From The Man Who Sold the World (1970) by David Bowie

Width of a Circle (Bowie) - 8:05

In a corner of the morning in the past
I would sit and blame the master first and
last
All the roads were straight and narrow
And the prayers were small and yellow
And the rumour spread that I was ageing
fast
Then I ran across a monster who was
sleeping
By a tree.
And I looked and frowned
and the monster was me

Well, I said hello and I said hello
And I asked "Why not?"
and I replied "I don't know"
So we asked a simple black bird,
who was happy as can be
And he laughed insane
and quipped "KAHLIL GIBRAN"
So I cried for all the others
till the day was nearly through
For I realized that God's a young man too

So I said "So long"
and I waved "Bye-bye"
Smashed my soul and traded my mind
Got laid by a young bordello
I was vaguely half asleep
For which my reputation swept back home
in a drag
And the moral of this magic spell
Negotiates my hide
When God did take my logic for a ride

He swallowed his pride and puckered his
lips
And showed me the leather belt round his
hips
My knees were shaking my cheeks aflame
He said "You'll never go down to the Gods
again"
(Turn around,go back!)

He struck the ground a cavern appeared
And I smelt the burning pit of fear
We crashed a thousand yards below
I said "Do it again, do it again"
(Turn around,go back!)

His nebulous body swayed above
His tongue swollen with devil's love
The snake and I, a venom high
I said "Do it again, do it again"
(Turn around, go back!)

Breathe, breathe, breathe deeply
And I was seething, breathing deeply
A spitting sentry, horned and tailed
Waiting for you.

All the Madmen (Bowie) - 5:38

Day after day,
They send my friends away
To mansions cold and grey
To the far side of town
Where the thin men stalk the streets
While the sane stay underground

Day after day,
They tell me I can go
They tell me I can blow
To the far side of town
Where it's pointless to be high
For it's such a long way down
So I tell them that,
I can fly, I will scream, I will break my arm
I will do me harm.
Here I stand, foot in hand, talking to my wall
I'm not quite right at all...am I?

Don't set me free, I'm as heavy as can be
Just my librium and me
And my E.S.T. makes three

'Cause I'd rather stay here
With all the madmen
Than perish with the sadmen roaming free
And I'd rather play here
With all the madmen
For I'm quite content they're all as sane
As me

(Where can the horizon lie
When a nation hides
Its organic minds
In a cellar...dark and grim
They must be very dim)

Day after day
They take some brain away
Then turn my face around
To the far side of town
And tell me that it's real
Then ask me how I feel

Here I stand, foot in hand, talking to my wall
I'm not quite right at all.

Don't set me free, I'm as helpless as can be
mme some gold 'ole lobotomy

'Cause I'd rather stay here
With all the madmen
Than perish with the sadman
Roaming free
And I'd rather play here
With all the madmen
For I'm quite content
They're all as sane as me.

Zane, Zane, Zane
Ouvre le Chien

Black Country Rock (Bowie) - 3:34

Pack a pack horse and rest up here on,
Black Country Rock
You never know, you might find it here on,
Black Country Rock

Some say the view is crazy
But you may adopt another point of view
So if it's much too hazy
You can leave my friend and me with fond
adieu.

After All (Bowie) - 3:53

Please trip them gently,
they don't like to fall,
Oh by jingo
There's no room for anger,
we're all very small,
Oh by jingo
We're painting our faces and
dressing in thoughts from the skies
From paradise.
They think that we're holding a secretive
ball.
Won't someone invite them
They're just taller children,
that's all, after all.

Man is an obstacle,
sad as the clown,
Oh by jingo
So hold on to nothing,
and he won't let you down,
Oh by jingo
Some people are marching together
and some on their own
Quite alone.
Others are running,
the smaller ones crawl
But some sit in silence,
they're just older children
That's all, after all.

I sing with impertinence,
shading impermanent chords,
With my words
I've borrowed your time and
I'm sorry I called
But the thought just occurred that
we're nobody's children at all, after all.

Live your rebirth and
do what you will,
Oh by jingo
Forget all I've said,
please bear me no ill,
Oh by jingo
After all, after all.

Running Gun Blues (Bowie) - 3:12

I count the corpses on my left, I find I'm not
so tidy
So I better get away, better make it today,
I've cut twenty-three down since Friday
But I can't control it, my face is drawn,
My instinct still emotes it.

I slash them cold, I kill them dead
I broke the gooks, I cracked their heads
I'll bomb them out from under their beds
But now I've got the running gun blues.

It seems the peacefuls stopped the war
Left generals squashed and stifled
But I'll slip out again tonight
Cause they haven't taken back my rifle
For I promote oblivion
And I'll plug a few civilians.

I'll slash them cold, I'll kill them dead
I'll break them gooks, I'll crack their heads
I'll slice them till they're running red
But now I've got the running gun blues.

