I don't understand how I've never LISTENED to David Bowie - Heroes (Reaction!)
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- Опубліковано 9 тра 2023
- We're back! And geez this is guy is epic. Simple, elegant, tragic song.
Link: • David Bowie - Heroes
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The song was written about what people on one side of the Berlin Wall were going through, not being able to interact with any of their fellow Germans on the other side for 28 years, until finally, the wall was demolished back in 1989 following an initiative from Russian President Gorbachev, and suddenly, the people on both sides could re-introduce themselves to each other and make new lives for themselves. It was a truly historic event for Germany as from then on, there was no such thing as East or West Germany, just GERMANY. A very emotional time for all. Bowie was a genius to make this historic event a subject of a song. This concert was for a Berlin audience, so we can imagine how emotional it must have been for all concerned on the night. God bless Bowie, we'll never forget his genius. ❤
Actually it was about when there was still a wall. The song was written in 1977, years before it was torn down.
@@johnforde7735 Yes, as I said, the song was written about the various feelings of social and economic separation inflicted on the German people by the construction of the wall, rather than when the wall actually came down, so you're absolutely right to make that clarification.
Yes! And I think i saw or read that a couple that were kissing on the wall gave him the idea
"Mr. Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!" - Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987 in W. Berlin. The song, however, was inspired by watching two lovers from opposite sides of the Berlin Wall interacting briefly and under the gun. It was recorded and released in '77, long before the Wall came down, or Reagan even challenged Gorby to do so.
@@marieaug9322 Yes, Bowie said in interviews that it was his producer Tony Visconti and Visconti's German girlfriend who he saw walking together by the wall. Not lovers from opposite sides of the wall as another reply says.
Bowie lived in Berlin for several years and wrote 3 albums there, his 'Berlin Trilogy'. Heroes was written after he saw 2 lovers meeting each day at the Berlin Wall. If you look at the lyrics again, they'll make more sense. He performed an outdoor concert, right next to the Berlin Wall, not long before it came down. A crowd formed on the Eastern side, to listen in. When he performed this song, the crowds on both sides erupted and sang along. After the Wall came down, the German Parliament thanked him for playing a part. They also led heartfelt tributes to him when he died, as did World leaders, all over the globe, including Obama and the Pope and of course the British Prime Minister and Parliament. Not to mention the entire music World and his legions of fans. It was headline news all over the World and there was an outpouring of love, respect and grief, in a genuine way, that I've never witnessed before or since, for an artist.
He invoked a personal connection with his fans, like no other artist and he was a genuine artist. His last album, released 2 days before his death, reflected on his life and impending death, in a heartbreaking way. He created art, right to the end. In his career he was alwas changing, musically, from genre to genre, as well as visually. He'd also inhabit a character, such as Ziggy Stardust and would live as that character, before deciding on a change of character and musical style. He's frequently cited as the most influential artist in the history of popular music, after the Beatles. He covered most popular music genres and helped kick-start a few himself, From folk, psychedelia, rock, glam rock, soul, funk, pop, electronica, dance, indie, new wave, jazz, even metal and always with style, grace, humour, wit and intelligence. He was the epitome of cool, throughout his career, from beginning to end. A bona fide musical and artistic great. There'll never be another Bowie! :)
My wife and I were very saddened by his death. Shortly after his death we conceived our fourth child and were struggling to find a name for him that felt right to us. When my wife came up with idea of naming him Bowie it suddenly felt very "right".
@@ryangossett8211 Do you pronounce your son's name "Bowie" or "Bowie"?
@@samfoster4144 we pronounce his name as in David Bowie’s last name. I think it would be like this phonetically, Bo-Wee
I felt that.
@Codex7777 Wow. Word Perfect.
I still can't watch a Bowie performance, without a huge lump in my throat. My generation really lost a good one. He was so prominent in music, my entire life. The genuine article
I’m with you. I only got to see Bowie once, on his Glass Spider tour, but g to through my teens, 20, 30s his music and the way he reinvented himself stayed with me all the time. Sadly sadly missed.
I played Heroes a lot when my beloved sister passed away so this version especially makes me very emotional
Kills me. ❤
He sang this at the Concert For New York City, after 9/11. The theater was filled with first responders of all branches, and he sings Heroes...went right through my soul.
