David Bowie↗ (b1947) is a true artist in all the glory of that word.
Life on Mars?↗ (1971), this is a great song. I don't know in what context this song is written, but the lyrics is fantastic. Seems like a American tale to me. Quite sad.
Life On Mars, Words and music by David Bowie.
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 Ibiza 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?
YouTube search: Life On Mars, David Bowie↗
Space Oddity↗, released in 1969, the same year human animals landed on the moon. It is one of the greatest ballad in music history. Eerily serene and catastrophic. Depicting love, and human animal's spacy aspiration, vuneralbility, and the beauty of the earth (in a anthropic perspective). A vernacular record of Human Space program. “check inignition and may God's love be with you”. God, this can put tears in my eyes.
Space Oddity, words and music by David Bowie.
Ground Control to Major Tom Ground Control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on Ground Control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may God's love be with you (Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff) This is Ground Control to Major Tom You've really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare This is Major Tom to Ground Control I'm stepping through the door And I'm floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today For here, Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell my wife I love her very much she knows Ground Control to Major Tom Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you.... Here am I floating round my tin can Far above the Moon Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do.
YouTube search: Space Oddity, David Bowie↗
Chine Girl, a very funny song. A weakling in megalomanic gaga fantasy.
I could escape this feeling with my China Girl I feel a wreck without my little China Girl I hear her heart beating loud as thunder Saw they stars crashing I'm a mess without my little China Girl Wake up mornings where's my little China Girl I hear her heart's beating loud as thunder Saw they stars crashing down I feel a-tragic like I'm Marlon Brando When I look at my China Girl I could pretend that nothing really meant too much When I look at my China Girl I stumble into town just like a sacred cow Visions of swastikas in my head Plans for everyone It's in the whites of my eyes My little China Girl You shouldn't mess with me I'll ruin everything you are I'll give you television I'll give you eyes of blue I'll give you men who want to rule the world And when I get excited My little China Girl says Oh baby just you shut your mouth She says ... sh-sh-shhh
YouTube search: China Girl, David Bowie↗
Related essays:
Page created: 2005-06. © 2005 by Xah Lee. (excluding mirrored pages or images.)