Rebel Rebel

David Bowie

Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

You've got your mother in a whirl
She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's go out tonight
You like me, and I like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they're playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say I'm wrong
You tacky thing, you put them on

Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

Don't ya?
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

You've got your mother in a whirl 'cause she's
Not sure if you're a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's stay out tonight
You like me, and I like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they're playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say I'm wrong
You tacky thing, you put them on

Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

Don't ya?
Oh?
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

You've torn your dress, your face is a mess
You can't get enough, but enough ain't the test
You've got your transmission and your live wire
You got your cue line and a handful of ludes
You wanna be there when they count up the dudes
And I love your dress
You're a juvenile success
Because your face is a mess
So how could they know?
I said, how could they know?

So what you wanna know
Calamity's child, chi-chi, chi-chi
Where'd you wanna go?
What can I do for you? Looks like you've been there too
'Cause you've torn your dress
And your face is a mess
Ooh, your face is a mess
Ooh, ooh, so how could they know?
Eh, eh, how could they know?
Eh, eh


Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit

Rebel Rebel Lyrics as written by David Bowie

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Rebel Rebel song meanings
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53 Comments

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  • +4
    General CommentDavid Bowie is in fact bisexual. Which is totally awesome because, well, he can be. Iman is awesome though. HOT! Doesn't change the fact that this song is awesome!
    shelovesbonoon April 09, 2005   Link
  • +4
    General CommentThe Mick Jagger/David Bowie in bed together, well is atruth, but only to the fact that they were both smoking opium and passed out on Jaggers huge bed, and having Keith Richards wife Anita walk in on them passed out there on the bed. Anita had it out for Mick at the time and started telling everyone he she found both of them in bed "together". Hence the rumor....
    Awesome song, always took the song to be about young sexuality confusion and cross dressing. It never does mention in the song if the person sung about IS a boy or a girl. And with Bowie being in his "bi-sexual" stage at the time it could be referenced to either one IMHO.
    HibernusMortison October 19, 2011   Link
  • +4
    My OpinionDavid Bowie, back in the Ziggy Stardust days, I would say was bi-curious but not gay or even bi-sexual. In one interview/talk show when asked if he use to be gay Bowie said he was "terribly promiscuous and lets leave it at that." (Don't quote me exactly but it was almost just that.) The talk-show host also asked if he ever had relationships with these people and Bowie said, "not if I could help it!". So I'm pretty sure Bowie just liked to have sex and he enjoyed it with both boys and girls. He probably said he was gay in order to further shock society. The idea of him being gay back in the Ziggy days also added to the glam image. Who knows why he said it? He did have a wife when has in his 20's and they had a child together, but that marriage fell apart pretty fast I believe. Now David Bowie has super model wife Iman and a daughter. They've been married for nearly 15 years now? I'm not sure but I know it's been awhile. How old is daughter is I have no idea. It would seem as though Bowie's crazy bisexaul sex days are over, though. But back in the day he was young, sexy, and famous, why wouldn't he experiment? :D
    Emilie2Somaon June 23, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Commenti just love it when he sings "hot tramp, i love you so!!!"
    Kaaaaaon April 11, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General CommentAbout a boy who loves a tomboyish girl with a short "boyish" hairdo and a love of loud music and getting into fights. The "torn dress" and "messy face" can refer to having been in fights, or to "punk" clothing and an excess of cosmetics.
    BTW Bowie admits to having swung both ways and experimented with male partners in the past, but he has since given up the One-Eyed Superhero to be model Iman's romantic hero
    CuteSparkinaon September 21, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment"Closet Heterosexual"

    That's so funny.

    This overly-masculine society needs more men like Bowie.
    In a Capitalist/Greedy/Competitive/Powerful country like America
    Masculinity inevitablyu becomes the ideal, but if you give it any thought at all
    You'll see that all our love of competition and all our greed gets us is Wars and heartache

    We need more men who have the balls to wear a dress!
    God Bless David Bowie!
    TheThornBirdson February 18, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentIt would be awkwardly hilarious to see David Bowie have sex with a turtle or a tree...
    I mean, like you all said, he'd still be a genius, but that would be just great
    SidneyDahmeron June 03, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI also assumed this was about Julia from 1984, although of course interpreting it differently is totally cool. It just reminded me of her, with references to dressing like a boy, and having messed up make-up which I believe is mentioned in one of the scenes in the book where Winston and Julia are in their secret room above the antique shop or whatever. :) David Bowie is amazing either way!
    penfiendon October 02, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIt's written about one of Bowies friends during the early 70's who was well into dressing in drag and going out on the tiles. The references to Torn Dress and Messed Up Face I believe are about the fact his mate used to get the crap kicked out of him because he was even more "out there" than Bowie himself.
    Koncordeon September 04, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI love this song. I really don't care about his sexuality. unless his songs mentions hints of his sexuality. I believe he once claimed to be bisexual, and indeed go with men. But who the fuck cares? His music is lovely, and I don't believe in genderizing. So....FUCKIN TURN THAT MUSIC UP.....
    FastFallerSkyon December 19, 2006   Link

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