Tradwell, L’Art de la Traduction n’a pas pour vocation d’écrire des articles sur le passage vers l’au-delà des personnalités du monde de l’art. Néanmoins, l’annonce de la mort de David Bowie m’a bouleversé à tel point que seul un hommage diminuera la peine.
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I became a follower when Rebel Rebel hit the air, taken from 1974 Diamond Dogs it made me look up and listen. The music was catchy, yet it wasn’t only about music. It was about colour and ambiguity; it was about doing it your way. Lady Gaga didn’t invent multiple personality changes, David was there decades before. His 1983 commercial songs, China Girl or Let’s Dance made us boogie in The Camden Palace; he sung with Freddie Mercury Under Pressure and was very strange in The Men Who fell To Earth.
So, instead of joining the thousand savvy pundits busily writing wordy missives, Tradwell took random bits from several David Bowie hits, just a few as he leaves us with 274 titles, so very representative of the poetic rock and roll dream. « Look up here, I’m in heaven » taken from Lazarus and the fact that he was soon to die gave his words a special poignancy.
A sort of « Morituri te salutant » of a true music warrior dedicated to his craft until the edge of the eternal night.
Play them today and play them to your teenage kids just to show them that mum and dad were young and fun in a way that makes today’s generation rather pale.
Yes, I had a pink suit so tight that it made my privates public, yes I dined in Savoy in a smoking jacket with big yellow Daleks spray-painted all over it and much more.
David Bowie composed the songs that include the lyrics quoted below.
He’s gone up to join his mate Marc Bolan and other fabulous immortals. They’re probably busy rehearsing the material for the next celestial gig. David Bowie was an alien who couldn’t escape being human. He is surely a member of the heavenly supergroup as of right now. Take your pick who is playing lead guitar, who bangs the drums and who slaps the base. I give David Bowie the mike.
What great music they must be making. I know I’ll hear it one day.
This is Major Tom to Ground Control I’m stepping through the door And I’m floating in the most peculiar way And the stars look very different today For here am I sitting in my tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there’s nothing I can do
Though nothing, will keep us together We could steal time, just for one day We can be Heroes, for ever and ever
Let’s dance for fear your grace should fall
Oh no, not me I never lost control You’re face to face With The Man Who Sold The World
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
And the day will end for some As the night begins for one
And the missionary mystic of peace/love Stumbled to cry among the clouds Kicking back the pebbles From the Freecloud mountain Track.
There’s a starman waiting in the sky He’d like to come and meet us But he thinks he’d blow our minds There’s a starman waiting in the sky He’s told us not to blow it Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
You’ve got your mother in a whirl She’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl
You shouldn’t mess with me I’ll ruin everything you are I’ll give you television I’ll give you eyes of blue I’ll give you man who wants to rule the world
It’s the terror of knowing What this world is about Watching some good friends Screaming, « Let me out! »