Song 90 - Life on Mars? by David Bowie

Waking up today was like any other normal Monday morning until after the third snooze on the alarm, I caught the end of a news bulletin announcing the death of David Bowie. Bowie is an icon of world music and listening to the reports, you realised how much of his music has always been in the background. This week, the jukebox will be celebrating the life and works of David Bowie, along with the rest of the world.

I'm starting with Life on Mars? which was on Bowie's 1971 album Hunky Dory.   In 1968, Bowie wrote lyrics set to music of a 1967 French Song Comme d'habitude, called Even a Fool Learns to Love. Bowie never released this and the rights to the original French tune was bought by Paul Anka who together with Frank Sinatra turned it into his hit My Way. Bowie seeing the success of the Anka version was prompted to write Life on Mars? as a parody of Sinatra's recording. Bowie told the Daily Telegraph in 1988 how he had written the song; "Workspace was a big empty room with a chaise longue; a bargain-price art screen; a huge overflowing freestanding ashtray and a grand piano. Little else. I stated working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon."

The song was released in 1973 reaching number 3 and remaining in the chart for 13 weeks.
When playing it on tour in 1989, Bowie describe Life on Mars? as a love song and due to its lyrics Life on Mars! is often described as Salvador Dali painting.

For me, the song makes me think of myself as a little girl looking up at the sky and thinking about space travel. I am still very much attracted to the idea of space and I would put my writing career down to one story about an alien discovering my village for the first time. My alien was from Pluto; not Mars but I don't think there has been a pop song about Pluto. Also, there are a number of Bowie songs that talk about space including Space Oddity.

I think what the world of music has lost today is an entrepreneur of music; who was able to keep inventing himself and his craft. He was also a pioneer of music.  His love for music and how he approached change is unlikely to be seen again. Whilst we will all be mourning his lost, my thoughts go out to his family and friends on this sad day.

To watch and enjoy Life on Mars?
Life on Mars? David Bowie

Written by: David Bowie
Album: Hunky Dory, 1971.
Released as a single: 1973