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David Bowie – Life on Mars? (3:44)

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About This Track

In 1968, Bowie wrote “Even a Fool Learns to Love”, a song with lyrics by Bowie set to the music of a 1967 French song (“Comme d’habitude”). Bowie’s song was never released, but Paul Anka bought the rights to the original French version, and rewrote it into “My Way,” made famous by Frank Sinatra in a 1969 recording on his album of the same name. The success of the Anka version prompted Bowie to write “Life on Mars?” as a parody of Sinatra’s recording.

Bowie described how he wrote the song in notes for a Bowie compilation CD that accompanied a June 2008 issue of The Mail on Sunday:

Workspace was a big empty room with a chaise longue; a bargain-price art nouveau screen (‘William Morris,’ so I told anyone who asked); a huge overflowing freestanding ashtray and a grand piano. Little else. I started working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon.
Bowie noted that Rick Wakeman “embellished the piano part” of his original melody and guitarist Mick Ronson “created one of his first and best string parts” for the song.

The liner notes for Hunky Dory indicate that the song was ‘inspired by Frankie’.
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  • huwatts4

    not bowie? another terrible cover...

    yesterday morning

  • tsanph

    and this is nothing quite like Bowie

    Wednesday afternoon

  • jillyjingoes

    there's nothing quite like bowie .x x

    16 days ago

  • silvasonicsurfa

    ..single versh would be nice.....

    16 days ago

  • wesleyssouza

    great

    19 days ago

  • hexicola

    stop playing live versions you cheapskates

    23 days ago

  • pablo323

    reminds me of Dragon Ball

    last month

  • Shastieva

    it means a lot to me

    last month

  • LuciaAlfie

    Masterpiece <3

    last month

  • Doppelherzz

    ...and my world was set on fire.

    last month

  • Misfortunetress

    NICE FOR NOT TELLING US WHETHER THERE IS LIFE ON MARS OR NOT. Most bizarre song ever but a good one

    last month

  • futchadoc

    this is such a great song

    last month

  • Lajon_

    so perfect

    last month

  • KingFahtah

    stop playing live versions you cheapskates

    last month

  • dethintwosec

    given name to one of the greatest tv series.

    March 2012

  • gungh0

    anthem

    March 2012

  • pszczUa

    I can listen to this song again and again...

    March 2012

  • CatalystDM

    Harvey Keitel

    March 2012

  • richardfi

    Awesome, just perfect song!!

    February 2012

  • Force_of_Will

    I DONT DISLIKE THIS SONG BUT WHY THE FUCK IS IT NO. 1? ALSO, CAPS.

    February 2012
See all 872 shouts

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