Look into my eyes he tells her
I'm gonna say goodbye he says yea
Do not cry she begs of him goodbye yea
All that day she thinks of his love yea

They whip him through the streets and alleys there
The gormless and the baying crowd right there
They can't get enough of that doomsday song
They can't get enough of it all

Listen

Listen to the whores he tells her
He fashions paper sculptures of them
Then drags them to the river's bank in the cart
Their soggy paper bodies wash ashore in the dark
And the priest stiff in hate now demanding fun begin
Of his women dressed as men for the pleasure of that priest

Here I am
Not quite dying
My body left to rot in a hollow tree
Its branches throwing shadows
On the gallows for me
And the next day
And the next
And another day

Ignoring the pain of their particular diseases
They chase him through the alleys chase him down the steps
They haul him through the mud and they chant for his death
And drag him to the feet of the purple-headed priest

First they give you everything that you want
Then they take back everything that you have
They live upon their feet and they die upon their knees
They can work with satan while they dress like the saints
They know god exists for the devil told them so
They scream my name aloud down into the well below

Here I am
Not quite dying
My body left to rot in a hollow tree
Its branches throwing shadows
On the gallows for me
And the next day
And the next
And another day

Here I am
Not quite dying
My body left to rot in a hollow tree
Its branches throwing shadows
On the gallows for me
And the next day
And the next
And another day

Here I am
Not quite dying
My body left to rot in a hollow tree
Its branches throwing shadows
On the gallows for me
And the next day
And the next
And another day


Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by astrowsk, Allusi0, wharney2008, kerrylee69, And5300, Camille23

The Next Day Lyrics as written by David Bowie

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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The Next Day song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    According to Visconti it's about a European ruler in the Middle Ages:

    "Bowie wails and at times approaches hysteria as his dark lyrics, which according to producer Tony Visconti reference a late medieval period European tyrant, allude to the hypocrisy of the church (“They can work with Satan while they dress like the saints/ They know that god exists for the devil told them so”) and recall the bleak Orwellian post-apocalyptic imagery used on Diamond Dogs (“He drags them to the river‘s bank in the cart/ Their soggy paper bodies wash ashore in the dark…”)"

    I would also say it's metaphor for his career as well.

    hornytheclownon May 08, 2013   Link

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