That and who can forget the Who’s killer performance?
During that concert he had a fever but he wanted to do it anyway
Who's, Who's killer performance? The Who? Thanks for a reply, I'm interested in your comparison.@@TheDivayenta
His cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "America" at the Concert for New York City was astounding for how understated it was, just Bowie sitting on the floor, playing a tiny keyboard and singing the song like no other - incredible.
How sad he’s not with us anymore. I grew up listening to his music. He was phenomenal.
A friend of mine said that since Bowie died, the whole world has gone to shit 😂
Ziggy....
Ricky Gervais sent him an eMail to congratulate him on his 58th birthday. "And I wrote 58! , isn't it time you got a proper job? Ricky Gervais - 42 - comedian. He sent back "I have a proper job - David Bowie - Rock God"" ....best answer. Seen him 7 times. 3 times before Berlin, 4 times after. He always gave his best.
@@pascaledowling6309 Bowie died in January 2016. Trump was made president and yes, the world went to shit.
me too, huge fan since at least 1972, he was so unusual back then and the "Jean Genie" was so cool.. and still is. "Starman" so beautiful, endless list following.
There will never be another voice like that. Coolest dude ever walked the earth.
even just his talking voice i love his interviews lol
What a beautiful, beautiful man. I'm still in denial that he's gone. His death touched me like no other celebrity death before or since.
100% Ginny. His music has been with me all of my life. I count myself fortunate to have lived whilst he sang.
@@markainsley231 Me too. My only regret is that I never got to see him in concert.
@@GinnyRobertsonLLC same. Ah well, maybe in the next life 😁😁
@@markainsley231 Sometimes I feel so connected I think we must have had a past life together.🥰
@@GinnyRobertsonLLC who knows? It could be possible 😁😁
David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter & actor. He constantly reinvented himself to stay current over nearly 5 decades. His first big hit was "Space Oddity" in 1969. He has had a lot of great songs including "Ziggy Stardust", "Starman", "Rebel Rebel", "Young Americans", "Changes", "Fame", "Golden Years", "Ashes To Ashes", "Under Pressure", Let's Dance", "Modern Love", "China Girl" etc.
Hunky Dory , Man Who Sold The World, The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy. ., Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Station To Station, Heroes, Low & Lodger where all classic albums totally unique to their time, his song writing skills were 2nd to none, he was in a class of his own as a performer & songwriter an all round top class geezer, we will never see his like again .
I was literally just about to correct you and say, "he still IS." And then I remembered. 😞
You seem to know a lot about Bowie , one question , what was on the flip side of Space Oddity? In my opinion a better choice for the A side. (Don't Google it)! If you don't know say so.
@@LukeMaynard You are correct. "He still is." Alive or dead. Bowie is in a class of his own. The same goes for Freddy and a few others. Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, etc.
He didn't need to "Stay Current". He was always ahead of The Curve and other Artistes followed his lead.
Bowie has many voices, you have to hear many songs to actually get a sense of his versatility.
As a Bowie fan since the early 1970's and having attended many of his concerts, I'm here to tell you that he is a chameleon. He changed his music & his persona over the years. All of his performances are magnetic. You have no idea. I'm a lucky old lady. :) BTW I'm sure you'll recognize a lot of his music. It's constantly in movies, commercials, etc.
it was the time singers could sing... with him one of the last died... the funny thing is, that just ozzy/iggy pop will overlive all of them...^^
I was going to say that this is one of my favorite songs, but the truth is that many of David Bowie's songs are among my favorites. I absolutely love David Bowie, one of the voices of a generation.
To most of us 80's babies he will forever be the goblin king.
Truth
Forever the Goblin King!!
This was when I fell in Love with him...
In the 70s some of my friends went to a Bowie concert. 2 of the girls sitting on opposite sides of the arena both told me that David Bowie looked directly at them and sang to them. That is the sign of someone with great stage presence. It is possible that everyone had the same feeling.
I got that “look” from him in a concert. It was magnetic!
