BOWIE AND GEOGRAPHER

Music is often times poetry.  The lyrics in a song are usually not arranged in a structured sonnet form, but rather free verse.  I want to focus on a few poetic songs that have caused me to grow and taught me new things and feelings I never imagined discovering.

The first artist that I ever sought out completely on my own, free from others' influence, was David Bowie when I was 11 years old.  I had never heard or seen anyone else who was even similar to him, and he blew my mind with stage makeup and oh so out-of-this-world lyrical ideas.  The first time I felt true loneliness through art was with the song "Lady Stardust" off the amazing album, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.  

People stared at the makeup on his face
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace

The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
And lady stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace

[CHORUS]
And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
And he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
([second time:] really quite paradise)
And he sang all night long

Femme fatales emerged from shadows
To watch this creature fair
Boys stood upon their chairs
To make their point of view
I smiled sadly for a love I could not obey

Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and dismay

[CHORUS]

Oh how I sighed
When they asked if I knew his name

[CHORUS]

 It is interesting because the lyrics of the song aren't even in first person, Bowie is narrating for Lady Stardust.  One would think the third person point of view could not capture the same or correct sense of loneliness, but to date it is still the the loneliest song I have ever experienced.  Lady Stardust is an outcast, David Bowie is an outcast, and all listeners of the song have felt like an outcast at one point in their lives, making the song so attractive and emotional.


Another piece of music that I hold dear to my heart is the song "Original Sin" by Geographer.  Geographer is one of those bands that you come across only a few times in a lifetime.  The kind where you listen to their music and think, "This music was made for me."  Maybe this is just because of the place that I am at in my life and this is the kind of art I'm seeking out now because it is relevant to me.  Nonetheless, Geographer is a band whose songs I will always hold on my list of having my rawest moments with art through them.  To be honest, in trying to analyze and review the song, I find myself falling short in what it means to me.  I have concluded that sometimes there are things too personal to us as people to be shared with others without losing some of their meaning or validity.  So here I pose a challenge to you: seek out poetry through songs, you never know what you will find or what emotions you might feel you never thought existed.  Whoa, intense.

If you listen to this, I suggest cranking it UP