David Bowie – Rebel Rebel

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Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

You've got your mother in a whirl
She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's go out tonight
You like me, and I like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they're playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say I'm wrong
You tacky thing, you put them on

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel Rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

Don't ya?
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

You've got your mother in a whirl 'cause she's
Not sure if you're a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's stay out tonight
You like me, and I like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they're playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say I'm wrong
You tacky thing, you put them on

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel Rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

Don't ya?
Oh?
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel Rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!

You've torn your dress, your face is a mess
You can't get enough, but enough ain't the test
You've got your transmission and your live wire
You got your cue line and a handful of ludes
You wanna be there when they count up the dudes
And I love your dress
You're a juvenile success
Because your face is a mess
So how could they know?
I said, how could they know?

So what you wanna know
Calamity's child, chi-chile, chi-chile
Where'd you wanna go?
What can I do for you? Looks like you've been there too
'Cause you've torn your dress
And your face is a mess
Ooo, your face is a mess
Ooo, ooo, so how could they know?
Eh, eh, how could they know?
Eh, eh

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Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit

Track duration: 04:31

"Rebel Rebel" as written by David Bowie

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Rebel Rebel song meanings
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46 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment:The Mick Jagger/David Bowie in bed together, well is atruth, but only to the fact that they were both smoking opium and passed out on Jaggers huge bed, and having Keith Richards wife Anita walk in on them passed out there on the bed. Anita had it out for Mick at the time and started telling everyone he she found both of them in bed "together". Hence the rumor....
    Awesome song, always took the song to be about young sexuality confusion and cross dressing. It never does mention in the song if the person sung about IS a boy or a girl. And with Bowie being in his "bi-sexual" stage at the time it could be referenced to either one IMHO.
    Flag HibernusMortison October 18, 2011   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:A great throwaway rock song as part of one of the darkest Bowie works. Rebel Rebel and Winston Smith. More thoughts here ....

    david-bowie-songs.blogspot.com/search/label/…
    Flag kegrahamon August 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Isn't it 'You've got your *fuel* line and a handful of ludes'?
    Flag sparklybowieon April 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I also assumed this was about Julia from 1984, although of course interpreting it differently is totally cool. It just reminded me of her, with references to dressing like a boy, and having messed up make-up which I believe is mentioned in one of the scenes in the book where Winston and Julia are in their secret room above the antique shop or whatever. :) David Bowie is amazing either way!
    Flag penfiendon October 02, 2010   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +3
    My Opinion:David Bowie, back in the Ziggy Stardust days, I would say was bi-curious but not gay or even bi-sexual. In one interview/talk show when asked if he use to be gay Bowie said he was "terribly promiscuous and lets leave it at that." (Don't quote me exactly but it was almost just that.) The talk-show host also asked if he ever had relationships with these people and Bowie said, "not if I could help it!". So I'm pretty sure Bowie just liked to have sex and he enjoyed it with both boys and girls. He probably said he was gay in order to further shock society. The idea of him being gay back in the Ziggy days also added to the glam image. Who knows why he said it? He did have a wife when has in his 20's and they had a child together, but that marriage fell apart pretty fast I believe. Now David Bowie has super model wife Iman and a daughter. They've been married for nearly 15 years now? I'm not sure but I know it's been awhile. How old is daughter is I have no idea. It would seem as though Bowie's crazy bisexaul sex days are over, though. But back in the day he was young, sexy, and famous, why wouldn't he experiment? :D
    Flag Emilie2Somaon June 23, 2010   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • 0
    General Comment:I sang the chorus at my friend today. She was like, "I know you ove me, but I'm not a tramp." Well, she didn't actually say it, but it was all over her face. LOL
    Flag LottieLovesLifeon June 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:On of the best things about this song is that we're not sure if the rebel's a boy or a girl. Bowie never tells us, because it really doesn't matter.

    "You're a juvenile success because your face is a mess . . ."

    Love it.

    Flag NellieWhiskeyon June 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Why hasn't anyone spoken of the meaning of the song in context of the album, and not about Bowie's sexuality? It is, after all, a concept album.

    How do you guys think this song relates to the theme of the album?
    Flag abbylgon June 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Can someone tell me why I love Bowie after I moved to Jordan! I mean I always liked him, but here, I can't stop listening to his songs. this one's my fave, I'm walking lonely in the streets sceaming this song with my crow like voice. hope to see him live one day, but can't imagine him here:)
    in a half year gotta be moving, hope to be in east europe again, and a bowie concert, and an iggy pop concert, yeah once again!
    Flag aigaion December 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ahhh I love this song. It just seems to be about someone who pisses off her parents and gets in trouble and might be a groupie just because of that line "You love bands when they're playing hard/
    You want more and you want it fast" lol and she's kind of a misfit because it seems like she gets made fun of a lot. Kinda sounds like me. :) Love it.
    Flag LadyStardust6on December 22, 2009   Link

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