@@valeriekokenge659 Omg I can only imagine! I wasn't that lucky but lucky enough to see him live twice. . If he'd looked directly at me and sang. I would have fainted lol missed the show 😂
That is one of the most magical things about David Bowie. Everyone had the feeling that during the concert he looked directly at them in the eye. He had the most incredible, magnetic and magical stage presence.
You can see it from this video, he was so incredibly charming.
David Bowie was a once in a generation talent and artist. He directed the way pop culture went from the 1970’s onwards.
No. *He was a once in THREE generations artist.* Sebb really has no idea what he's commenting on here. Bowie wrote space oddity like 20 years before this song. 10 years later he had Stevie Ray Vaughan in his band. 20 years after that he was still writing good albums. The dude was 20 years ahead of rock and roll for almost 50 years
Prince played this during his 2016 Piano Microphone tour in honor of Bowie. It’s a haunting rendition. Three months later Prince is gone.
Bowie was holding the world together. After he died in 2016 the world lost Prince, Leonard Cohen, Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder, and Carrie Fisher, and many more.
Then Schmuck a l'Orange arrived. 2016 sucked.
Thisnametaken...correct. 2016 was horrible. Ended with George Michael dying on Christmas day.
@@brucedillinger9448 A truly horrendous year.
@thisnametaken3735 well said... since then everything went down the drain. I often asked myself what he would think of nowadays
I grew up in a time when it was impossible to not listen to Bowie .
His sound was so unique because unlike most non-American singers he sang with his native English accent and not some mock American accent. Both Hunky Dory and Black Star albums are perfection.
I absolutely weep every time I see this . I can’t believe he’s gone . He was one of a kind so brilliant like a chameleon changing and evolving in the creative process. There will never be another Bowie.
He was born in 1947. I was born in 1961 so I got to share the Earth with him for 55 years. I'm very happy about that.
What made him a legend is that for the time he started out his music was unusual and ahead of its time. He just got better and better.
And he NEVER rested on his laurels. ✌
I'm 66 years old. When I was in high school in Texas in the mid 70's, I ran with a crowd of guys who were outgoing, rambunctious and generally grabbing life by the throat. We all went our separate ways at graduation in 1974 and 1975, and chased our dreams. One of the guys became an actor in Hollywood-and while you wouldn't know him-he was on his way to what seemed a promising, successful career. His first name was Terry, and he married a prominent movie hairdresser who worked all the time. Terry was thrilled to be where he was, doing what he was doing. Then, he was diagnosed with MS and everything slowly started to crumble for him. He had two small kids and he got to the point where they were taking care of him rather than vice versa. Soon a nursing home was necessary. My friends and I wanted to help out and try to improve things for Terry, so several times a year we'd all travel down to his home in Wimberley, TX, near Austin. We'd pick a time when his wife was booked on a movie and we'd go to the nursing home that took care of him and basically kidnap him out of the facility. All the nurses there loved Terry, and they loved the fact that we were there. We took him to his house out in the Hill Country in Central Texas and immediately ignored his hospital diet and immersed him in BBQ and beer. We'd build a huge fire outside and a dozen of us would sit around and retell every story from high school. We were a bunch of guys in our 50's, far enough into life that we'd experienced setbacks and failures, trying to support a fallen comrade who was at the end of his road.
But for one night, our friend was no longer crippled by a debilitating disease and the rest of us were free from the worries of job loss or divorce or whatever else that Life was bitch-slapping us with. We were laughing, joking and happily ignoring what the Future might bring. Later I made a video about the trip, and David Bowie's HEROES was the soundtrack I chose. I think the song is about the value of relationships in times of loss, and it's always been one of my favorites.
Sorry about the long post. RIP David Bowie. You left the world richer than when you found it. And talent ran in the family-his son made the film MOON, with Sam Rockwell.
It's a shame comments like these yet married so bad on UA-cam.
Brought tears to my eyes. RIP David you genius.
For the original recording, David Bowie sand softly, directly into the mic for Verse 1. For verse 2, he stood about 2 feet from the mic and sang louder. Bir the 3rd verse, he stood several feet away from the mic, and sang as loud as he could.
The final result was a very passionate song, about lovers at the Berlin Wall. You have to understand the context of the song, and how it was originally recorded to really understand this absolute masterpiece!!
"Perhaps the most groundbreaking recording technique amongst these novel ideas was Visconti’s unusual methods for capturing Bowie’s vocals. Taking full advantage of the large spaces at Hansa, the producer used three microphones to capture vocal takes, one close, one at 15 feet and one at 20 feet. The first mic was often compressed and relatively dry, the second and third however used gates that would only open only after a certain volume limit was passed. Adjusting these gates, Visconti was able to capture Bowie’s vocals with a dynamic and ever-evolving reverb. The setup also encouraged a particular performance from Bowie, the close microphone allowed him to be intimate, however, to activate the third microphone he would have project across the hall, picking up all of the unique sonic characteristics."
This song has more than one meaning. The "love song" is just its surface layer, and that is what most people get from it today. However, there is another way to read the song: it has a deeper, subversive meaning which the people living in Central and Eastern Europe could decipher quite easily in the 70s and in the 80s. This song is a political statement and a call to action. Even the wailing electric guitar has a hidden meaning - it is similar to a "calling" or a "signal" played on alpine horns over the mountains to gather the people. The lyrics are riddled with subversive references: "they" vs "us" and driving "them" away, "the dolphins" - reference to the river Spree where people died trying to cross, "the wall", "the guns" shooting, "the shame was on the other side", "we're nothing and nothing will help us" and the repeated "we can be heroes just for one day". The official video to this song is also interesting: Bowie appears completely alone, in a dark, foggy night, with a bright reflector behind, like the ones used by the border guards. He is dressed in black with an open leather jacket and his gold cross necklace is very visible, shining in the dim light. You might think that was just a coincidence, but it wasn't. You see, displaying any religious symbols was banned behind the Iron Curtain, so that small detail sent a powerful message as well at the time. It looks as if, in a frozen moment in time, a lonely young citizen who is discovered trying to cross the border is sending his plea to the others to unite at last and to be the heroes they are meant to be.
Chills. Never thought the wall would come down. Never thought our own Government would step on our Constitution. The new generation so whipped by commies in school and media, Computer weeks long elections. Communism we thought we beat it, exposed it in late 80's. Bowie was the greatest rock star of them all.
Wow - that’s really interesting, thank you!
Great thinking! I feel just like you. Tenho tantas saudades dele, I miss him so much!
One of my older sisters bought the "Space Oddity" single in 1969 when it was released. I was 4 at the time and I have loved him ever since. ❤✌🤘 U.K.
My sister is 11 years older than me and I was in a similar situation. I grew up with her and Bowie, CCR and Beatles while our brother (similar age as her) had the Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath etc. I have such a wide eclectic taste in music from that and wouldn't have it any other way!
@@skwervin1 Same, hard rock is my main go to but I am open to listen to any good sounding, well made music. E.L.O. was another huge influence in my early years as a music listener. Punk (70's), New Wave (80's) and Grunge (90,s), all played their part. Thank you Wendy for your comment. ❤✌
I miss Bowie so much.... his music was the soundtrack of my life.
Bowie released the song in the late 70s. This performance is from 2002, when he was 55 years old (and he improvises the lyrics a little at the start). His voice had matured so much by then. Compare this performance with the official 1977 video... 🙂
The opening lyrics aren't improvised. They're part of the song that comes later. He just rearranged the lyrics.
So many good songs by Bowie. Closer to Christmas check out his collaboration with Bing Crosby, Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy
I am way late responding to this but I agree- honestly that is probably one of my favourite versions of a Christmas song ever.. such a pair of very classy but very different artists signing
to get a quick summary on why Bowie is a Rock God you would have to find a video montage of at least 20-30 songs starting from 1967 up to the year he died. the deeper you look, the deeper he gets.
I also want to thank you for reacting to David Bowie so many years after his death and keeping his memory alive, his talent, his charisma, and the legend that he is. My dad used to play Motown on the way to my first job at 15 to a puppy mill. We had done the imesh thing and said can we listen to Bowie? So we bought best of Bowie. So that’s all we listened to on the way to work. Loved him since. Everyone called me to give sympathy on the day he died. I thought wow, I guess I loved him enough so many people felt compelled. I felt selfish I would never get to meet him. I felt happy for him that his pain was over. And also very proud to have loved an amazing man
And we kissed as though nothing could fall. Best poet ever, best singer.
He has a unique voice that can fit different genres. He did duets and collaborations with many disparate artists from Bing Crosby to Freddy Mercury, Annie Lennox to Cher, and so many others. And he was an actor. A total artist.
Bowie was a genius. Re-invented himself many times during his incredible career and wrote incredible songs for himself and others. For me he was simply the best ever solo performer.
Oh, not solo.
I can't remember a couple of his famous guitarists, but he was more like Zappa than solo. A great musician but also a great talent scout. His two most famous guitarists were Mick Ronson and Stevie Ray Vaughn. absolute fucking Legends. Pretty sure he did an album with Yo-Yo ma as well. Look him up.
There is pretty much no one who sounded ahead of rock and roll for longer than David Bowie. His albums hold up extremely well to this day. Perhaps Elvis Costello compares. Perhaps not.
I can't think of an album in the last 10 years better and more modern than Ziggy stardust. You know from the late sixties. That's partially a skull crusher on modern music, but it's also a real tribute to Bowie.
David Bowie was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Heroes is one of my favorite songs of all time ❤
Yeh, my favourite song of David's too. 14.45
I'm glad you liked it. Bowie had so many great songs and so many singing styles. Truly, and likely the most distictive, musical chameleon.
Hey cuz😂❤
Hi! Funny to see so many people reacting to Bowie, saying at first "I've never heard anything from him except 'Under Pressure'", and realizing after only a few notes that they actually know the song they're about to react to 😁.
This particular song always sounded like an anthem to me : the ultimate defiance song of lovers in a dire situation, with many obstacles on the way of their happiness, and standing together to the end, even when there's no hope eventually : "It's you and me against the world. We will fall, but we would have fought to the end, side by side, and that's how we'll touch greatness". You can just imagine why Bowie was such a high praised figure by people who were effectively persecuted for the crime of loving someone...
If you're into classical music, I suggest you give a listen to "Station to station" and "Blackstar" (both the album versions) : I'm pretty sure you'll find the composition interesting ;) .
Its message is about star-crossed lovers who can't be together except for one day. I'm just learning about the Berlin Wall reference. That makes so much sense now. Thank you! He waa such a compassionate artist that he had to express immense sorrow about people being torn apart. He touched so many lives. He was a humble man at his core. He made the world a better place. 🙏💕
"The Man Who Fell To Earth." A highly underrated Bowie movie.
I feel so blessed and honored to have seen David Bowie in concert not once, but twice. The first was Space Oddity. And then during his hits like Changes and Let's Dance. He was a remarkable performer and a true artist. RIP David Bowie!
Same ..twice ! Phenomenonal
Same, twice! 1974, the David Live show at the Tower, Philadelphia, and the second the Glass Spider tour, 1987? ish. Both phenomenal shows, and both so different! He was such the chameleon.
Yeah I saw Glass Spider at Wembley stadium. Right at the front. Epic night for a 17 year old.
I hate going to concerts, but I make an exception for Bowie. Glass Spider in Denver and L.A., Sound + Vision L.A., and the Area2 tour in Denver with a front row seat because I was working the Apple event at the show. Miss him making music, but how lucky are we that we lived at the same time as him!
Huge David Bowie fan here. Great reaction, great song, amazing artist.
Bowie is a pure legend. An absolute innovator. The voice, the style and a true artist. Miss him.
An outstanding performance from a brilliant artist, David Bowie was one of the great ones.
Bowie was and is one of the coolest acts ever. Thank goodness he was filmed for many performances so we can listen for years to come. RIP Mr. Bowie.
I've always thought David Bowie had a certain kind of magic to his voice and music. He and Iman's love story is probably one of the most romantic and lovely tales of true love this world has ever seen. He gave up touring to be a dad and husband. One of my favorites. Nice reaction!
If you havent been listening to David Bowie, this is a great start for you. His voice and mannerisms are all grown up. His voice has been fantastic over every single year he was performing. His voice actually got better as he aged, in my opinion anyway. This song, "Heroes" has been covered by many artists, but I think my favourite cover was done by Motorhead. Of course Lemmy put his unique spin on it, but I think that is why I love it so much. Yes I also love the bass line in this song. Nice and strong and in your face!!!!! Finally, if you want to see and hear a great performance by Bowie check out "Diamond Dogs Live Loreley 1996. I think you will like it as much as this one. Such a huge loss for us all. RIP Mr. Jones ❤❤❤❤
If you think an ingredient of making him great had to do with the quality of his singing voice, take a step back. He's without doubt one of the milestones of music that people in 500 years would point to.
I love the fact you pointed out his smile at the end. The fans are what he lived for and was never a diva. Although he had more right to be a diva than anyone else. He will always be on the top rung of musical greats.
I am a huge Bowie fan and have been my whole life. It's so gratifying watching you discover his greatness. Legend is thrown around a lot, but in his case it could not be more appropriate. Thanks. 😊
I don't really see how you don't know David Bowie. You can play guitar but you can't play space oddity? You didn't know Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of his guitarists? Or Mick Ronson? The first few notes of Ziggy stardust ain't stuck in your head? How can this do doing reaction videos call himself a guitarist? It's like not knowing who Jimi Hendrix is.
He's a got a unique voice without even trying and he did things that so many acts imitated. He also had a brilliant sense of humour. My favourite story was told by Ricky Gervais, who became friends and penpals with Bowie and wrote to him on his birthday once. He told him it was about time he got a real job and signed it Ricky Gervais, Comedian. Bowie wrote back, saying "I have a real job" and signed it David Bowie, 'Rock God'. lol
David Bowie was an amazing Artist/Musician /Actor! Labyrinth is a Must if you have kids, but a Movie for Adults which you should see is "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence". Bowie plays a British Prisoner in a Japanese Prison Camp during WWII. He really shows his Acting Chops!
The Man Who Fell To Earth is by a long country mile Imho his best acting role, his portrayal of the Alien Thomas Newton was totally mesmerising from start to finish , watching him was like doing class A drugs just couldn't ever get enough it would always leave me wanting more .
@@darylwinzar2201 I can See your POV there, but for me I found the "Druggy" weirdness less impressive that the more conventional Acting in Mr. Lawrence. Both films are well worth watching, of course, and To Each His Own!
A MOST talented artist. Songwriter, musician, actor. He is a true musical treasure
You forgot painter
I still tear up listening to this. David was obviously so happy here. Feel blessed to have seen him live...twice! ✌
Born in 89 and my first gig was 2005. I didn’t get into him until
I was in my late teens, by which time he’d stopped touring. He’s the musician I most wish I’d seen live :(
This song was written by Bowie and sung at a concert he gave at the Berlin Wall. The song is possibly one of the reasons "the wall" came down. Fascinating information online. Check it out.
His voice is truly a master piece! So low and smooth. His appearance is a perfect compliment.
o⚡️O
Bowie is a near deity of creativity. So complex and intelligent and yet so humble, and funny too, with a dazzlingly diverse arc across his career. The worlds he brought into being with each album and each persona, with his mastery of both music and storytelling. A true immortal.
Thank you for your analysis of our David Bowie- he’s gone but will NEVER be forgotten. He was also involved in Live Aid ‘85 from London, jeez he was one cool dude so so natural . Some of his songs are sublime.
goodness. this live version is so much better than the original studio version. whcih is already damn freaking good!.what a climax
Well, it’s muuuuch later in his career.
Hi Sebs - after 9/11 there was a concert for the firefighters and police in New York. David Bowie sang this very appropriate song at the concert. I bought the CD of the concert - it is brilliant. The Who were sensational as well. Bowie is so good, seen him many times in concert in the UK.
I remember the moment I first heard this song, I was 12 years old and that was the moment I fell in love with the most beautiful male voice ever😍
It's the depth and quality and variety of his catalog that makes him a true genius and legend!
I can't understand anybody taking so long to discover Bowie. I cried the day he passed.
Seriously. I think generation X is the first generation that ever said 'what the hell is wrong with these kids?'and was justified in doing so. I'm sure there are exceptions over the ages, but there's something wrong with society now
The song was from his Berlin period. It’s about two lovers, one from East Berlin and one from West Berlin. The third verse references this:
I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day
Bowie had effortless charm and talent, just look at this performance and how he doesn’t have to try too hard.
