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David Bowie – Sunday Lyrics	21 years ago
I don't know, Koncorde, Bowie was definitely affected by 9/11 (he lives in New York for at least part of the year), and I've read an interview in which he parallels the fear of terrorism post-2001 being similar to the Cuban Missile crisis. And we all know Bowie loves him some apocalyptic paranoia.

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David Bowie – Space Oddity Lyrics	21 years ago
I'm pretty sure Majortom6669 is having you all on, given his comment on "Golden Years" that said it was written for A Knight's Tale. Also, Varus is right: Bowie changed his name to avoid being confused with the erstwhile Monkee, and I hear he picked Bowie by reading the name of Jim Bowie, inventor of the Bowie knife and cowboy-legend fellow, because he wanted something that sounded American.

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David Bowie – Fashion Lyrics	21 years ago
i believe Bowie, being a person who at some point had at least some inquisitiveness toward both fashion and fascism (although I think his "fascist dictator" comments in seventies were mostly just him having a laugh at the media's expense), is paralleling the two things, especially in the "turn to the left! turn to the right!" part, as that's something heard by both fashion models and soldiers.

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David Bowie – Word on a Wing Lyrics	21 years ago
Bowie's call to God, I think, saying, "I'll do whatever the hell you want, but no matter what I say, you just keep fucking with me!" Bowie himself has said, "i mean, what is the gag, God? What's the breaking point? It's just too much."

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David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust Lyrics	21 years ago
I'm pretty sure Pabstdrinkin meant that Ziggy Stardust was supposed to be Vince Taylor. I would agree to the extent that Ziggy is kind of a mashup of every died-too-young rockstar as well as Bowie himself: it's the rockstar story blown up to planetary proportions. Instead of coming from some small town or something, he's from Mars, etc.

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David Bowie – I'm Afraid of Americans Lyrics	21 years ago
I think the "God is an American" line is both Bowie expressing his fear of God (obviously; he's mentioned this before, saying something to the effect that he believes in God very much, but he thinks God is probably an ass) and "Johnny" (perhaps it should be "Georgie") deciding that God is on his side.

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David Bowie – Everyone Says 'Hi' Lyrics	21 years ago
Yeah, i read that too...i think there's also a bit of sad humor in it, because you would love it if everyone you ever knew just said a friendly "hello" for no real reason, but they wait to do it til you're dead.

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David Bowie – TVC 15 Lyrics	21 years ago
I've read this is about a story Iggy Pop told Bowie once: apparently Iggy and his girlfriend were dropping acid, and Iggy hallucinated that his TV ate his girlfriend. Bowie being Bowie, naturally, he takes it a couple steps farther in technological-paranoia-impersonalization-etc.

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David Bowie – We Are the Dead Lyrics

21 years ago

This one is most definitely about Winston and Julia in "1984", a couple who are two of the only real rebels in a totalitarian, freakishly paranoid and emotionless society. The line, "Son, we want you, Be elusive but don't walk far," is especially a clue, as it makes reference to O'Brien, a character in the book who poses as an insurrectionary leader to attract the couple, but is then outed as a member of the Ministry of Truth, a group that tortures and occasionally kills anyone daring to question Big Brother.

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David Bowie – Fall Dog Bombs the Moon Lyrics	21 years ago
As much as I see the references to Bush, I think it might be just as much about Tony Blair. I certainly wouldn't call Bush "cruel and smart." Maybe "cruel and fucking malfunctional."

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David Bowie – China Girl Lyrics	21 years ago
I've always gotten a hint of commentary on Western imperialism, especially the "give you television, give you eyes of blue" and "plans for everyone" lines. In fact, on tour, Bowie's been jokingly saying it's a new song, which is probably his way of taking a shot at the Bush "presidency."

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David Bowie – Heroes Lyrics

21 years ago

As far as the extra words, aphekgs, Ana Byrd is right: the single version, which is the version that ends up on the most compilations and such, cuts the first two verses and makes the song about 3-1/2 minutes as opposed to more than 6 on the album. The thing about the quotes is also true: though it's fully noble and well that the people still love each other, they're not really succeeding, so they're only "heroes." I've also heard it said that the people standing at the Berlin Wall were Tony Visconti and his girlfriend, Tony being an excellent producer who worked with Bowie on a load of albums, including The Man Who Sold the World, Young Americans, Scary Montsters and Super Creeps, the Berlin trilogy and his two latest.

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David Bowie – Life on Mars? Lyrics

21 years ago

First, I'm pretty sure the "workers have struck for fame/cos Lennon's on sale again line" is a slight jab at John Lennon, because a bit before Hunky Dory came out, Lennon put out his first real solo album, which included the proletariat-anthem "Working Class Hero", so Bowie's joking that, since Lennon is back, there's going to be a revolution. As far as the song as a whole, I tend to see it as a commentary on the blurring of the line between art and real life: the girl has lived the movie, Bowie has written what is happening to him, Lennon's working class song will cause a working class revolution, etc, and i think the "Is there life on Mars?" line means, you know, we've made so many movies and TV shows and songs about aliens, so are they as real as the other things we write and talk and sing about?

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David Bowie – 1984 Lyrics

21 years ago

What Anadine said is true: he actually wanted "Diamond Dogs" to tour as a musical about "1984," and when he named the tour "1980 Floor Show," it was a play on "1984 Show." There are all kinds of references to the book on the album, including "We Are the Dead" (apparently a dialogue between Winston and Julia, the novel's main characters) and "Big Brother", the iconic despot in the novel who is worshipped as a hero by the mindless hordes.

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Radiohead – A Wolf at the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll) Lyrics	21 years ago
One thing that struck me when I heard this and read some interpretations of it was that most people seem to interpret the chorus' last line as "I'll never see him again if I squeal to the cops," as in the Wolf, but I hear it as, "I'll never see 'em again if I squeal to the cops," as in his children, whom the wolf has threatened to steal.

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Radiohead – Sit Down. Stand Up. (Snakes & Ladders.) Lyrics	21 years ago
I think the words are more to set a mood than express any certain meaning, but the thing that strikes me about them is how the first section emphasizes power and control ("We can wipe you out anytime! Sit down! Stand up!"), but just as the narrators think they run the world, here come the raindrops, falling from the sky totally independent of anything people ever do.

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Radiohead – We Suck Young Blood. (Your Time Is Up.) Lyrics	21 years ago
I've read that Thom said the song deals with young people (young blood) getting sucked in to certain organizations that indoctrinate them. The examples he used were the porno industry and right-wing politics.

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Radiohead – Life in a Glasshouse Lyrics	21 years ago
I think DammitSteve has got things the closest of anyone so far--Thom and co. are famous, so they're living in a glass house for everyone to scrutinize them and spread rumors (hence, "I'm in trouble with my only friend"), and they feel as if they can't reveal themselves because there's always someone listening in.

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