Bruce Wayne Campbell (stage name: Jobriath) was a pop star in the 70's who is credited for being the first massively marketed pop star, as well as the first one to be openly homosexual. However, he came at the end of the glam rock era, and despite his large contract and generally good reviews, he was overall ignored by the public. He died of AIDS in 1983, still under contract from his label though long since "retired," and unknown to all but a few select fans.
Pretty much the song is describing a fictional interview with this man. It's very beautifully written and composed, and I think it's the perfect way to end the album which since The Stage Names has been focused with stories about artists and the people who make up the ranks of people who fall into that category. It's a very sad song, and the verse "Old times, hello, hey, I've missed you
Old life, hey now, let me in
Because you win on every issue
Now, can I kiss you?
Don't you care how long it's been?
It has been so many years, I lived my yearning
But in every bed, it led me through
They only bloom on what was burning
And it grew, the fire grew
And now with nothing to consume
It's turned on me in my glass room
Where I'll burn, Think I'm not winning
Well, go on, assume" Is just perfect. It's imagery is beautiful too. When you think about how this was a man who was supposed to be the next Bowie, but ended up leaving virtually nothing but his bones behind him, everything else vanished in the "fire" that was the build up behind his work which eventually swallowed him whole. I'll stop now as I already assume the length of this post will scare anyone away from reading it... but I could go on forever about it, and it's not even my favorite song!!!!
Bruce Wayne Campbell (stage name: Jobriath) was a pop star in the 70's who is credited for being the first massively marketed pop star, as well as the first one to be openly homosexual. However, he came at the end of the glam rock era, and despite his large contract and generally good reviews, he was overall ignored by the public. He died of AIDS in 1983, still under contract from his label though long since "retired," and unknown to all but a few select fans.
Pretty much the song is describing a fictional interview with this man. It's very beautifully written and composed, and I think it's the perfect way to end the album which since The Stage Names has been focused with stories about artists and the people who make up the ranks of people who fall into that category. It's a very sad song, and the verse "Old times, hello, hey, I've missed you Old life, hey now, let me in Because you win on every issue Now, can I kiss you? Don't you care how long it's been? It has been so many years, I lived my yearning But in every bed, it led me through They only bloom on what was burning And it grew, the fire grew And now with nothing to consume It's turned on me in my glass room Where I'll burn, Think I'm not winning Well, go on, assume" Is just perfect. It's imagery is beautiful too. When you think about how this was a man who was supposed to be the next Bowie, but ended up leaving virtually nothing but his bones behind him, everything else vanished in the "fire" that was the build up behind his work which eventually swallowed him whole. I'll stop now as I already assume the length of this post will scare anyone away from reading it... but I could go on forever about it, and it's not even my favorite song!!!!