I believe he had the same stage presence as all the greats.
I saw this tour, he played songs from almost every one of his very varied albums up til that date - industrial, pop, rock, glam, funk, experimental - and yet the set flowed so smoothly
He was the absolute master at these kind of songs - building up a vibe
Kudos for noting his dope vocal baratonity. Early on, he was a high tenor. He "went with" the physiologic reality of aging. A lot of this song was the excellence of the guitar sound, including the intense feedback on the record. His passion sticks way out. He was my icon for being as weird as he was. This was not happening in my world. Bowie embodied hope. No one else in my small, strange chilhood world was doing that. I am eternally grateful. Awesome sauce. Kudos to the bass player.
If you really want to check out his voice listen to Wild Is the Wind. He didn’t write it, but his recording is exquisite.
My favourite ❤
I played this concert DVD for my son and his buddies, all musicians. They stayed and watched the whole thing, so you know it's great because it got three 20 year olds to sit with Dad for 2 hours. At the end they said, we had heard the name Bowie and maybe a few songs, but this guy was amazing, much better than anyone today by far.
He was ahead of rock and roll by 20 years for almost 50 years. Turn and face the strain. Really the only rock and roller I still have such a connection with is his friend Iggy Pop. Time may change me, but you can't trace time.
You should really do a deep dive into Bowie. He was always ahead of his time. ALWAYS! Saw him in Portland during the Glass Spider tour. So great. He was the first major song artist to have his own ISP (BowieNet) and release a complete album for download before it was released on CD back in 1999. Was lost one of the very best and most talented on Jan 10, 2016. It still hurts my heart when I listen to and watch him.
Bowie was so innovative. He reinvented himself and his music multiple times over. My favorite performer ever. Saw him in concert several times.
This song’s incredible quality is how it grows on you with subsequent play throughs. It gets into your bloodstream, into your very bones. It lives in the base of your skull and down your spine. The first listen is interesting, by the third you like it somewhat fondly, and by the 12th time you feel like putting it on auto repeat and putting the rest of your week on hold.
💯❤️ yes!
The way the song builds….pure stagecraft. Legend forever.
Also just as a little addition to the info from others. Bowie played a small part as himself and licensed several of his songs, including this one, to be uesd in a german film "Christiane F." ("Wir kinder vom Bahnhoff Zoo" in original) which is about young drug users and thier rather tragic fates. Very raw and fairly legendary film, well worth seeing.
FYI, he was the first androgynous singer/act I remember seeing. Check out "Ziggy Stardust"
watch the Freddie Mercury tribute concert from 1992. All the best singers performed Queen songs and it was so full of love for Freddie. David sang Under Pressure with Annie Lennox. Brilliant rendition.
I miss Bowie so much. His death was such a shock to me and the world. Next to John Lennon, George Harrison and a couple others who were lost to suicide, losing Bowie broke my heart.
U need to listen to all his songs. He had many different peraonnaa of the decades
This song was played as the UK team entered the arena for the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. I cried.
David Bowie was one of a kind.
Loved him in the Prestige too! He plays Tesla
I didn't appreciate him enough when I was younger but totally dig his music now.
Oh yes! I thought he was the perfect choice to play Nikola Tesla!
It was strangely and beautifully circular to me. I've always believed that Nikolai Tesla WAS the original subject of 'The Man Who Fell To Earth', I honestly don't think he was 'of us' but the gentle and benevolent alien being that Bowie sang of his entire career! Of course in the film version David not only played but BECAME 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' and then much later.....played Tesla himself!
Im so glad i had the chance to see him in concert.... true musical genius🙏
My favorite Bowie song ever - until tomorrow!
He has a vast catalogue of excellence, every one different, every one a winner. My favorite artist of all time, I was lucky enough to see him 39 times over his career.
Such a unique and eccentric character with a fabulous voice. He was had it all singing and song writing.
Off stage he seemed such a different person, more introverted. He stage characters were just that - a mask to hide behind.
What a talented and genuinely lovely human being, left us too soon.
Thanks for reviewing this and discovering more of Bowie. xxx
He's a legend for A LOT more than just his voice. His body of work over time and adaptation with eras.....his unique creativity and ground breaking innovation....his charisma, intelligence, personality, good nature. RIP David. Thank you
I've seen Bowie live 10 times and he never, ever, disappointed. A true stage presence. He is missed more than you know.
