Rev, thanks.

Zimmo, i understand what you are alluding to. Interesting thoughts.

If love is banned by Big Brother, and sex too. That doesnt seem to be stopping them, far from it...

Because virtually every line in this song and at least two others (Rebel Rebel and Sweet Thing) is alluding to varying types and extremes of sexual imagery. From S&M "Putting pain in a stranger" to necrophilia suggested here by me "Oh Caress yourself my juicy for my hands have all but withered".

Can i ask you though, do you base this on the book 1984?

I really love We Are The Dead it is prolly in my top three favorite bowie songs, the lyrics have always interested me but that was a cocaine-cut up lyrics time so its prolly hard to get a full idea, the beggining seems to paint the picture of a relationship in which he questions what the other person in the relationships feels about the relationship but also at the sametime that they are alone kinda and no one else cares about them sorta? but when it gets to the part about "count them 15 round the table white and dressed to kill" he sorta loses me.

Would you carry a razor, In a case just incase of depression?

That's a good question Laughingnome. There is more sexuality in DD than in 1984, but the songs can usually be traced back to the book. In the case of 'We are the Dead' the title is a quote straight from the book.

TTo answer your question sex is discouraged always and illegal outside of marriage for party members (the upper class). However men still slip off to the prole sections of town to get sex from prostitutes and it is ignored. Sex between party members is strictly forbidden and yeilds real consequences.

The main charecter is married, but estranged from his wife for many years and has two sexual relationship. First is a short night with a prostitute and the second is a dangerous affair with a much younger party member. The affair becomes serious and transforming for them. They fall deeply in love and wind up dedicating their lives to each other and the destruction of Big Brother. The decision to fight Big Brother means certain death which is why they say to each other 'We are the Dead'.

To me most of this song is about the second relationship. I think it's pretty clear that Bowie was going to introduce things to his rock-opera that were not from the book, but let me quickly go through and point to what I think might relate to it:

Something kind of hit me today
I looked at you and wondered if you saw things my way
People will hold us to blame
It hit me today, it hit me today

The affair is illegal made worst by him being married, her being much younger and that she is an officer in the Women's Anti-Sex League who works in PronSec. If folks find out, they will be very harshly condemmed.

We're taking it hard all the time
Why don't we pass it by?
Just reply, you've changed your mind

Double meaning: Sex- why do keep risking the affair and Rebelion- Why are we so serious about ourselve as to take on big brother

We're fighting with the eyes of the blind
Taking it hard, taking it hard

No clue who to trust or how to fight the enemy

....
For you're dancing where the dogs decay, defecating ecstasy
You're just an ally of the legion (She's an Archetypal party member)
Locator for the virgin King, (Anti-Sex Leage officer)
but I love you in your fuck-me pumps
And your nimble dress that trails

She's secretly wears make-up and models provocative clothing for him.

Oh, dress yourself, my urchin one, for I hear them on the rails

They're busted and the cops are closing in.

Because of all we've seen, because of all we've said
We are the dead

One thing kind of touched me today
I looked at you and counted all the times we had laid
Pressing our love through the night
Knowing it's right, knowing it's right

They are right in their affair and cause.

Now I'm hoping some one will care
Living on the breath of a hope to be shared
Trusting on the sons of our love
That someone will care, someone will care

They're SOL, but mabe others will take up the causes

But now
We're today's scrambled creatures, locked in tomorrow's double feature
Heaven's on the pillow, its silence competes with hell
It's a twenty-four hour service, guaranteed to make you tell

They are in the Ministry of Love to be torchered until they break and will be put on TV (tommorrow's double feature) to confess to a long list of crimes they did not commit. On method from the book (and in use in by the US today) is sleep deprivation. Thus Heave. is on the pillow.

And the streets are full of press men
Bent on getting hung and buried

Could be news guys who are determined to tell the truth

And the legendary curtains are drawn 'round Baby Bankrupt
Who sucks you while you're sleeping
No hope for the poor

It's the theater of financiers
Count them, fifty 'round a table
White and dressed to kill

Oh caress yourself, my juicy
For my hands have all but withered
Oh dress yourself my urchin one, for I hear them on the stairs
Because of all we've seen, because of all we've said
We are the dead
We are the dead
We are the dead

Have you ever seen Brazil?

esse mein scheisse

I remember catching Brazil at a midnight show long ago, but I don't remember much about it. It had an imposing and absurd government right? But humorously inept and absurd, 1984 with humor?

The film is not immanently comical, it's comical as a delayed function of circumstances.

...the reason of the unreason with which my reason is afflicted so weakens my reason that with reason I murmur at your beauty;..

I'm another innocent victim of that killer song. I cannot believe such sounds and moods can be made by a human being. That's why I crown David Bowie to be my God. Diamond Dogs is incredible, the whole album. The only song that doesn't fit in nicely is Rebel Rebel, which is a catchy song. When you buy Diamond Dogs, get ready to be hooked on 'Sweet Thing', 'Candidate' and 'Sweet Thing (Reprise)' too. Those three songs turn into one and mess up your head like they have messed up mine. Hear my warning, Lion.

If everyone read <a href="www.femgeeks.net">slash</a> everyday, there'd be no wars.