The Man Who Sold the World
Nirvana/Musicfire.in Lyrics
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We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago
Oh no, not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare
We walked a million hills
I must have died alone
A long, long time ago
Who knows?
Not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
Who knows?
Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
"Thanks, that was a David Bowie song"
"What's next?"
"I didn't screw it up, did I?
Okay, but here's another one I could screw up"
"What is it?"
"Am I going to do this by myself?"
"Do it by yourself"
"Okay, well, I think I'll try it in a different key
I'll try it in the normal key
And if it sounds bad, these people are just gonna have to wait"
The lyrics of Nirvana's cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" are intriguing and open to interpretation. The song begins with the singer meeting someone on a stair and talking about the past ("we spoke of was and when"). The singer wasn't there but the person he is speaking to claims he was his friend ("although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend"). This is surprising to the singer because he thought the person died alone a long time ago ("I thought you died alone, a long, long time ago"). The next lines are repeated throughout the song and state that they never lost control and that the listener is face to face with the man who sold the world.
The second verse follows the singer's journey after this encounter. He laughs, shakes the person's hand, and makes his way back home. He spends years searching for form and land and roams a million hills. The singer then gazes with a gazeless stare, suggesting a loss of purpose or direction. He also thinks he may have died alone a long time ago. The repetitions of "who knows?" and "not me" add to the uncertainty and mystery of the lyrics.
The overall meaning of the song is open to interpretation. It could be a commentary on fame and the selling of oneself to the world, with "the man who sold the world" representing those who have become famous or successful by selling an image or persona. Alternatively, some argue that it is a reflection on death and the experience of facing one's own mortality. The repeating lines of "we never lost control" could refer to a sense of power or control in the face of death or fame.
Line by Line Meaning
We passed upon the stair
We met each other unexpectedly
We spoke of was and when
We discussed about the past and present
Although I wasn't there
Although I was not present at the time we were discussing
He said I was his friend
He referred to me as his friend
Which came as a surprise
I was surprised to hear him say that
I spoke into his eyes
I looked straight into his eyes when I spoke
I thought you died alone
I assumed you died without any companionship
A long, long time ago
A very long time in the past
Oh no, not me
I am not in that situation
We never lost control
We always maintained control of the situation
You're face to face
You are directly facing
With the man who sold the world
You are in front of the person who made a significant change to the world
I laughed and shook his hand
I laughed with him and shook his hand as a gesture of friendship
And made my way back home
I then went back home
I searched for form and land
I looked for a place to belong to
For years and years, I roamed
I wandered around for a very long time
I gazed a gazeless stare
I stared with an empty gaze
We walked a million hills
We walked over lots of obstacles
I must have died alone
I must have lost all companionship
Who knows?
Nobody can be certain about things
Not me
I am unsure as well
Okay, but here's another one I could screw up
I am unsure if the next song will be good or bad
What's next?
What is the next song?
"I didn't screw it up, did I?
Was my performance satisfactory?
Do it by yourself"
Perform it alone
Okay, well, I think I'll try it in a different key
I will attempt to play it in a different musical key
And if it sounds bad, these people are just gonna have to wait
If it does not sound good, the audience will have to wait for the next performance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind