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A lyrical interpretation
by Jonathan Greatorex
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
RCA SF 8287
June 1972
'I want to go out like Vince Taylor. He was the inspiration for Ziggy. Vince Taylor was an American rock n' roll star from the sixties who was slowly going crazy. Finally he fired his band, went on stage one night in a white sheet. He told his audience to rejoice, that he was Jesus. They put him away.'
Hunky Dory had been released for the Christmas market by RCA. Even before it had been placed in the record store racks, Ziggy Stardust had been completed. According to a Mercury PR man, Rodney Bingenhelmer, Bowie had explained the Ziggy concept in January 1971, 18 months before it's final release. As indicated, the character was inspirited by Vince Taylor, the name 'Ziggy' came from a play on Iggy, Twiggy and a B-film character, The Lonesome Stardust Cowboy. Of course, the idea of a concept album was nothing new. There had been several previous British examples by artists such as The Beatles, The Kinks and The Who. What held Ziggy Stardust apart from these was it'll directness in commenting upon rock n' roll by a character who was by that very art form derived. Upon its release it was attributed as being the definitive rock n' roll concept album. Seven years later Pink Floyd produced a similar, lyrically less superficial statement, with `The Wall'. Nostrodamus, John Dee, or even Mother Shipton would have been jointly delighted to envisage such prophesies as those postulated by Bowie in 'Ziggy Stardust.' It was virtually a chronological revelation of Bowie's following year. Weird foresight from someone who had not yet completely acceded to the position of stardom. To fully appreciate the project, it is useful to have an understanding of the following statement made by Bowie:
`It should be the clown, the pierrot medium. The music is the mask of the message-the music is the pierrot and I, the performer, am the message. Ziggy particularly, was created out of a certain arrogance. But remember, at that time I was very young and I was full of life, and that seemed like a very positive artistic statement. I thought that was a beautiful piece of art. I thought that was a grand kitsch painting. The whole guy.'
Five Years, the opening track, is an optimistic song, in fact the majority of the album has optimistic leanings, far more so than the ongoing ambivalence of Hunky Dory, where he sceptically mused to `herald loud the death of man'. This opening track is a narrative, something of a scene-setter for what is to come.
We are in a heavily populated area, very plausibly the western half of the northern hemisphere, in some close-knit society going about it's usual daily routine. The protagonist fades into view: "Pushing thru the market square, so many mothers sighing, news had just come over, we had five years left to cry in." The inspiration underlying this philosophy had come from a dream Bowie had had in which he witnessed the reversal of the earth's electromagnetic field somewhere around the year 1977. For this reason David refused to fly anywhere.
Assorted reactions to the impending disaster are observed and related by the protagonist. The news broadcaster, forever emotionless and normally divorced from the everyday calamities of the world, openly wept as he announced the impending catastrophe. "Earth was really dying, cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying." The implications of the pending doom become too great for the lowly mind of the speaker. He felt the necessity to assimilate all the intake that senses would allow and concertinard them into the small compartment of his mind. "My brain hurt like a warehouse it had no room to spare, I had to cram so many things to store everything in there." He then relates the plight of those around him the humans of all shapes, sizes, ages, colours occupations and creeds. "All the fat-skinny..tall-short..nobodv..somebody..qirl..chlldren..
black...soldier..cop...priest....queer" And those who were not aware directly- the youth in the ice-cream parlours, those who would later be led by Ziggy into 'sweeping bands of rogues'. He feels apart from society, a theme opened up further in the next track, `Soul Love: as if he were a caricature of the reflective King Lear on the heath "And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor" The end, being nigh, brings a feeling of great optimism of what could and should be done.
Blatantly the most personal song on the album. Bowie dismisses the possibility of his own self being capable of love, but equally recognises the potency of love being a powerful force of inspiration in others. He starts by depicting the bond between mother and son, the child being a military recruitment killed in action for the 'honour of the regiment, King and Country' "Stone love, she kneels before the grave. A brave son who gave his life to save the slogan which hovers 'tween the headstone and her eyes" There then follows the juxtaposition of this 'dead love' with the fresh romance of 'boy meets girl' and the innuendo's that only such a pair would understand. "New words that only they can share in." Bowie views love as a spirit/metaphysical force which descends indiscriminately, presenting this inspirational power upon the unprepared, sparking the fusion between one person and another. "Love is careless in it's choosing, sweeping over cross a baby." And Bowie, aware of his inability to feel love, professes his empathy to the word and the beneficial effect it has upon others. "All I have is my love of love-and love is not loving." The final verse develops a thought of cynicism to the 'love of God'. It is not that Bowie's projected affection for the Christian deity is unrequited, moreover he cannot receive mutual feelings from those around, even when he lifts himself to the possibility of Gnostic beliefs he finds no reward. The inner desire of the soul, as related by "the priest who tastes the word", and the prospect of a God on High being "all love" are dissolved, because his isolation and loneliness is a result of not lacking a god, but the oblivion such a god displays "though (by) reaching up my loneliness evolves by the blindness that surrounds him".
Consequently, the chaos of the initial song expands to encompass a religious aspects mankind does have the ability and capability to love on a superficial level with the air of doom hanging above, but the love which god is believed to possess, apparently the greatest love of all, breeds discontent because of it's inaccessibility.
Moonage Daydream
With the over-emphasis on Si-Fi clichés, the soft reverie of Soul Love is abruptly arrested by the opening of Moonage Daydream: "I 'm an alligator.. .the space invader.. .a rock n' rollin bitch." Enter Zlggy, ushering the youth to his side. He is new, flamboyant, full of energy as he pounds in "busting up my brains for the words." The Moonage daydream 1 here. The death of man need not be heralded as the optimism of the "church of man" being the "Holy place to be" is realised. An amalgamation of ideas and influences debated in Quicksand become personified in Zlggy, the option between embalming and salvation has been made.
Starman
It is possible to adopt Starman at an immediate level that "There's a Starman waiting in the sky saying Boogie Children" However, the principal theme which David wished to convey was that the idea 'That things in the sky is really quite human and real and we should be a bit happier about the prospect of meeting people.'
Starman was the single lifted from the album two months previously. It is a much lighter interpretation of the theme discussed in Oh You Pretty Things. Not so much the bombastic Homo Superior, but a more gentle being of infinite wisdom. We are given a more feasible, technically advanced creature straight from Hamilyn, who reaches his audience,(the youth), via the media of radio. It is early evening and the listener has tuned into a local station; "on my radio some cat was laying down some rock and roll" Without warning the music momentarily fades to be replaced by "a slow voice on a wave of phase" It is quickly noticed that this new sound is not the result of the disc jockey's intentions, but some "hazy cosmic jive". The galactic Starman wishes to come down to meet the music-loving youth and overcomes his reticence to do so because, "he knows it's all worthwhile" The astonished listener reassures himself that he wasn't 'simply hearing things' by telephoning a friend who collaborates his story. The two resolve to communicate with the creature somehow, but not to inform their narrow-minded parents who would only get them "locked up in fright"
It has been suggested that the inspiration behind Lady Stardust i.e. Ziggy, was Marc Bolan. The notion holds water, in that if the majority of Ziggy Stardust was written eighteen months prior to the album's street release, (the songs are copy-righted 1971), then it would have been during a period when Bowie and Bolan were getting along famously. When it was performed at the Rainbow in August 1972, a projected slide of Bolan was thrown onto a backdrop behind Bowie. The song develops the character of Ziggy which on side one was purely speculative. We discover, through the fatuous acclaim of the narrator, that Ms Stardust is an amalgamation of all Bowie found intriguing and fascinating in Rock n' Roll. This composite creature, yearningly drawn towards the songs orator, is full of the mystique and charisma cherished by the elite of Bowie' own personal view of stardom. As the song is given in the past tense, we can assume it to be a flashback to the earlier days of Ziggy's emergence. "People stared at the makeup on his face, laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace." and as he sung his songs of darkness and disgrace" the lyrics appear to point more than ever to Marc Bolan. However, as the words progress, the similarity becomes increasingly prospective of Bowie's later rise to fame, even the colouring of the hero alternates, "Femme fatales emerged...to watch this creature fair" And the narrator emphasises his complete and utter credulity for the hermaphrodite.
"I smiled sadly for a love I could not obey, and lady stardust sang his songs..."
(AN ANSWER TO QUICKSAND)
Star develops a strange alteration of thought in the man who had once considered `kissing the viper's fang'. Commercial success, through fame, is sought after as a panacea for personal belief and a chance to change the world. In "Tony went to fight in Belfast" he maybe pondering the plight of his late association with Mr. Visconti. Also, "Rudi stayed at home to starve" is a comment upon the career of a certain 'Rudi Valentino' aka Freddie Buretti, aka Arnold Corns, aka A.Corns. Mr. Buretti had been ensconced by Bowie, along with his back-up troupe, Runk, from Dulwich. (The same Dulwich found on the Quicksand sleevenotes) Buretti was to have been the next rock n' roll superstar hero. Freddie alas never made the grade, ending up doing what he was best at-designing Bowie's stage costumes. But, Bowie "Could make it all worthwhile as a rock n' roll star" Mr. Bevan, the politician, "tried to change the nation" And Sonny "wants to turn the world. Yet Bowie feels HE could make more of an impact upon society as "a rock n' roll star" It is a reaffirmation of his earlier beliefs in the revolutionary power of rock and roll, as originally attributed to Bob Dylan. Ominously, the lure to the vampire fang of commercialism threatens "So inviting, so enticing to play the part."
But the debate had already reached its climax in Quicksand. Plus, the unrealised possibility of his ambition to be an actor,(Hunky Dory had been aided in production by the assistance to Ken Scott of 'The Actor'), prompted his desire to "play the wild mutation" Adopting the backing of commercial success may possibly be a headlong rush into the arms of capitalism, but Bowie/Ziggy is totally honest - he could "do with the money", because the song was written during a lean period in Bowie's financial state. He had felt "so wiped out with things as they are." Why not take the money, at least he could fall asleep at night without the worries. He could possibly even "fall in love all right as a rock n' roll star" A thought inconceivable on `Soul Love'.
