The Man Who Sold The World Lyrics
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The Man Who Sold The World is a classic rock song originally recorded and released by David Bowie in 1970. The iconic ballad has been covered by a variety of artists over the years, including Nirvana in 1994. The song’s pessimistic lyrical themes touch upon existentialism, confusion and disillusionment. It has also become a popular fixture in soundtracks and in live performances.
The song opens with the lines, “We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when / Although I wasn’t there, he said I was his friend”. This line serves to introduce the core theme of the song, a disconnection from the world around the narrator. An ambiguity of identity between the narrators and their “-friend” is established. The lines hint at the confusion the narrator feels about their own self-identity and the pain of a broken friendship.
The subsequent chorus is equally dark and nihilistic. Bowie sings, “And I still don’t know what I was waiting for / And my time was running wild, a million dead-end streets and /Every time I thought I’d got it made / It seemed the taste was not so sweet”. The narrator reflects on the sensation of being lost in the world, unable to make meaningful connections or progress.
The Man Who Sold The World paints a vivid and melancholic picture of the confusion of life in the outside world. It’s a timeless classic that cannot help but provoke thought, and ultimately reminds us all of the importance of finding our place in the world.