the womb
I danced myself right out the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I was dancing when I was eight
I was dancing when I was eight
Is it strange to dance so late?
Is it strange to dance so late?
Oh, ohh-oh
I danced myself into the tomb
I danced myself into the tomb
Is it strange to dance so soon? (Oh)
I danced myself into the tomb
Is it wrong to understand
The fear that dwells inside a man?
What's it like to be a loon?
I liken it to a balloon
Oh, ohh-oh
I danced myself out of the womb
I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I danced myself into the tomb
But then again
Once more
I danced myself out of the womb
I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I danced myself out of the womb
Oh, ohh-oh (oh)
The song "Cosmic Dancer" by Marc Bolan talks about the idea of dancing as a metaphor for our very existence. Bolan sings of dancing from the moment of birth to the point of death, suggesting that dancing is a celebration of life itself. The song starts with the line "I was dancing when I was twelve/I was dancing when I was out," which highlights the idea that dancing has always been a part of Bolan's life. He even suggests that he danced himself right out of the womb, which adds a sense of defiance and power to the track.
The song then moves into questions about the morality of dancing, asking if it's wrong to understand the fear that dwells inside a man or what it's like to be alone. Bolan compares the feeling of being alone to the deflated state of a balloon, suggesting that dancing is what gives us life and fills us up. The song then ends with the repetition of the opening lines, as Bolan sings them as an affirmation of his existence.
Line by Line Meaning
I was dancing when I was twelve
I have been dancing since a very young age, even at the age of twelve
I danced myself right out the womb
I was born with an innate passion for dancing which has been with me since birth
Is it strange to dance so soon?
Is it unusual to love and express oneself through dance from such a young age?
I was dancing when I was eight
From a tender age of eight, I was already exploring my love for dance
Is it strange to dance so late?
Is it unusual for someone to start dancing at an older age than usual?
I danced myself into the tomb
I want to dance till the end of my life as it is what brings me complete happiness
Is it wrong to understand the fear that dwells inside a man?
Why is it considered wrong to empathize with someone who is struggling with fear, anxiety or depression?
What's it like to be alone
What does it genuinely feel like to be lonely and disconnected from everyone and everything around you?
I liken it to a balloon
It feels like being fragile and untethered, like a balloon that can be carried away by the wind
But then again Once more
This line is open to interpretation and has been considered a mystical reference for the listener
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Marc Bolan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind