David Bowie: Timing

David Bowie was British musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Explore interesting quotes on timing.
David Bowie: 210   quotes 56   likes

“I've come to the realisation that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time”

David Bowie

"Sermon From the Savoy", New Musical Express (29 September 1984)
Context: I'm terribly intuitive—I always thought I was intellectual about what I do, but I've come to the realisation that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time, that the majority of the stuff that I do is totally intuitive, totally about where I am physically and mentally at any moment in time and I have a far harder time than anybody else explaining it and analysing it. That's the territory of the artist anyway: to be quite at sea with what he does, and working towards not being intuive about it and being far more methodical and academic about it.

Idea , Time

“How many times does an angel fall?
How many people lie instead of talking tall?”

David Bowie

"Blackstar"
Song lyrics, Blackstar (2016)
Context: Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried
(I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar) How many times does an angel fall?
How many people lie instead of talking tall?
He trod on sacred ground, he cried loud into the crowd
(I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar, I’m not a gangster)

People , Lie , Angels , Time

“It's odd but even when I was a kid, I would write about "old and other times" as though I had a lot of years behind me.”

David Bowie

Livewire interview (2002)
Context: It's odd but even when I was a kid, I would write about "old and other times" as though I had a lot of years behind me. Now I do, so there is a difference in the weight of memory. When you're young, you're still "becoming", now at my age I am more concerned with "being". And not too long from now I'll be driven by "surviving", I'm sure. I kind of miss that "becoming" stage, as most times you really don't know what's around the corner. Now, of course, I've kind of knocked on the door and heard a muffled answer. Nevertheless, I still don't know what the voice is saying, or even what language it's in.

Time

“Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild.”

David Bowie

Changes
Song lyrics, Hunky Dory (1971)
Context: Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild.
A million dead-end streets and
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet.
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test.

Time , Waiting

“Speak in extremes, it'll save you time.”

David Bowie
Time

“And you,
You can be mean
And I,
I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers,
And that is a fact
Yes we're lovers,
And that is that”

David Bowie
Lovers , Drink , Time

“As you get older the questions come down to two or three. How long have I got and what am I gonna do with the time I've got left?”

David Bowie
Question , Time

“It's a god-awful small affair
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling "No"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen.
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause she's lived it ten times or more.”

David Bowie

Life on Mars?
Song lyrics, Hunky Dory (1971)

God , Dreams , Girl , Time

“I suppose I’ve been knocking on heaven’s door for about 11 years now, with one sort of high or another. The only kinds of drugs I use, though, are ones that keep me working for longer periods of time. I haven’t gotten involved in anything heavy since ’68. I had a silly flirtation with smack then, but it was only for the mystery and enigma of trying it. I never really enjoyed it at all. I like fast drugs. I’ve said that many times. I hate falling out, where I can’t stand up and stuff. It seems like such a waste of time. I hate downs and slow drugs like grass. I hate sleep. I would much prefer staying up, just working, all the time. It makes me so mad that we can’t do anything about sleep or the common cold.”

David Bowie

As quoted in this interview http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/david-bowie-playboy-magazine/ in Playboy magazine (September 1976)

Hate , Sleep , Grass , Time

“Oh don't lean on me man, cause you can't afford the ticket
Back from Suffragette City
Oh don't lean on me man
'Cause you ain't got time to check it
You know my Suffragette City
Is outta sight…she's all right …Ah wham, bam, thank you ma'am!”

David Bowie

Suffragette City
Song lyrics, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

Time

“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.”

David Bowie

The Man Who Sold the World
Song lyrics, The Man Who Sold the World (1970)

Time

“Never gonna fall for
Modern love — walks beside me.
Modern love — walks on by.
Modern love — gets me to the church on time.
Church on time — terrifies me.
Church on time — makes me party.
Church on time — puts my trust in God and man.
God and man — no confessions.
God and man — no religion.
God and man — don't believe in modern love.”

David Bowie

Modern Love —  YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt8vhgGpKu4
Song lyrics, Let's Dance (1983)

Love , God , Religion , Time

“Who'll love Aladdin Sane?
Battle cries and champagne just in time for sunrise.”

David Bowie

Aladdin Sane
Song lyrics, Aladdin Sane (1973)

Love , Time

“Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low.”

David Bowie

Ashes To Ashes
Song lyrics, Scary Monsters (1980)

Time