Law (Earthlings On Fire) - The Song

3.72 out of 5 (69 votes)

Music by Bowie and Gabrels, lyrics by Bowie.

Thanks to Hel2 and Kevin Digweed for their assistance with the lyrics.

Lyrics

I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x3)

In the street a man shouts out loud
A wallet drops and money flies into the midday sun

With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground (x3)
Oh I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes

Earthlings on fire (x2)

CHORUS
  With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground (x3)
  Sure I get a little bit afraid

Sometimes

Earthlings on fire (x4)

I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2)

In a house a man drops dead
As he hits the floor he sighs
"What a morning"

CHORUS (x2)

Sometimes

Earthlings on fire (repeat to last verse as backing vocals)

Oh I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes

I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2)
Oh I get a little bit afraid
Sometimes

I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2)
I don't want knowledge

Trivia

• The second verse In a house a man drops dead, As he hits the floor he sighs, "What a morning" is an obscure reference to author Samuel Beckett's father. According to Beckett, his father got up one morning, put on his dressing gown, then collapsed to the ground with a massive stroke, and died. His final words were "What a morning". (Contributed by Dara)
• First played to an audience as a curtain-raiser at the Birthday Benefit concert.
• In an interview on Israeli radio, Bowie made reference to English philosopher Bertrand Russell who first noted that people don't want knowledge, they want certainty. Bowie said "..was so true when I was young but now I'm quite happy to say I don't accept certainty but I still want the knowledge". Thanks to Shai Shamir for the quote

Appearances

• Earthling

This document last updated Friday, 20-Oct-2000 12:07:23 EDT