She'll come, she'll go
She'll lay belief on you
Skin sweet with musky odor
The lady from another grinning soul

Cologne she'll wear
Silver and Americard
She'll drive a beetle car
And beat you down at cool Canasta

And when the clothes are strewn
Don't be afraid of the room
Touch the fullness of her breast
Feel the love of her caress
She will be your living end

She'll come, she'll go
She'll lay belief on you
But she won't stake her life on you
How can life become her point of view

And when the clothes are strewn
Don't be afraid of the room
Touch the fullness of her breast
Feel the love of her caress

She will be your living end
She will be your living end
She will be your living end
She will be your living end
She will be your living


Lyrics submitted by saturnine, edited by plor, TonyKalltheway, gfeo, futatorius

Lady Grinning Soul Lyrics as written by David Bowie

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

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Lady Grinning Soul song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +9
    General Comment

    Almost 30 years ago I was in a long distance relationship (she'll come, she'll go) with a woman who was Lady Grinning Soul in every way. Beautiful, blonde, diamond blue eyes, looked better in a pair of jeans than any woman I've ever seen. Funny, smart, acerbic, lit up a room when she walked into it. She made me feel alive in a way I never felt before or since. We were obsessed with each other for about two years. The passion was incredible. God how I loved her. She was indeed my living end. But she craved money and a lifestyle and status that I could not give her, and I could not hang on to her. She's now a real housewife of Orange County, not on the show, but that's where she is, and that's who she is. I ended up finding and marrying my true soul mate, but to this day it just rips my heart and guts out to hear this song.

    interlachenon December 29, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I love the piano. I can listen to this song non-stop and never tire of it. It is calming, samuella! :]

    SINKINGx3HEARTSon December 04, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    It's about loving a woman that you know is just going to use you but you can't stop loving her. The chorus is great. Very pretty.

    Bonehead XLon June 03, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    What does this song mean? It means that Bowie can really write a powerful exotic song with a hypnot ic hook! I could listen to this song over and over and be amazed at the talent of Bowie. I love this song!

    Motown1on August 08, 2006   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    This is quite the erotic Bowie singing here. "Touch the fullness of her breast, feel the love of her caress." Quite the passionate love-making song. Calming, hypnotizing, and soothing, yet haunting.

    davidbowiefan1on May 07, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Mike Garson & his piano again!! Such a powerful, running right hand through the first two verses, then mix it with Mick Ronsons' acoustic guitar, then finally the majestic, electric sustained chords.

    nagromnaion November 07, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i love this fucking song!!

    ehongsterron June 11, 2010   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    Such a hypnotic soothing melody. The song is about being in love wiht a woman very deeply, but she just plays with your heart until you lose it become obsessed with her and you need her and possibly leading to horrible decisons such as commiting suicide or physically hurting yourself.

    Bowiesbiggestfanon June 30, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    It's musky oil, not odor, anyway.

    antiqueon May 07, 2013   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Like most of the album, from which this track comes, the song's real appeal (for me) comes from Mike Garson's soaring piano work. The piano sounds in say Hunky Dory (done by Rick Wakeman) just add body to the tracks (except for, say, Life on Mars) but Alladinsane is just crammed full of smart keyboard licks. Starting from the psudo-Germainic, high-kicks of Time and ending with this luscious feast of seductive melody the album is a masterpiece of musical theater. I love it.

    DWKon July 01, 2013   Link

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