Nirvana – The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie cover)

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  Song Meaning:It seems to me to be about David Bowie's relationship with his alter ego Ziggy Stardust. 'The Man Who Sold the World' seems to fit really well into the entire glam rock alter ego idea. The use of 'We Never Lost Control', a central theme, seems like a struggle of whom he really is Ziggy Stardust or David Bowie.

  Flag bpitsenbon June 01, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:I think this song is about imagining seeing yourself through the eyes of a different person. It's been said to be about meeting your doppelganger... a paranormal or supernatural entity that takes identical form of a living person.
  This song could be about meeting your doppelganger and judging yourself as a person outside yourself, if that makes sense.

  Flag Tig45on April 12, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:This is about a man who sold the world. Despite the fact he had no justifiable legal claim to the world in the first place. For me, the question is more, who bought the world from him?

  Flagged shamone12on December 19, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:I like to think it's about the ghost of a man who has taken his own life talking to himself while he was still alive. "We" refers to himself and his spirit. he denies they ever lost control but they did and he took his own life. It's about the act people put on of normality when they really just wish they were dead. The ghost is still his friend, even though he doesn't like himself, "although, I wasn't there" his zest for life is already dead. He believes he deserved to die alone. He sold the world because he gave up on his future. "not me" is saying that he would not be the sort of person to give in to weakness, he would be strong enough to keep going. I think it's a song about a person contemplating suicide even though he knows it's a weak thing to do. "he laughed and shook his hand" he laughed at the idea of taking his life, such a ridiculous thing to do. But then he wanders around his life, his life isn't worth living in his opinion. I suppose meeting his ghost convinces him it's his destiny to give up and die alone and he gives in. He is romanticising his own dimise, it's a cry for help.

  Flagged Cloudymopon November 22, 2012   Link

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• +1
  Song Meaning:I think it's about the man pretends to be another person for ingratiating others.
  It happens all the time when we enter into a new group.
  By time to time, we all forget what we are at the beginning.
  so the two man in this song can be explained by the "real me" and "fake me"
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  We passed upon the stair
  We spoke of was and when
  - with his friend, they look back on past / recall past
  
  Although I wasn't there
  He said I was his friend
  - although the real me wasn't there, fake me was there
  and it was fake me deal with his friend
  
  Which came as a surprise
  I spoke into his eyes
  - his eyes says :
  
  I thought you died alone
  A long long time ago
  - "I thought real you died alone a long time ago"
  
  
  
  
  
  Oh no, not me
  - the one died was not fake me
  
  We never lost control
  - he never leaks out the real me at the wrong time
  
  You're face to face
  With The Man Who Sold The World
  - the real me sold the world to fake me/
  when somebody look at him ---- with man sold the world
  it is actually with the man look at himself
  
  
  
  
  I laughed and shook his hand
  And made my way back home
  I searched for form and land
  For years and years I roamed
  - for years he searched for find place with fake mask on his face
  
  I gazed a gazeless stare
  - inside him, real me watch the fake me outside
  We walked a million hills
  - he has passed through many journeys (physical or mental
  
  I must have died alone
  A long, long time ago
  - the real me must has gone ago
  
  
  
  Who knows?
  Not me
  - I don't know what is wrong this world
  
  I never lost control
  - never lost control when to take off the mask
  
  You're face to face
  to the Man who Sold the World
  - they both the man who sold the world
  
  
  
  Who knows?
  Not me
  We never lost control
  You're face to face
  of the Man who Sold the World
  - because his friend is also with fake mask
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  And we all are, don't even try to deny

  Flagged RaY4451on October 11, 2012   Link

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    i agree

    Flag cookies34on June 03, 2013  
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  Lyric Correction:Pretty certain the first chorus is "I" never lost control, not "we"
  
  Oh no, not me
  I never lost control
  You're face to face
  With The Man Who Sold The World

  Flag soulfreedomon October 02, 2012   Link

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• -2
  General Comment:Kurt Cobain hated christians so I don't think its about Jesus.
  I think its' about him- he sold the world.
  And I interpret it as he sold his girl, or loved one. He gave her up, and now he regrets it and is all alone,
  and he must have died a long time ago, because he can't have a soul, knowing he sold this girl/gave her away.
  And he's just really sad about it essentially.

  Flagged viciousviolinson April 29, 2012   Link

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    +1

    Kurt didn't write this, it's a cover of a David Bowie song.

    Flag Flumperon February 02, 2013  
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  General Comment:I think this song has been redone by Kurt to say something new. In my opinion, the man he meets on the stairs is God. God thought Kurt had died a long time ago, because he had lost his way and will, and so in Kurt's eyes, God gave up on him just like many others did too. I know it seems Kurt thinks the man on the stairs died a long time ago, but he also says "i must have died alone, a long, long time ago". Although im not of any religious faith at all, i like this idea. God "sold" the world to mankind, and he seemingly forgot about and gave up on Kurt, leaving him alone to "roam the lands".

  Flagged SteveBiggerton April 15, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:"I thought you died alone, a long long time ago" this is what my life has come to, I am in a deep dark depression. I am here physically but I died on the inside a long long time ago. I used to have everything, friends, family, money, possessions, and the girl. It seems like yesterday I was king of the world, now I walk around the world as a ghost. My life was shattered years ago and now my life is empty. I lost the one I love and have been trying to cope with a broken heart for years now. Ive changed from one of the happiest , friendliest, and most outgoing guys, to a loner loser who wants nothing to do with no one. I drink all the time to kill the pain but it doesn’t help at all. I am so lost and every time I look into the mirror I see nothing, except for what used to be, nothing but memories.

  Flagged johnnyb33on March 24, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I'm not sure if anyone posted this or not, but In my opinion, Kurt(?) chose to cover this song because he was likely premeditating his demise for a while, and he had just come to terms with what he was going to do. (The song was put out roughly a year before he died.)

  Flagged overboardon November 22, 2011   Link

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