DAVID BOWIE - THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

DAVID BOWIE

SONGWRITERS: BOWIE, DAVID

PRODUCER: TONY VISCONTY

COUNTRY: U. K.

ALBUM: THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

LABEL: MERCURY

GENRE: ROCK

YEAR: 1971

 

           "The Man Who Sold the World" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The title track of Bowie's third studio álbum of the same name, it was released in November 1970 in the US and in April 1971 in the UK by Mercury Records. Produced by Tony Visconti, it was recorded at Trident and Advision Studios in London in May 1970, towards the end of the album's sessions; Bowie recorded his vocal on the final day of mixing for the album, reflecting his generally dismissive attitude during the sessions. Musically, it is based around a "circular" guitar riff from Mick Ronson. Its lyrics are cryptic and evocative, being inspired by numerous poems including "Antigonish" by William Hughes Mearns. Bowie's vocals are heavily "phased" throughout and have been described as "haunting".

          "The Man Who Sold the World" went relatively unnoticed upon initial release in 1970. It was not released as a single by Bowie, though appeared as a B-side on the 1973 reissues of "Space Oddity" in the US and "Life on Mars?" in the UK by RCA Records. It wasn't until it was covered by Scottish singer Lulu, whose 1974 recording, produced by Bowie and Ronson, peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, that the song gained mainstream attention. In subsequent decades, the song has been covered by Scottish musician Midge Ure in 1982, and the American rock band Nirvana in 1993, whose performance of the song for the television programme MTV Unplugged introduced it to a new audience. Many critics have noted that cover versions of the track have managed to outshine Bowie's original recording in popularity, with some, including Bowie himself, also noting that many listeners don't know Bowie wrote it. Others have commended these covers as saving the song from obscurity.

           Retrospectively, Bowie's original recording has been named one of his best songs, with many praising the haunting and unsettling nature of the recording. Bowie performed the track live later in his career in different renditions than the original, including in a darker style during 1995's Outside Tour; a studio recording of the tour's arrangement appeared as a B-side in 1995. He again re-recorded the song in an acoustic arrangement in 1996 for the documentary ChangesNowBowie, which was released in 2020 on the EP Is It Any Wonder?. The original recording has since appeared on multiple compilation albums and has been remastered multiple times, including in 2015 as part of the box set Five Years (1969–1973).

We passed upon the stair,

We spoke of was and when,

Although I wasn't there,

He said I was his friend,

Which came as some surprise.

I spoke into his eyes,

"I thought you died alone

A long long time ago."

"Oh no, not me,

I never lost control

You're face to face

With the man who sold the world."

I laughed and shook his hand

And made my way back home,

I searched for form and land,

For years and years I roamed.

I gazed a gazley stare

At all the millions here:

"We must have died alone,

A long long time ago."

"Who knows? Not me,

We never lost control.

You're face to face

With the man who sold the world."

"Who knows? Not me,

We never lost control.

You're face to face

With the man who sold the world.