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Thread started 01/16/16 8:04am

FUNKNROLL

Finding Meaning on David Bowie's ★ (Blackstar)

Fascinated w/what seems a very strong concept album. He was a bit of a poet after all and this seems an autobigraphical requiem. So many serendipitous layers. Hard not to include his life's details and visual story telling. We'll never know exact meanings, so all said as "perhaps"...

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Blackstar - An abstract, synopsis, of the entire album in three (ish) movements? Summarizes his passing and throws down "I'm the baddest" for folks that may not get it ("I'm not a gangster, I'm a blackstar").

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'Tis a Pity She Was A Whore - by "she" perhaps he means, "Life" as an unrequiting love? "She punched me like a dude" seems more playful reflection on his own androgynous past than misogynistic, trans-phobia.

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Lazarus - no bones about it, he moved on and he sang (us) his memoir from beyond the grave. In the video, a deathly girl reaches for him from under his hospital bed. Before moving back into the closet, he frantically pens a long list. Bowie's proust survey listed "Santa Claus" as the historical figure he most identiied with.

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Sue (Or in a Season of Crme) - Not sure about this one... thoughts?

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Girl Loves Me - haunting, seems to capture the surprise in learning you are truly dying. If "Tis a Pity" cast life as an unrequiting whore, here the "girl" who loves him seems to be death (from the Lazarus video). After listing his plans for the entire week, he sings with bewilderment, "Where the Fuck Did Monday Go?". Followed by a defiant "I'm Sitting in the Chestnut Tree!". Bowie passed away on a Monday. Dreaming of sitting under a chestnut tree is symbolic of happy times on the horizon after enduring a spell of dissatisfaction.

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Dollar Days - Acceptance for the condition w/the lyrics "I'm dying to(o). If I never see the English evergreens... it's nothing to me".

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I Can't Give Everything Away - More acceptance, and perhaps a cheeky wink for the close. He's on the other side telling us this story but can't reveal any secrets. Only to say, you truly can't take it (all) with you AND you can't give it (all) away. Yeah, it's clunky and maybe redundant. But getting a word in edgewise is very Bowie... per his own proust survey.

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https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/07/10/david-bowie-proust-questionnaire-vanity-fair/

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[Edited 1/16/16 8:08am]

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Reply #1 posted 01/16/16 10:07am

donnyenglish

I am blown away and obsessed with the CD. Only Bowie could pull this off.
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Reply #2 posted 01/16/16 4:10pm

luv4u

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Please post here on the album sticky, thanks - luv4u

http://prince.org/msg/8/421132


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