Lyrics for The Man Who Sold the World as interpreted by magicnudiesuit

The Man Who Sold the World Lyrics
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

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With The Man Who Sold The World

I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home
I searched a foreign land, for years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here
We must have died alone, a long long time ago

Who knows? not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the Man who Sold the World

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 78 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
ramthar
05-01-2002

Rated 0 
this song makes alot more sense when you listen to the whole album. i think it has something to do with another race of creatures that once ruled our world, and who might be ready to take the world over again. when you listen to this with "All the madmen" "saviour machine"

Log in to reply
ramthar
05-01-2002

Rated 0 
whoops...

anyway, when you listen to it with "all the madmen", "savior machine", "the supermen" and the rest of the album, it seems like this "super race" once gave up earth to live on another planet. it's really ambiguous, but i think that is what it is getting at.

Log in to reply
nietzsche_66
06-01-2002

Rated 0 
I think it's a song about the deconstructing of our society.

Log in to reply
punksmurf420
08-30-2002

Rated 0 
i agree with nietzsche, atleast tha how i look at it. a lot of people have covered this song, but i think the only one who did it well was kurt cobain at the nirvana unplugged.

Log in to reply
Gvilleneuve_27
09-07-2002

Rated +2 
Kurt did a really good job covering this song.

My interpretation is that the song is about fascism rising again. Hitler spoke of an Ayran "master race", and maybe Bowie is talking about the sort of feelings that led to the creation of fascist regimes coming to the for eonce more

Log in to reply
ClioMouse
05-12-2003

Rated 0 
You've gotta respect somebody who can make a decent song with some of the instruments used in this one. I always wondered if that ladder/cheese grater thing would ever sound good in an actual song.

Log in to reply
scholesy
06-24-2003

Rated +1 
What a great song. On first look at the lyrics I thought it was reference to the Bible (the last verse anyway). Wasn't Adam and Eve cast out of the Garden of Eden? Thus selling the world, then roaming for years and years. Following on from that I thought it was told through the eyes of God (giving up on the planet to the Devil but never really losing control) or a creator race (which would tie in with the rest of the album, as ramthar mentioned). I have many more interpretations, but those were the most far-fetched ;) More probably a cynical/regretful look on the motivations of today's society.

I love the song, just think it's much better when its toned down (like minus the cheese-graters), brings out the desperation of the lyrics and tune, exemplifying the vacancy of many lines like "I gazed a gazely stare".

Log in to reply
Schr4nz
06-30-2003

Rated 0 
nietzsche mad a great point...... "I think it's a song about the deconstructing of our society."

when you look at the referances in the song, it makes a lot of sense, i think its also about the never ending struggle of humanity (history repeating itself, hence "i thought you died alone, a long long time ago") but when you look at it as a whole, and ask yourself "who is the man that sold the world?"

the only true answer that comes back to me, is god.... makes a lot of sense also "thought you died alone, a long long time ago" there havent been any new major religions with a god base for 1500 years.... "search for form and land" a referance to the bible, moses and/or adam and eve... we seem to be fading from religion with god as a base slowly..."We passed upon the stair" stairway to heaven.. i think bowie was trying to tell us, that to him, god sold the world to the devil, hence the chaos in the world....... so i agree with scholesy on that one too.... it's always up for interpretation, which is what is so great about music, but i quite strongly believe it is a referance to god

Log in to reply
Schr4nz
06-30-2003

Rated 0 
nietzsche mad a great point...... "I think it's a song about the deconstructing of our society."

when you look at the referances in the song, it makes a lot of sense, i think its also about the never ending struggle of humanity (history repeating itself, hence "i thought you died alone, a long long time ago") but when you look at it as a whole, and ask yourself "who is the man that sold the world?"

the only true answer that comes back to me, is god.... makes a lot of sense also "thought you died alone, a long long time ago" there havent been any new major religions with a god base for 1500 years.... "search for form and land" a referance to the bible, moses and/or adam and eve... we seem to be fading from religion with god as a base slowly..."We passed upon the stair" stairway to heaven.. i think bowie was trying to tell us, that to him, god sold the world to the devil, hence the chaos in the world....... so i agree with scholesy on that one too.... it's always up for interpretation, which is what is so great about music, but i quite strongly believe it is a referance to god

