The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I'm closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley's uniform
Of imagery
I'm living in a silent film
Portraying Himmler's sacred realm
Of dream reality
I'm frightened by the total goal
Drawing to the ragged hole
And I ain't got the power anymore
No, I ain't got the power anymore
I'm the twisted name on Garbo's eyes
Living proof of Churchill's lies, I'm destiny
I'm torn between the light and dark
Where others see their targets, divine symmetry
Should I kiss the viper's fang?
Or herald loud the death of Man
I'm sinking in the quicksand of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore
Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death's release
Aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah
I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man
Just a mortal with the potential of a superman
I'm living on
I'm tethered to the logic of Homo Sapien
Can't take my eyes from the great salvation
Of bullshit faith
If I don't explain what you ought to know
You can tell me all about it on the next Bardo
I'm sinking in the quicksand of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore
Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death's release
Aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah
Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death's release
Aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah
Immersed in Crowley's uniform
Of imagery
I'm living in a silent film
Portraying Himmler's sacred realm
Of dream reality
I'm frightened by the total goal
Drawing to the ragged hole
And I ain't got the power anymore
No, I ain't got the power anymore
I'm the twisted name on Garbo's eyes
Living proof of Churchill's lies, I'm destiny
I'm torn between the light and dark
Where others see their targets, divine symmetry
Should I kiss the viper's fang?
Or herald loud the death of Man
I'm sinking in the quicksand of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore
Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death's release
Aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah
I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man
Just a mortal with the potential of a superman
I'm living on
I'm tethered to the logic of Homo Sapien
Can't take my eyes from the great salvation
Of bullshit faith
If I don't explain what you ought to know
You can tell me all about it on the next Bardo
I'm sinking in the quicksand of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore
Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death's release
Aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah
Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death's release
Aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah, aah-aah
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by stefanhinz
Quicksand Lyrics as written by David Bowie
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Sorry, but you have totally missed the boat here. Bowie often spoke of how Americans loved to try and read into his lyrics, almost always getting them wrong. He often wrote straight forward, as in this song, but the masses tried to anylize it far too much. If you truly listen to 'quicksand', it is Adolph Hitler himself, as the narrator. The Crowley, Himmler, Garbo (the spy), living proof of Churchills lies (Hitler himself was that living proof). All of these were things Hitler was heavily into, and he is mourning the fact that he is about to enter the ragged 'hole' (the bunker), where he begins to sink in the quicksand of his thoughts, and he 'aint' got the 'power' anymore.
He realizes now that he had the potential of a superman, but is just a mortal. He began life as a follower of God, but turned on faith in God, for the occult. He wonders if he should taste the vipers fang (poison) of shoot himself. Bowie was fascinated with Hitler, and this is his take on the sadness and resolve he felt in his last moments in the bunker.
Exactly right, except I feel he steps out of narrative for the chorus, "Don't believe in yourself, Don't deceive with belief, Knowledge comes With death's release". Hitler is a warning to not believe so strongly in yourself and I don't think he would be so zen like, instead he spent his time deceiving with the belief that he's helping out his fellow man.<br /> <br /> After watching "Century of the Self" the section on Nazis reminded me of this song, since it's such a zen like message of not taking yourself too seriously and the mistakes the Nazis made.<br /> <br /> I'm living in a silent film<br /> Portraying<br /> Himmler's sacred realm<br /> Of dream reality<br /> <br /> Great stuff :)
Also, re your point about misreading bowie - bowie almost always sings from someone elses point of view but the common way to read lyrics is the singer singing as the singer. Bowie always played characters, which is confusing because his characters were still deeply personal (like singing as an alien landing on earth but as a metaphor for alienation), but still not "Bowie the person".
Who know's what goes through a genius' mind. :)<br /> I've never really read into many of his songs however you're Hitler theory is a good one. With regard to the chorus, if this is a Hitler story, could be a reference to immanentizing the eschaton which Hitler was trying to achieve in the Illuminatus Trilogy - essentially trying to bring about judgement day and his transcendental illumination.<br /> "Don't believe in yourself (the Golden Dawn) don't deceive with belief (the Church),<br /> Knowledge comes (illumination) with deaths release (mass killing)"<br /> <br /> "Mortal with potential of a superman"? Master race = superman.<br /> <br /> I reckon Bowie read the Illuminatus Trilogy.
THANK you, Exiled! It all comes together for me now.