I don't know why I love this song so damn much, but every time I listen to it I want to listen to it about 5 more times immediately after. Currently, I'm on re-run #4.
This song just... fills me up.
It's off his most recent album, which I'm relistening- as is my wont, I listen to the most recent bowie album about a fortnight before getting the next one.
I don't care for 'Heathen' terribly much overall- The album just doesn't have as much stretch to it as (for instance) 1991's 1. Outside.
But this song is probably the most perfect piece of Bowie-penned music in 10 years. It starts very slow, very stately and solemn, and builds 'till finally it has drums ('finally' as in 'after the singing's done'). The feel of it owes a lot to Sylvian- it has that lazy slow chirruppy thing going on. I might say that it's Bowie imitating Sylvian imitating Bowie.
This song.
Oh my god. This song.
Nothing remains
We could run when the rain slows
Look for the cars or signs of life
Where the heat goes
Look for the drifters
We should crawl under the bracken
Look for the shafts of light
On the road where the heat goes
Everything has changed
For in truth, it's the beginning of nothing
And nothing has changed
Everything has changed
For in truth, it's the beginning of an end
And nothing has changed
Everything has changed
1st voice (lead) 2nd & 3rd voice (Chanting)
In your fear In your fear
Of what we have become Seek only peace
Take to the fire In your fear
Now we must burn Seek only love
All that we are In your fear
Rise together Seek only peace
Through these clouds In your fear
In your fear
Trio:
As on wings
Solo
This is the trip
And this is the business we take
This is our number
All my trials
Lord, will be remembered
This song just... fills me up.
It's off his most recent album, which I'm relistening- as is my wont, I listen to the most recent bowie album about a fortnight before getting the next one.
I don't care for 'Heathen' terribly much overall- The album just doesn't have as much stretch to it as (for instance) 1991's 1. Outside.
But this song is probably the most perfect piece of Bowie-penned music in 10 years. It starts very slow, very stately and solemn, and builds 'till finally it has drums ('finally' as in 'after the singing's done'). The feel of it owes a lot to Sylvian- it has that lazy slow chirruppy thing going on. I might say that it's Bowie imitating Sylvian imitating Bowie.
This song.
Oh my god. This song.
Nothing remains
We could run when the rain slows
Look for the cars or signs of life
Where the heat goes
Look for the drifters
We should crawl under the bracken
Look for the shafts of light
On the road where the heat goes
Everything has changed
For in truth, it's the beginning of nothing
And nothing has changed
Everything has changed
For in truth, it's the beginning of an end
And nothing has changed
Everything has changed
1st voice (lead) 2nd & 3rd voice (Chanting)
In your fear In your fear
Of what we have become Seek only peace
Take to the fire In your fear
Now we must burn Seek only love
All that we are In your fear
Rise together Seek only peace
Through these clouds In your fear
In your fear
Trio:
As on wings
Solo
This is the trip
And this is the business we take
This is our number
All my trials
Lord, will be remembered
But yes, that's where the image comes from. I tend to use it for posts that I would describe as smugly contented (because the statue looks very smug, doesn't it?), as opposed to the one attached to this post, which is feeling comfy-and-at-home, or the first one attached to technicolourrat's below, which is for 'uh... okaaaaay' posts (or for SWOFA people)-- or the denarii in the bottom one on that string, which is for more than two cent's worth of blathering.
--which is probably the right one for this post, on reflection. Ah well.
I dunno, I'm missing something in this song I guess. Both me and the SO are Bowie fans and listened to it with cringing expressions.
Each to their own, of course.
Mind you, I'm not saying that you SHOULD like it- I'm just trying to get a handle on what it is that you didn't like. ;)
'Canine devotion, an eye for an eye' -- what's that from, by the way?
'Canine devotion, time can't erase'. Unless you changed it on purpose. Which is possible, because that seems an odd one to mishear.
Whups!
Re: Whups!
Anyway, it turns out he misheard the lyrics to Sad But True quite considerably. Chris discovered this after being corrected by a friend, who walked in to the guy's room in time to hear him enthusiastically bellowing out, "Supertroll!"
Re: Whups!
And I changed lyrics now, because I was mocked.
Re: Whups!
Hmm. At this point, I'm curious to see how far to the left I can shunt this comments column.
mnn-hmn
This song, 'Slip Away', 'Heathen' and 'I Would Be Your Slave' are- I suspect- why he kicked off the Heathen tour with an evening where he did the whole album front to back, and followed it immediately with Low, front to back.
I would cheerfully have horribly wounded several people to listen to 'Breaking Glass' live with the current band.
Okay, enough meandering.
I also feel that Bowie should just have put out an EP with my picks for the album, which are Heathen, Sunday, 5:15, and Slow Burn. But as usual, he's not listening to me. :)
I feel like 'Hours' and 'Heathen' could've both profited from having two different albums assembled out of their bodies, a la Frankenstein.