Life On Mars?
Seal 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 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?

Overall Meaning

Seal’s song “Life on Mars?” is a cover of David Bowie’s classic single, released in 1971. The song narrates the story of the girl with mousy hair, whose parents disapprove of her choices and disapprove of her company. Despite her parents’ protests, the girl steps out into her sunken dream and sits in a seat with the clearest view, hooked to the silver screen. However, the film she watches leaves her bored, as she has lived it ten times or more.


The lyrics are heavily metaphorical and portray the surreal atmosphere of the song. The sailors fighting in the dance hall, cavemen going wild, beating up the wrong guy and a lawman, are all symbolic of the societal pressure, politics and ubiquitous violence in the world. The girl in the song seems to long for a better place than this, asking if there is life on Mars, where humans have started anew.


Seal’s version of “Life on Mars?” stays loyal to the original song, while his soulful voice adds a unique, almost melancholy tone to it. The shifts of rhythm, intensity and melodies make the song an engaging listen. The lyrics remain as cryptic and elusive as ever, inviting personal interpretations from the listener.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a god-awful small affair
Life is insignificant and unpleasant.


To the girl with the mousy hair
The girl in question has unremarkable features, but is still caught up in the drudgery of life.


But her mummy is yelling 'No'
Her mother disapproves of the girl's choices or behavior.


And her daddy has told her to go
Her father has ordered her to leave, perhaps because of her rebellious or non-conforming ways.


But her friend is nowhere to be seen
The girl has no support or companionship through these trying times.


Now she walks through her sunken dream
The girl moves through life in a daze, her hope and vitality draining away.


To the seat with the clearest view
She seeks a place where she can see life clearly and objectively, detached from her emotions and experiences.


And she's hooked to the silver screen
Television or film has become an escape for the girl, an alternate reality where she can lose herself in fantasy and distraction.


But the film is a saddening bore
Even this diversion has lost its power to engage and entertain.


For she's lived it ten times or more
The girl is intimately familiar with this type of story or experience, through repetition or exposure.


She could spit in the eyes of fools
The girl feels superior to those still caught up in these trivial, meaningless distractions.


As they ask her to focus on
Others want her to join them in viewing these diversions, but she resists or refuses them.


Sailors fighting in the dance hall
More drama unfolds, but it is still trivial and disconnected from reality.


Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
Humanity is still ruled by instinct and primitive behavior, even in so-called civilized settings.


It's the freakiest show
The absurdity and chaos of life continue to amaze and fascinate, but in a dark and depressing way.


Take a look at the Lawman
Even those tasked with upholding social order are ridiculed and mocked, adding to the sense of disorder and disillusionment.


Beating up the wrong guy
Injustice and violence continue unchecked, with no retribution or accountability for the perpetrators.


Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
The victim is left to suffer alone, with no hope of being understood or vindicated.


He's in the best selling show
The violence and chaos of life have become a spectacle, a form of entertainment for those who do not grasp the gravity and tragedy of the situation.


Is there life on Mars?
The ultimate question: is there any place where life can be meaningful, where humanity can escape its endless cycle of suffering and futility?


It's on Amerika's tortured brow
The cultural and political dysfunction of the United States is a reflection of deep-seated anguish and confusion among its citizens.


That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Even symbols of innocence and nostalgia have become corrupted and debased by commercialism and greed.


Now the workers have struck for fame
Workers have been reduced to pawns in a game of ambition and self-promotion, chasing illusions of power and notoriety.


'Cause Lennon's on sale again
The music and ideals of one of the few voices of hope and change have been co-opted and commodified for profit and manipulation.


See the mice in their million hordes
The masses have become mindless and expendable, instruments of their own oppression and enslavement to corporate and political interests.


From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
This condition is not isolated to any one place or culture, but has infected and consumed humanity on a global scale.


Rule Britannia is out of bounds
Even the symbols of national pride and power have lost their relevance and significance, offering no solace or inspiration to the disenchanted.


To my mother, my dog, and clowns
No one and nothing is exempt from this sense of despair and disillusionment, leaving even the closest and most personal connections in a state of confusion and frustration.


It's about to be writ again
The same cycle of pain and disappointment is about to repeat itself once more, with no end or escape in sight.




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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