Bowie dismisses the possibility of his own self being capable of love, but equally recognises the potency of love being a powerful force of inspiration in others.
He starts by depicting the bond of love between mother and son, the child being a military recruitment killed in action for the honour 'to save the slogan' which hovers 'between the headstone and her eyes".
There then follows the juxtaposition of this 'dead love' with the fresh romance of 'a boy and girl' and the innuendo's of "new words that only they can share in" that only such a pair would understand.
Bowie views love as a spirit/metaphysical force which descends indiscriminately, presenting this inspirational power upon the unprepared, "sparking the fusion" between one person and another. "Love is careless in its choosing, sweeping over cross a baby." And Bowie, aware of his inability to feel love, professes his empathy to the word and the beneficial effect it has upon others. "All I have is my love of love, and love is not loving."
The final verse develops a thought of cynicism to the love of god. It is not that Bowie's projected affection for the Christian deity is unrequited, moreover he cannot receive mutual feelings from those around, even when he lifts himself to the possibility of Gnostic beliefs, he finds no reward. The inner desire of the soul, as related by "the priest who tastes the word", and the prospect of a "God on high" being "all love" are dissolved, because his isolation and loneliness is a result of not lacking a god, but the oblivion such a god displays "though by reaching up my loneliness evolves by the blindness that surrounds him".
Consequently, the chaos of the initial song expands to encompass a religious aspects mankind does have the ability and capability to love on a superficial level with the air of doom hanging above, but the love which god is believed to possess, apparently the greatest love of all —"Soul Love", breeds discontent because of its inaccessibility, akin to unrequited love (i.e "All I have is my love of love, and love is not loving.").
Bowie dismisses the possibility of his own self being capable of love, but equally recognises the potency of love being a powerful force of inspiration in others.
He starts by depicting the bond of love between mother and son, the child being a military recruitment killed in action for the honour 'to save the slogan' which hovers 'between the headstone and her eyes".
There then follows the juxtaposition of this 'dead love' with the fresh romance of 'a boy and girl' and the innuendo's of "new words that only they can share in" that only such a pair would understand.
Bowie views love as a spirit/metaphysical force which descends indiscriminately, presenting this inspirational power upon the unprepared, "sparking the fusion" between one person and another. "Love is careless in its choosing, sweeping over cross a baby." And Bowie, aware of his inability to feel love, professes his empathy to the word and the beneficial effect it has upon others. "All I have is my love of love, and love is not loving."
The final verse develops a thought of cynicism to the love of god. It is not that Bowie's projected affection for the Christian deity is unrequited, moreover he cannot receive mutual feelings from those around, even when he lifts himself to the possibility of Gnostic beliefs, he finds no reward. The inner desire of the soul, as related by "the priest who tastes the word", and the prospect of a "God on high" being "all love" are dissolved, because his isolation and loneliness is a result of not lacking a god, but the oblivion such a god displays "though by reaching up my loneliness evolves by the blindness that surrounds him".
Consequently, the chaos of the initial song expands to encompass a religious aspects mankind does have the ability and capability to love on a superficial level with the air of doom hanging above, but the love which god is believed to possess, apparently the greatest love of all —"Soul Love", breeds discontent because of its inaccessibility, akin to unrequited love (i.e "All I have is my love of love, and love is not loving.").
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