Life on Mars? Introduction
In a Nutshell
What do you get when you combine imagery straight from a freak show cinema, a whiff of Marxist class consciousness, an ironic meta-commentary on the creative process, and the melody from Frank Sinatra's crooner classic "My Way"?Why, you get David Bowie's "Life on Mars," one of the weirdest—and awesomest—tracks you're ever likely to encounter atop anybody's "Greatest Songs Ever" list:
Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Indeed.
About the Song
| Artist | Davie Bowie | Musician(s) | David Bowie (vocals, guitar), Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass), Tony Visconti (bass), Mick Woodmansey (drums), Rick Wakeman (piano), Ralph Mace (moog synthesizer). |
| Album | Hunky Dory | ||
| Year | 1973 | ||
| Label | RCA Records | ||
| Writer(s) | David Bowie | ||
| Producer(s) | Ken Scott | ||
| Buy this song: Amazon iTunes | Try Listen and Learn (BETA) | ||
Shmoop Connections
What in the world does David Bowie have to do with the history of American labor unions? (Hint: It's got something to do with "Mickey Mouse growing up a cow.")And who's supposed to be going "on sale again," exactly? Lennon (John, of the Beatles) or Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich, of the Bolsheviks)?
Is Bowie taking a dig here at the rock and roll industry or at the failed utopias of Cold War-era communism?
On the Charts
When released as a single in 1973, the song reached number three in the UK and stayed on the charts for 13 weeks.With the 2006 release of the British television show "Life on Mars," 33 years after the song's original debut, "Life on Mars?" re-entered the UK charts at #55.
"Life on Mars" consistently performs well in "Best Songs Ever" lists. Neil McCormick of the UK's Telegraph declared it the greatest song of all time.