Saviour Machine (Bowie) - 4:26

President Joe once had a dream.
The world held his hand, gave their pledge
So he told them his scheme for a Saviour
Machine

They called it the Prayer, its answer was
law
Its logic stopped war, gave them food
How they adored till it cried in its boredom

'Please don't believe in me, please
disagree with me
Life is too easy, a plague seems quite
feasible now,
or maybe a war, or I may kill you all.

Don't let me stay, don't let me stay.
My logic says burn so send me away
Your minds are too green, I despise all I've
seen
You can't stake your lives on a Saviour
Machine

I need you flying, and I'll show that dying
Is living beyond reason, sacred dimension
of time
I perceive every sign, I can steal every mind


Don't let me stay, don't let me stay
My logic says burn so send me away
Your minds are too green, I despise all I've
seen
You can't stake your lives on a Saviour
Machine.

She Shook Me Cold (Bowie) - 4:13

We met upon a hill,
the night was cool & still
She sucked my dormant will
Mother, she blew my brain.
I will go back again
My God, she shook my cold.

I had no time to spare,
I grabbed her golden hair
And threw her to the ground.
Father, she caved.
Oh Lord, the things she said
My God, she should be told.

I was very smart,
broke the gentle hearts
Of many young virgins
I was quick on the ball,
left them so lonely
They'd just give up trying.
Then she took my head, smashed it up,
Kept my young blood rising,
Crushed me mercilessly,
kept me going around
So she don't know how I crave her so

I'll give me love in vain,
to reach that peak again
We met upon a hill
Mother, she blew my brain.
I will go back again
My God, she shook me cold.

The Man Who Sold the World (Bowie) - 3:57

We passed upon the stair,
we spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there,
he said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone,
a long long time ago

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With The Man Who Sold The World

I laughed and shook his hand,
and made my way back home
I searched for form and land,
for years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions
here
We must have died along,
a long long time ago

Who knows? not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the Man who Sold the World.

The Supermen (Bowie) - 3:39

When all the world was very young
And mountain magic heavy hung
The supermen would walk in file
Guardians of a loveless isle
And gloomy browed with superfear
their tragic endless lives
Could heave nor sigh
In solemn, perverse serenity,
wondrous beings chained to life

Strange games they would play then
No death for the perfect men
Life rolls into one for them
So softly a supergod cries

Where all were minds in uni-thought
Power weird by mystics taught
No pain, no joy, no power too great
Colossal strength to grasp a fate
Where sad-eyed mermen tossed in
slumber
Nightmare dreams no mortal mind could
hold
A man would tear his brother's flesh,
a chance to die,
To turn to mold.

Far out in the red-sky
Far out from the sad eyes
Strange, mad celebration
So softly a supergod cries
(second time dies)

Lightning Frightening (Bowie) - 3:38

I'll give you back my farm and I'll give you back my house
I'll give you back my right to be free
I've got moon, I've got sun
Lightning, lightning, lightning
I've got me, I've got you
Frightening, frightening, frightening

I'll give you back my farm and I'll give you back my house
I'll give you back my right to be free
I'll give you back my farm and I'll give you back my house
I'll give you back my right to be free
I've got moon, I've got sun
(I've got) Lightning, lightning, lightning
I've got me, I've got you
(It's) Frightening, frightening, frightening

Holy Holy (Bowie) - 2:20

Listen baby, let me lie low, lie low with you
To be lie-high-high-high
High-high lie-low lie
Slowly, it's good and holy
Helping one another, just a righteous brother
Lifetime, give me back my lifetime
I don't want to be an angel, just a little bit evil
Feel the devil in me

Holy, holy
Hold on to anyone, hold on to anyone
But just let me be
Holy, holy
Hold on to anyone, hold on to anyone
But let go of me

Listen baby, let me lie low, lie low with you
To be a lie-high-high-high
High-high my oh my

Holy, holy
Hold on to anyone, hold on to anyone
But just let me be
Holy, holy
Hold on to anyone, hold on to anyone
But let go of me

Moonage Daydream (Bowie) - 3:52

Come on strong, girl
Oh, lay your heavy trip on me
The church of man, love
Is such a holy place to be
Make me, baby
Make me know you really care
Make me jump into the air

CHORUS
Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love [oh no]
Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah!

Oh, right on!
Come on, you mothers!
Far out!

Keep your mouth shut
And listen to the word inside
Keep your head on
And open up your eyes real wide
Keep the change, love
Let me fix it for you inside
There isn't any room to hide

CHORUS (x2)

Ow!
Uhhh
Uhhh
Uhhh
Take it all, take it all
Ahhh!
Ahhh!
Pretty
Uhh (etc...)

Hang on to Yourself (Bowie) - 2:51

VERSE
Never had a good thing going
And, you know, never had a thing on
My baby got out last Monday
And me, I'm on a radio show

CHORUS
So come on
Come on
We really got a good thing going
(Well) Come on
(Well) Come on
If you think we're gonna make it
You better hang on to yourse..el..elf

VERSE
CHORUS (x3)

Oh
Alright
Alright
Come on
Ha
Ha
Ha
Come on
Ha (etc...)