How I envy you! One of the three great musical regrets of my life: never have seen Bowie, Tina Turner and Leonard Cohen!
when you understand that this song was written while he lived in Berlin, and observed the goings on at the Wall, because it divided the city....then you understand this is a love song in the context of war and forced separation with violence. Living for the moment because loving that person during a time of great strife can mean getting gunned down by the Wall. Being Heroes for one day because their names would be on the newspapers the day after they died, and why they died. For love.
I count myself very fortunate that I got to see him perform in my home town. He had an incredible charisma and such a great and varied catalogue of phenomenal music.
And on top of all that he came across as a really down to earth and decent man.
The world is a poorer place without him.
I watched his first public performance of this song on the last episode of his friend Marc Bolan's TV show in 77. Then they jammed together. The show was released a few days after Marc's death in a car crash. I can never hear this great song without remembering Marc too.
My high school locker had pictures of Ziggy Stardust. Bowie was a hero to us that felt like we didn’t belong. Not preppy, not jock, not cheerleader…. Just me. He showed us that was ok. Sad that youth today don’t have equivalents to our heroes. Stardust not as bright since he left. RIP
R.I.P. the Slim White Duke, Sorrow was the first song I heard from David. A 45 single endlessly played, replaced, played, replaced, played on the dukebox in my local hotel beer garden. I think it was released in1973.❤
It's about a German love affair in East/West Berlin with the lovers separated by the Berlin Wall. He lived in Berlin for a few years in the 80's. So he was able to witness firsthand how WWII took Berlin and Germany and devastated families and friends who traveled freely too and fro between East and West one day only to have them torn apart the next. And whichever side you were on that day that's where you lived no matter what. So people would arrange brief meetings or pass messages in various ways despite armed guards on the wall. So it really was heroic for them to even just communicate with each other.
In fact the reason Bowie sounds strange is due to this song being from the 70's and that was just the style he chose then. If you look around the man was so talented that he sang with other professionals for both pop hits later in the 80's but even early on he was able to sing along side Crosby for the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy.
I was lucky enough to meet him twice at art auctions - once in London and once in New York (have been working each time)... as he was always my most favorite singer, i was super nervous and hardly able to say a word, but he was a perfect gentleman
David’s voice definitely got better the older he got, this is an epic song.
I saw Bowie live around this time - he was fantastic. He puts on a great show.
I’m happy you’re doing this and broadening your music horizons. Keep listening to actually good artists
David Bowie is a legend!! My favorite live artist and he is so interesting. Really check him out because he is fire🥰🔥🔥Literally every stage of his life and career , from the 60’s to the 2000’s he was always so unique and ahead of his time. Always pushing boundaries but the most beautiful voice. And a lovely person from everything that I’ve read 😊
My husband's favorite David song. He died very recently. Why do all the men I loved die in their 60s? (Except for MLK. But he will never die, because he was The Prophet. I spoke to him four months before The Assassination, when I was eight. The touch of his hand ... no one knows except the extremely few.) Life is harsh, broken by moments of celestial joy. Remember, all of you who were not there, MLK died for YOU. And ME.
I was lucky enough to be in the 9th row of a concert in this tour, with these musicians. Heroes was the song of the night - a surreal experience. I grew up listening to his music - the world lost a good one when he died.
Bowie was the Picasso of the music scene, very abstract and eclectic
One of my favorites, not just by Bowie. I miss Bowie. The world is less wonderful without him.
One of a kind for sure. The Replacements is a great movie.
Bowie wasn't lying whe he said, that after this song they would take a short break and return to stage to play another (whole) album and a couple of extra songs. Bowie performed up to 4 hours on stage!
He really enjoyed performing and appreciated and loved his fans. You can see what a great time he has and I'm sure the audience too.
I'm so lucky to have found Bowie in high school, lived my life with Bowie music and his concerts and movies.
I cried for days when David Bowie died. My rebellious teens , and Ziggy Stardust Halloween... 2016 we lost (far) to many amazing singers and preformers. Their music and gifts to us will live on for us and be passed on and discovered anew.