David Bowie Passed Away 2 Days After the Release of His New & Final Album

English rocker, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, painter, and actor David Bowie has died on January 10th.  He was 69 years-old.  Bowie died after an 18-months bout with cancer.  The rocker also died two days after he released his 25th and final album Blackstar.

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief," read a statement posted on the artist's official social media accounts.  

David Bowie was born in South London on January 8, 1947. His first hit was the song "Space Oddity" in 1969. The original pop chameleon, Bowie became a science fiction character for his breakout Ziggy Stardust album. He later co-wrote "Fame" with John Lennon which became his first American No. 1 single. An accomplished actor, Bowie starred in The Man Who Fell to Earth in 1976. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Regarding his religion, in 2005, he said, "Questioning my spiritual life has always been germane to what I was writing. Always." He added that he is bothered by being "not quite an atheist". In the Esquire interview "What I've Learned", he stated, "I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for the visual in religious rituals, though, even though they may be completely empty and bereft of substance. The incense is powerful and provocative, whether Buddhist or Catholic." Nevertheless, Bowie has shown an interest in Buddhism since 1967. He frequently studied in London under the Tibetan Lama Chime Rinpoche before becoming a solo artist. 

What is most intriguing is Bowie's final single "Lazarus."  Though never intended to be a Christian song by any stretch of imagination, his newest single "Lazarus" is most revealing as far as the human sinful condition is concerned.  The tune appears to have been written specifically for the play of the same name "Lazarus." The song is told from the perspective of a formerly wealthy, lost man living in New York that yearns to fly away, which is essentially the plot of Lazarus. The musical is a sequel to Bowie's 1976 movie The Man Who Fell To Earth, though only the alien character Thomas Jerome Newton returns. 

The song spells out the futility of wealth and the meaninglessness of life without Christ. "I've got scars that can't be seen," Bowie sings, amid horns and a propulsive beat. "I've got drama, can't be stolen/ Everybody knows me now."

Here are the lyrics:

Look up here, I'm in heaven
I've got scars that can't be seen
I've got drama, can't be stolen
Everybody knows me now

Look up here, man, I'm in danger
I've got nothing left to lose
I'm so high it makes my brain whirl
Dropped my cell phone down below
Ain't that just like me?

By the time I got to New York
I was living like a king
Then I used up all my money
I was looking for your ass
This way or no way
You know, I'll be free
Just like that bluebird
Now ain't that just like me?
Oh I'll be free
Just like that bluebird
Oh I'll be free
Ain't that just like me? 

 

 

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