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Buddha of Suburbia Lyrics

Living in lies by the railway line
Pushing the hair from my eyes
Elvis is English and climbs the hills
Can't tell the bullshit from the lies
Screaming along in South London
Vicious but ready to learn
Sometimes I fear that the whole world is queer
Sometimes but always in vain

CHORUS
So I'll wait until we're sane
Wait until we're blessed and all the same
Full of blood, loving life and all it's got to give
Englishman going insane
Down on my knees in suburbia
Down on myself in every way

With great expectations I change all my clothes
Mustn't grumble at silver and gold
Screaming above Central London
Never bored, so I'll never get old

CHORUS

Day after
Day after
Day
Day after
Zane, Zane, Zane
Ouvre le chien
Day after
Day
Day after
Zane, Zane, Zane
Ouvre le chien
Day after
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Cover art for Buddha of Suburbia lyrics by David Bowie

Do you think there is any relation between this song and Green Day's "Jesus of Suburbia" from their American Idiot album???

@phil602 This was from a movie with the same title. It predated Green Days song.

Cover art for Buddha of Suburbia lyrics by David Bowie

I find it interesting that he repeated the "Zane Zane Zane, Ouvre le chien" ("Zane Zane Zane, Open the dog") line from "All the Madmen"

Cover art for Buddha of Suburbia lyrics by David Bowie

There is also that funky riff from Space Oddity.

Cover art for Buddha of Suburbia lyrics by David Bowie

It was written for the 1993 BBC dramatisation of the Hanif Kureishi book of the same name. Not sure if I remember the series, but the book is well worth reading- allegedly the white b/f character is Billy Idol...

Cover art for Buddha of Suburbia lyrics by David Bowie

Thanks, jimmy. I agree. I loved it how he brought the 'Zane Zane Zane, Ouvre le chien' part. This series is about this lonely fellow named...Karim... I think. And he's just trying to fit in. Oh, another tidbit. the instrumental 'Ian Fish, U.K. Heir' is an anagram for Hanif Kureshi.

 
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