There is more than one artist under this name:

1. The Spiders from M… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist under this name:

1. The Spiders from Mars, a rock band associated with David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust era. The Spiders had one post-Ziggy Stardust-era album, of which Bowie had had no participation.

2. The Spiders from Mars, a collaborative eurobeat project between Dave Rodgers and Mickey B..

Starman
The Spiders from Mars Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Didn't know what time it was and the lights were low
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll 'lotta soul, he said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That weren't no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive

There's a starman waiting in the sky

He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

I had to phone someone so I picked on you
Hey, that's far out so you heard him too!
Switch on the TV we may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window I can see his light
If we can sparkle he may land tonight
Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Overall Meaning

"Starman" is a rock song by the English artist David Bowie, released in 1972 as part of his album "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars." The song tells the story of a radio listener who hears a message from a starman who is coming to earth and is waiting in the sky to meet humans. Despite the starman's fears that he may "blow our minds," he encourages us to "let the children lose it" and embrace the experience.

The first verse sets the scene of the listener alone at night, listening to rock 'n' roll on the radio. The second verse introduces the idea of the starman, and the chorus repeats this message with a catchy hook. The third verse describes the listener's attempts to share the news with someone else, and the fear of being locked up. The final refrain repeats the chorus, with a series of "la, la, la's" that fade out as the cosmic message continues to play.

The lyrics are open to interpretation, but many see them as a message of hope and encouragement to embrace the unknown and embrace change. Bowie himself described "Starman" as a "glorious liberation," giving permission to be oneself.

Line by Line Meaning

Didn't know what time it was and the lights were low
I was lost in the music and unsure of the time or surroundings

I leaned back on my radio
I relaxed and let the music take me away

Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll 'lotta soul, he said
I was hearing a DJ play some great rock and soul music

Then the loud sound did seem to fade
The music faded away, leaving only silence for a moment

Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
The music returned, sounding like a slow, haunting voice

That weren't no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive
I realized that the voice was not a DJ, but instead some sort of unearthly cosmic message

There's a starman waiting in the sky
There is someone, a starman, waiting for us in the sky

He'd like to come and meet us
This starman wishes to meet us

But he thinks he'd blow our minds
The starman is worried that his presence would be overwhelming

He's told us not to blow it
The starman has warned us not to mishandle this opportunity

'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
Because the starman knows that this meeting is precious and valuable

He told me
The starman conveyed this message to me personally

Let the children lose it
The starman encourages us to let loose and be free

Let the children use it
The starman wants us to use our imaginations and creativity

Let all the children boogie
The starman wants us to dance and enjoy ourselves as childlike beings

I had to phone someone so I picked on you
I needed to share this incredible encounter with someone, so I chose to call you

Hey, that's far out so you heard him too!
You also experienced the starman's message and find it unbelievable/exciting

Switch on the TV we may pick him up on channel two
We may be able to see the starman on television if we tune in to channel two

Look out your window I can see his light
I can see a light in the sky that could be the starman's

If we can sparkle he may land tonight
If we can show our potential and uniqueness, the starman may visit us tonight

Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright
We can't tell our parents or get them involved, or they will be scared and potentially punish us

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
This is an energetic interlude in the song with no specific meaning

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Steven Buklad

2y↑46

So, I stumbled on a thing. I played the single remaster and this version over top each other. Because the songs are ever so slightly off in speed, they would create flange phasing. I would do quick pauses to resync the tracks, but it made for some happy accidents such as the phase effect happening on the chorus and the guitar solo. I was tickled to no end that I was able to get that effect in a pseudo classic way, essentially playing two recordings over each other at slightly unsynced speeds. I remember being turned on to this effect by Art Bell's Coast to Coast AM where he had a phased cut of Ride My See Saw by The Moody Blues made and he explained how the effect was created. Food for thought.

The 2nd Coming

Already know🦸🏽‍♂️

Billy Craig

That's pretty cool

Holly

2y↑6

This is my favorite Bowie song of all time. RIP

CMTG

2y↑8

Really loved this song, I just recently listened to old music and this one pops up after an array of carpenters and now I am here listening at it again.