Log in to reply
billiepixies
06-16-2004

Rated 0 
"The song itself is based at least in part on Hugh Mearns' nursery rhyme 'The Psychoed' ('as I was going up the stair, I met a man who was not there, he wasn't there again today, I wish that man would go away') — it has also been linked to World War I poet Wilfred Owens' 'Strange Meeting', although Bowie himself describes it as an attempt to put into words the feelings that, as a youth, he had yet to discover his full range of personality." (Dave Thompson, AllMusic.com)

Log in to reply
TruthSpeaker
06-23-2004

Rated 0 
The people who posted the previous posts did a great job of interpreting this song, but sometimes a song is better left uninterpreted. We recognize the song as good, as great, as amazing, and we leave it at that. Dont get mad at me and yell at me going "BUT THIS IS MOTHERFUCKING SONGMEANINGS BITCH AHHHH" its my opinion.

Log in to reply
TruthSpeaker
06-23-2004

Rated 0 
And kurt did do a really good job in covering this song, as Gvilleneuve 27 said.

Log in to reply
PinkNirvana
07-01-2004

Rated 0 
RIP Kurt he did great... I think this about a man who gave the world to some1 who shouldnt of got it and he was sorry 4 it........

Log in to reply
MtterOFctItsAllDrk
10-06-2004

Rated 0 
I'd say its about Jesus. The first verse is about "discovering Jesus" lol.

The next verse is about accept christaininty, and realizing it's not that great. "I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here/We must have died along, a long long time ago"

That's just my take on it.

Log in to reply
turbolover
11-22-2004

Rated 0 
I love David Bowie. He's such a mindblowingly original artist.

Log in to reply
candice
12-20-2004

Rated 0 
mhhhm, i have to agree, the nirvana cover of this song is one of the very few covers i've ever heard that is just as beautiful as the original.

i love this song and i love bowie so much

Log in to reply
BowieOwnsAll
01-11-2005

Rated 0 
David Bowie > Nirvana

Log in to reply
blacklist
03-06-2005

Rated 0 
laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home

if i had the world i would sell it
i

Log in to reply
eshtaryus
05-16-2005

Rated 0 
i always thought of this song as if he tells about his encounter
with a friend who became a junky (maybe even himself i dunno if he did drugs tho)
if u look at the lyrics becomes more apparent

Log in to reply
c_o_c_o
05-29-2005

Rated 0 
This is a kind of metaphoric meaning, but I always kind of thought of it like he was taking to himself, sort of, like a past self. He has a conversation with a younger version of himself, and they're talking about his life and such.

Log in to reply
Chumplump
06-06-2005

Rated 0 
I used to think that this song is a Kurt Cobain song, although I knew it wasn't for him. It is so mytical, the lyrics could mean anything, but the meaning must be in a way deep, it seems to me like a dream someone dreamed because the lyrics make no sense, don't get me wrong they're great. "Althought I wasn't there, he said I was his friend," "I thought you died alone, a long long time ago"=> a very sad line, this line is a line that one can never say the same way it was said in the song, unless you have severe psychological problem, I don't think you can say it with the seriousness that the song implies, you cannot say it, you can never think that one is dead, when I hear the line, I feel my whole life turning into one point of nothingness, an effect I could never feel unless I listen to the song, How can you tell somene "I thought you died alone, a long long time ago,"? Does anyone agree with what I'm saying? The Man Who Sold the World to me doesnt' seem to represent anyone specific, it means a person whom feels that he doesn't care for the world anymore, not at all, he feels like nothing in the world is worth it, and again i tell you and emphasize the song is like a dream, the lyrics only fit there.

Log in to reply
TheUniversal
07-03-2005

Rated 0 
You're a huge idiot if you think Nirvana's cover was good.

Log in to reply
Ted Bannana
07-21-2005

Rated +1 
You're a huge jackass if you judge others for their opinions.

Log in to reply
plaincl0thesman
07-25-2005

Rated +1 
you're a huge idiot if you're an idiot who's 9 feet tall and 500 pounds

Log in to reply
chobitpersocom
08-03-2005

Rated 0 
Its about Judas. Judas "died alone" by hanging himself after selling the world(Jesus).

I am not Christian but thats my take on the song.

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here