David Bowie The Bewlay Brothers

Of all the David Bowie songs, and there are probably more recognised Bowie songs than any other modern artist, this is the one that I think puzzles me most. I THINK I know what it is about every time I think about the song, but every time I listen to it again...I lose my mind in rivers of possibilities.

It is an incredibly dark song that seems to fit in with the zeitgeist not of when it was written, but now. It almost makes me think of him as a prophet of sorts.

And yet I understand so little about it.

Has anything really changed?

Enjoy the song.

a reply to: Jonjonj

Always loved this song, and also had no idea, really, what it meant. I know that there was a company of the name Bewlay which sold pipes and tobacco. Also note that the tune refers to his brother -- whether that is a biological or metaphorical brother, I can't say.

Thanks for the reminder! The entire album was strange and wonderful, and I'll listen to it tomorrow and sing along thanks to you. ;o)

ETA: the beginning bits of the tune always made me think of the story, The Emperors New Clothes.

originally posted by: argentus
a reply to: Jonjonj

Always loved this song, and also had no idea, really, what it meant. I know that there was a company of the name Bewlay which sold pipes and tobacco. Also note that the tune refers to his brother -- whether that is a biological or metaphorical brother, I can't say.

Thanks for the reminder! The entire album was strange and wonderful, and I'll listen to it tomorrow and sing along thanks to you. ;o)

ETA: the beginning bits of the tune always made me think of the story, The Emperors New Clothes.

He had a half brother called Terry Who he almost never talked about. To be honet I am not even sure Bowie knew what he had written, but it resonates SO MUCH with me, always has. Weird.

Enjoy Hunky Dory again.

a reply to: Jonjonj

Definitely a song composed using Bowie's cut-ups.

Shakespeare put it well:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

I don't think we'll ever truly understand Bowie.
A secretive Bard who even in death shocked the world with an album and several haunting videos that turned him into Lazarus, returned from the grave...he knew he was dying, he just wanted to give the world one last show.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: Jonjonj

Definitely a song composed using Bowie's cut-ups.

Shakespeare put it well:

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

I have to disagree with your opinion. The first two verses are incredibly focused.

And so the story goes they wore the clothes
They said the things to make it seem improbable
Whale of a lie like they hope it was

And the good men tomorrow had their feet in the wallow
And their heads of brawn were nicer shorn
And how they bought their positions with saccharin and trust
And the world was asleep to our latent fuss
Sighings swirl through the streets like the crust of the sun, the Bewlay Brothers

Nothing random there I think.

But who knows, you might be right.

originally posted by: the owlbear
I don't think we'll ever truly understand Bowie.
A secretive Bard who even in death shocked the world with an album and several haunting videos that turned him into Lazarus, returned from the grave...he knew he was dying, he just wanted to give the world one last show.

Blackstar...it's a hard album to listen to.

originally posted by: Jonjonj

originally posted by: the owlbear
I don't think we'll ever truly understand Bowie.
A secretive Bard who even in death shocked the world with an album and several haunting videos that turned him into Lazarus, returned from the grave...he knew he was dying, he just wanted to give the world one last show.

Blackstar...it's a hard album to listen to.

Still can't and it's been two years.
Listened to it for a week or so after he died.

Haven't been back since.

a reply to: Jonjonj

It's both hard and necessary. I felt I owed it to Bowie to learn the album, given the joy he'd given me. It was a push at first, initially filing it under "not my favorite by a damn sight".

I can honestly say it's grown on me. It was touted as a "jazz" album. Frankly, I don't hear much of that, or, better said, not more than other works of his. Bowie has always had a sad violin, a minor-chord piano riff, a melancholy sax moan in the background. Yes, there are classical jazz instruments, disjointed sax here and there, and yes, sax leads that meld into the works, sort of a fractured Buddy Rich rat-tat-tat every now and then. Bowie almost always went with concept albums which told a story, and it was up to us, the fans to interpret and understand and live and love the story. Sometimes we needed a consensus of fans to understand what the story was about.

I find that I don't need a consensus to feel and love this album. It hits me at a visceral level where I don't have to understand it, just feel it. It resonates to me as a compilation of David's musical life and it makes me feel good and happy and .......... full..... to listen to it.

It once felt "dark" and now it feels like the last dance of a friend.

a reply to: Jonjonj

His brother was institutionalized and this song reflects that, so some critics wrote many years ago... and it sounds right to me when hearing the song.... but dunno as I never met the man, unfortunately.

I am still sad about Bowie... but glad the guy lived and put himself out there.

Can you imagine this existence without art?

a reply to: the owlbear

Oh, I agree with that......a most tremendously talented artist, and one that still amazes me.

We watched two of his concerts this last week, a memorial to his being gone two years.
Always changing, always surprising.

The last track on the album, and there's more than a couple of people who think there are hidden messages. I am one of them. Or maybe they are just message from the heart. From David. To us. To hold.

OOOOOOOOOOOooo! Could it be an ACtual conspiracy??? Well, maybe. You decide.

[Produced By David Bowie & Tony Visconti]

[Verse 1]
I know something's very wrong
The pulse returns the prodigal sons
The blackout hearts, the flowered news
With skull designs upon my shoes

[Chorus]
I can't give everything
I can't give everything
Away
I can't give everything
Away

[Verse 2]
Seeing more and feeling less
Saying no but meaning yes
This is all I ever meant
That's the message that I sent

[Chorus]
I can't give everything
I can't give everything
Away
I can't give everything
Away
I can't give everything
I can't give everything
Away
I can't give everything
Away

It's an autobiographial song.

It speaks metaphorically about his relationship with his own brother Terry, who was a schizophrenic; he committed suicide years later in the mid 1980s.

Bowie was traumatized by that part of his own life.

Rest in peace, Thin White Duke. Thank you for all the wonderful music.

You are greatly missed on my planet.