Hang on to yourself
Hang on to Yourself is a raunchy little number, akin in it's throbbing relentless feel to both Queen Bitch and Suffragette City. The 'Ziggy worshiper' discovered in Lady Stardust appears to have flipped into fanaticism on an enormous scale. Ziggy, no longer a potential, but a driving charismatic monster becomes the unadulterated "tongue twisting storm" who prays "to the light machine". The fan views the idol not as another money-grabbing entertainment hash, but a sexually-orientated leader, laying esoteric sensuality upon the audience. "She's a funky-thigh collector layin' on electric dreams" Such confessed eroticism over the being and not the music are extolled further as the follower admits "we can't dance, we don't talk much, we just ball and play" gyrating to the sexual avatar like "tigers on Vaseline". Indeed, Ziggy is "the blessed" and his disciples 'are the Spiders from Mars", but then comes the crunch:
Ziggy Stardust
'I'm not disenchanted because I always believed when I started that Ziggy for me was what I was all about. I fell for Ziggy too. It was quite easy to become obsessed night and day with the character. I became Ziggy Stardust. David Bowie went out of the window. Everybody was convincing me that I was The Messiah.'
Thus, Ziggy/Bowie wrote, sang, performed his own epitaph. With the same bitter cynicism of Major Tom, he made the grade, but, as the song dictates, he "Made it too far". Omnipotence, and the lust for notoriety were the carcass and shell remaining in a character divorced from the initial thought. Ziggy had transcended one step beyond mere mortality, he became "the special man": and the puller of strings became himself a chord to his own creation. This creator could "lick 'em by smiling, leave 'em to hang" with his "snow white tan". with equal similarity to 'Tommy's Holiday Camp' followers, the questioning mass, including creator, turned upon the creation. He had all the credit, absorbed it like "the fly", and where were the spiders?- ready to pounce. Could they have the severe audacity to "crush his sweet hands"? Apparently yes, for as he played his sexuality upon a crass audience like a god incarnate, the power originally bestowed became introverted and snowballed back onto the Master himself. "Making love with his ego Ziggy sucked up into his mind." The force he had shed into the hearts of his followers imploded into himself, "like a leper messiah. The fever had developed into a disease of such an epidemic scale that "when the kids had killed the man I had to break up the band."
Suffragette City
In `Suffragette City' we discover Ziggy one step nearer the brink as the chord structure wanders between a powerful A and F. Ziggy is swamped by the decadence he engendered. Anti-morality is rife, swamping his personal solicitude and slowly cracking him up. "Hey man, leave me alone...Henry get off the phone...I gotta straighten my face." To cap it all, he is aware that his "works down the drain." Nothing seems to matter anymore, he is living in agitation where the cost of the ticket out is far too great for his peers. Suffragette City is an irritating place which allows little in variation other than a compendium of hangers-on "Hey man, oh' Henry don't be unkind...I can't take you...droogie don't crash here." Ziggy had become a parody of his former idealistic self. No innovation was here, what had been style is now pure mannerism. Ziggy was playing quick charades both on and off stage: "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am" A victim of his own self-imitating ridicule.
Rock n' Roll Suicide
The final act. A slow 12/8 beat with all the trappings of a funeral dirge herald the death/transubstantiation of Ziggy. "Time takes a cigarette." The vague sad eyes gaze into oblivion beyond despair. Time, the chain-smoking reaper draws his lonely cloak around Ziggy's shoulders. "The wall-to-walls calling it lingers, then you forget." The parallels between Vince Taylor are then drawn out with the impracticability of tracing time. "You're too old to loose it, too young to choose it and the clock waits no patiently on your song."
The urban scenario of Five Years is entered once more with the same beautiful, fatalistic poetry. The cars come abruptly to a halt as the weary character staggers across the road, but time rolls on and it is the dawn of another tedious day that forces an early homeward retirement. "Don't let the sun blast your shadow, don't let the milk floats ride your mind." All is so normal, yet depressingly "religiously unkind" And from the depths of hostile insecurity comes the optimistic cry: "Oh no love, your not alone." Perhaps it is friends attempting to inject hope, or maybe a last remaining fan offering consolation. It doesn't really matter, the broken Ziggy has a straw at which to grasp. The introspective self-pitying messiah is drawn to the voice in the darkness. "You're watching yourself but it's too unfair. You got your head all tangled up but Id f I could only make you care."
The affection still remains, the climax yet to come. A voice, almost forgiving in it's passion pleads with Ziggy to believe once more in himself. It matters not what he has done or seen. The past and the vengeance of time are momentarily dispelled, for this follower has had also his share of grieving and "I'll help you with the pain. You're not alone" The anthem of encouragement brings also a sensation of achievement as the curtain closes on the hands dragging Ziggy's sanity from the pit.
Although the album was, in a sense, Bowies most superficial lyrical contribution, it did present his concept that stardom was a form of escapism from intellectual pressures and confusion. As such, the pose of Ziggy served it's purpose in captivating the imaginative centres of his audience without demanding heavy philosophical debate. 'Being famous helps put off the problems of discovering myself.'
