David Bowie

Released: December 17, 1971

Songwriter: David Bowie

Producer: Ken Scott David Bowie

[Verse 1]
And so the story goes, they wore the clothes
They said the things to make it seem improbable
The whale of a lie like the hope it was
And the goodmen tomorrow
Had their feet in the wallow
And their heads of brawn were nicely shorn
And how they bought their positions with saccharin and trust
And the world was asleep to our latent fuss

[Chorus 1]
Sighing they swirl through the streets like the crust of the sun
The Bewlay Brothers
In our wings that bark
Flashing teeth of brass
Standing tall in the dark
Oh, and we were gone
Hanging out with your dwarf men
We were so turned on
By your lack of conclusions

[Verse 2]
I was stone and he was wax
So he could scream and still relax
Unbelievable
And we frightened the small children away
And our talk was old and dust would flow
Thru our veins and lo! It was midnight back at the kitchen door
Like the grim face on the cathedral floor
And the solid book we wrote cannot be found today

[Chorus 2]
And it was stalking time for the moonboys
The Bewlay Brothers
With our backs on the arch
And the Devil may be here
But he can't sing about that
Oh, and we were gone
Real cool traders
We were so turned on
You thought we were fakers

[Verse 3]
Now the dress is hung, the ticket pawned
The factor max that proved the fact is melted down
And woven on the edging of my pillow
And my brother lays upon the rocks
He could be dead, he could be not, he could be you
He's chameleon, comedian, Corinthian and caricature

[Chorus 3]
Shooting up pie-in-the-sky
The Bewlay Brothers
In the feeble and the bad
The Bewlay Brothers
In the blessed and cold
In the crutch-hungry dark
Was where we flayed our mark
Oh, and we were gone
Kings of oblivion
We were so turned on
In the mind-warp pavilion

[Outro]
Lay me place and bake me pie
I'm starving for me gravy
Leave my shoes, and door unlocked
I might just slip away, hey

Just for the day, hey
Please come away, hey
Just for the day, hey
Please come away, hey

David Bowie (1947 – 2016) was a British musician, and one of the most iconic rock stars with a widely diverse career where he frequently changed his appearance and musical style, resulting in an acclaimed discography comparable to other stalwarts such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Born David Robert Jones, Bowie quickly renamed himself to prevent confusion with The Monkees singer Davy Jones. Enduring many early missteps, he rose to prominence when his most famous song, “Space Oddity,” was played during the coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Despite this early breakthrough, Bowie remained a cult figure for several years. Even the release of Hunky Dory, his first great album, went largely unnoticed. Bowie only lodged himself firmly in the public consciousness when he announced his bisexuality and created Ziggy Stardust in early 1972. A Martian who combined the debauchery of Iggy Pop with the artistry of Lou Reed, Ziggy was the main character in Bowie’s breakthrough album, and his public persona for eighteen months.

Bowie used his new-found popularity to move to America, and dabble with new musical directions and cocaine. Diamond Dogs and Young Americans continue to divide critics, but Station To Station found Bowie at a new creative peak, despite escalating drug use and related health issues.

more tracks from the album

Hunky Dory (1990 Rykodisc)

From the albums

David Bowie popular songs

The Bewlay BrothersDavid Bowie

David Bowie

Hunky Dory (1990 Rykodisc)