The Man Who Sold The World
david bowie and nine inch nails 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 some surprise
I spoke into his eyes "I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago"
I 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 gazely stare
At all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long, long time ago
Who knows? Not me
We 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
David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” is an enigmatic and haunting song that appears to be about the nature of identity, power, and control. The song begins with the singer encountering an old friend and speaking to him about the past. However, the singer is surprised to learn that the friend believes he is still alive, even though he has died a long time ago. The singer then asserts his independence, saying that he has never lost control.
As for what the lyrics mean, there are multiple interpretations of the song. Some suggest that it is about Bowie negotiating his own identity as he transitioned from his old persona to a new persona, such as Ziggy Stardust, while others believe it could be about addiction or the idea of selling one's soul for fame and fortune. Additionally, the lines “We must have died alone / A long, long time ago” could also be interpreted as a metaphor for the loss of spiritual wisdom or detachment from emotion that occurs as a person attains power and success.
Overall, “The Man Who Sold the World” remains an elusive and haunting song, with multiple layers of meaning that continue to inspire fans and music critics alike.
Line by Line Meaning
We passed upon the stair
We encountered each other while we were taking the stairs.
We spoke of was and when
We talked about the past and the present/future.
Although I wasn't there
I wasn't physically present during the events we talked about.
He said I was his friend
He claimed that we were friends.
Which came as some surprise
I was caught off guard when he made that statement.
I spoke into his eyes 'I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago'
I looked directly at him and expressed my belief that he had passed away a long time ago and was alone when it happened.
Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I reject the idea that I'm the one who's lost control - you're actually confronting the man who's responsible for manipulating and selling the world.
I laughed and shook his hand
Despite the shock of seeing him and the realization that he might be dead, I laughed and shook his hand in a friendly way.
And made my way back home
After saying goodbye to him, I left and returned to my own residence.
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare
At all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long, long time ago
I wandered aimlessly for a long time, trying to find a place to call home. As I looked at all the people in the world, I felt detached from them and came to the conclusion that everyone is actually alone - even though we're surrounded by others.
Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I'm unsure about the nature of our reality and our level of control within it. However, I reiterate that you're in the presence of the man who's responsible for selling the world's current state of being.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shortstuff Jay
Man thank you so MUCH for putting this up, and especially for touching it up enough to make it a smooth listen.. Remember, every artist is his own worst critique, but you have done a fantastic job! 😁
Gary
Just love it when DB reworks his songs
Richard Ferguson
Thanks for your work on this!
x SO x FATAL x
This is beautiful dude
Lil' Red
Divine! 👽✌
From Chaos
This is bad ass
Jonathan Thomas
Not as good as Nirvana, and I hate Nirvana
Cow80y
We all hate Nirvana, but damn they made good music
Zinn13 Family
bowie was the original FYI, not this version tho
Jonathan Thomas
@Zinn13 Family I'm aware