Subterraneans (6:29)
132,085 plays (44,169 listeners)
“Subterraneans” is a song by David Bowie from his album Low (1977). “Subterraneans” is mostly instrumental, with brief, obscure lyrics sung near the song’s end.
The final song of Low, “Subterraneans” was meant to invoke the misery of those in East Berlin during the Cold War.
“Subterraneans” was ultimately the most heavily edited song on Low, with the reversed instrument sounds, saxophone, and multilayered synthesizers from Brian Eno which float underneath a moaned vocal that is worldless until about the final ninety seconds. The synthesiser melody is identical to a motif from Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod”, the 9th Enigma Variation.
The piece was rumoured to be originally intended for use in the soundtrack to the film The Man Who Fell to Earth, in which Bowie played the lead role. Though this rumour was false, the reversed track used as the bassline in this piece was actually the only remaining intact part of the film soundtrack that Bowie used on the Low album.
The lyrics are amongst Bowie’s most inaccessible, and—superficially at least—seem to make no sense. Bowie reports that during the recording of Low he was “intolerably bored” with conventional narrative rock and roll lyrics. The lyrics of “Subterraneans” seem to resemble the “cut-up” technique popularized by William S. Burroughs, which Bowie had previously used and expressed admiration for.
The final song of Low, “Subterraneans” was meant to invoke the misery of those in East Berlin during the Cold War.
“Subterraneans” was ultimately the most heavily edited song on Low, with the reversed instrument sounds, saxophone, and multilayered synthesizers from Brian Eno which float underneath a moaned vocal that is worldless until about the final ninety seconds. The synthesiser melody is identical to a motif from Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod”, the 9th Enigma Variation.
The piece was rumoured to be originally intended for use in the soundtrack to the film The Man Who Fell to Earth, in which Bowie played the lead role. Though this rumour was false, the reversed track used as the bassline in this piece was actually the only remaining intact part of the film soundtrack that Bowie used on the Low album.
The lyrics are amongst Bowie’s most inaccessible, and—superficially at least—seem to make no sense. Bowie reports that during the recording of Low he was “intolerably bored” with conventional narrative rock and roll lyrics. The lyrics of “Subterraneans” seem to resemble the “cut-up” technique popularized by William S. Burroughs, which Bowie had previously used and expressed admiration for.
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Low
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Shouts
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suaveslav wrote:
And two decades later we get The Downward Spiral.
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android9791 wrote:
the lyrics are actually gibberish. it's just Bowie singing with pure emotion. no need for words.
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janwilczur wrote:
This is different to the track with the same title on 'Low'....nevertheless a lovely peice.
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bluejaydandy wrote:
the babe!
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davidbowiegirl wrote:
This sounds so melacholy... athmosphere is wonderful! But I've never understood the lyrics.
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returnticket wrote:
i swear bowie is so hit and miss, like this for example, which is amazing.
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Terrasidius wrote:
A W E S O M E
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tomorrowsparty wrote:
I swear there's a line of some classical piece worked in here, I can't put my finger on it though.
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Pogofied wrote:
wot a gorgeous song
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urinol wrote:
Berlin Trilogy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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spacefaceinfurs wrote:
incredible. one of my favourites of Low
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void__ wrote:
so good
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ziggystar72 wrote:
wOwOwOwOowowOWOWoW magia!!!!
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JuanJuste1 wrote:
increiblemente bello,.........genial
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LAMEjunk wrote:
Sublime.
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kastrikastri wrote:
into the pantheon of the Godz
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stefhombre wrote:
the sound of genius
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BillSwansea wrote:
This song will always put me on a downer without fail, which is a shame because i spend more time listening to it than not.
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nizbeh wrote:
No cóż ... niech i tak będzie
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theansweris42x wrote:
Achingly gorgeous.
David Bowie
Subterraneans
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Recent Activity
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TREXARMY added Subterraneans to their Loved Tracks. Saturday evening
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sYmnn added Subterraneans to the playlist Simons Mixtape. Saturday evening
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belttram added Subterraneans to their Loved Tracks. Saturday afternoon
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Blixa_Shea added Subterraneans to the playlist Winter Songs. Saturday afternoon
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Blixa_Shea added Subterraneans to Blixa_Shea’s library. Saturday afternoon
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plumptiger, soylentgene, MrPotato_GR and 7 other people loved David Bowie – Subterraneans. Saturday morning
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Ryan_Slade tagged David Bowie – Subterraneans with experimental and ambient. Monday afternoon
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Ryan_Slade added Subterraneans to his Loved Tracks. Monday afternoon
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android9791 tagged David Bowie – Subterraneans with avant-garde, art rock, experimental and one other tag. last week
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KC42 added Subterraneans to a deleted playlist. 7 days ago
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