Blackstar Lyrics

Lyric discussion by terminalstare 

Cover art for Blackstar lyrics by David Bowie

This song gives me chills. knowing he was dying he must have asked God why? But got no response," I can’t answer why ,Just go with me. Also he thumbed his nose at the great I am or he believed that after death he would become the great I am. Everything would be taken from him, I’m-a take you home (I’m a blackstar) Take your passport and shoes (I’m not a popstar) And your sedatives, boo (I’m a blackstar) Probably was on sedatives and pain pills. Your'e a flash in the pan meaning you are just here for a short time, you are fleeting. In the video, He said Goodbye to his success, as Major Tom was the alien like astronaut.His solitary candle burned out, he floated off to be a star that was burnt out, a dead star. I believe he believed in reincarnation from the lyrics, Something happened on the day he died Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried (I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar) When he mentions the day of execution, I believe that the cancer was his execution. ​Loved the Artist that he will always be, wished I knew the man he was. Love to His family and fans.

My Interpretation

@terminalstare I think his definition of blackstar is who he is after he dies, In that sense, Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, and now David Bowie are blackstars. Their legends live on post-mortem. When he left, his legend filled the void and took on a life of its own.

"You’re a flash in the pan I’m the great I Am"

"I Am" is considered by many to be the 'real' name of God in the Old Testament (e.g. see here https://carm.org/what-real-name-god-yhwh-jehovah-yahweh).

So this affirms your interpretation that God is the narrator in these lines, and Bowie is being dragged away

@terminalstare David Bowie was complex. He means several things by most everything he says in his lyrics. Blackstar is a dead star, meaning dead artist. Blackstar is hissuccess dying out when he passes, Major Tom Floating off to space in a void, the Song that brought him great fame could be a Blackstar. There is a Black star on the Bible could mean he did not believe in everything written in the bible. I could go on. Thanks for the reply . I will never forget the genius of the man nor the happiness he brought and still does bring me.