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Law (Earthlings on Fire) Lyrics

I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x3)
In the street a man shouts out loud
A wallet drops and money flies into the midday sun
With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground (x3)
Oh I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes
Earthlings on fire (x2)
CHORUS
With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground (x3)
Sure I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes
Earthlings on fire (x4)
I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2)
In a house a man drops dead
As he hits the floor he sighs
"What a morning"
CHORUS (x2)
Sometimes
Earthlings on fire (repeat to last verse as backing vocals)
Oh I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes
I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2)
Oh I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes
I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2)
I don't want knowledge
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Cover art for Law (Earthlings on Fire) lyrics by David Bowie

The second verse: In a house a man drops dead, As he hits the floor he sighs, "What a morning" is an obscure reference to author Samuel Beckett's father. According to Beckett, his father got up one morning, put on his dressing gown, then collapsed to the ground with a massive stroke, and died. His final words were "What a morning".

Law (Earthlings On Fire) was first played to an audience as a curtain-raiser at the Bowie's 50'th Birthday Benefit concert.

In an interview on Israeli radio, Bowie made reference to English philosopher Bertrand Russell who first noted that people don't want knowledge, they want certainty. Bowie said "..was so true when I was young but now I'm quite happy to say I don't accept certainty but I still want the knowledge".

Thanks to www.teenagewildlife.com for the info.

Also, I found one day, while watching an episode of King Of The Hill (Bobby Hill was becoming a model for a fat boys line of clothing... hilarious), and the begining of Law (Earthlings On Fire) came on as Bobby entered the fashion show. Just a little bit of wierd info.

Spot on! Thank you. You should post more often :)

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Cover art for Law (Earthlings on Fire) lyrics by David Bowie

This song along with I'm Afraid of Americans is my favourite song on the album.

If you think of it, the lyrics kind of sound like someone murdering someone