I've come on a few years from my Hollywood Highs
The best of the last, the cleanest star they ever had

I'm stiff on my legend
The films that I made
Forget that I'm fifty
'Cause you just got paid

Crack, baby, crack
Show me you're real
Smack, baby, smack, is that all that you feel
Suck, baby, suck
Give me your head
Before you start professing
That you're knocking me dead
Oh, stay, please stay, please stay
You caught yourself a trick down
On Sunset and Vine
But since he pinned you, baby
You're a porcupine

You sold me illusions for a sack full of checks
You've made a bad connection 'cause I just want your sex

Crack, baby, crack
Show me you're real
Smack, baby, smack, is that all that you feel
Suck, baby, suck
Give me your head
Before you start professing
That you're knocking me dead
Oh yeah
Oh, stay for a day
Oh yeah
Don't you dare
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah


Lyrics submitted by emod

Cracked Actor Lyrics as written by David Bowie

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Cracked Actor song meanings
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24 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Agree with all 3 comments so far. The song was written after Bowie had travelled to Los Angeles for the first time and seen the aftermath of Hollywood gone wrong. His observations became this song.

    kymson March 28, 2005   Link

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