The Meaning of “The Man Who Sold the World” by David Bowie

I am a huge David Bowie fan. And I was lucky enough to see him live in 1977. I believe that the 70s were his best era. Therefore, I count myself extra fortunate to have seen him at the height of his writing and performing powers.

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I consider “The Man Who Sold the World” to be one of his finest, if less popular songs. It was never released as a single. So, it is relatively unknown to many. Likewise, the meaning of “The Man Who Sold the World” by David Bowie is also less common knowledge. Hopefully, my analysis of the song, and the man behind it, will go a small way to put that right. Let’s get started.

Early Life

David Bowie was born David Robert Jones on the 8th of January 1947 in London. He began to show an interest in music at the age of ten. That’s when he began to listen to his father’s collection of mostly American music. It consisted of artists like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Elvis Presley. Around this time, Bowie started to play the ukulele and a tea chest bass.

A big influence on David Bowie’s early life was his half-brother, Terry Burns, who was ten years his elder. Terry Burns was a schizophrenic and spent his time between home and the hospital. He had a fascination with Buddhism, poetry, and jazz, which he passed on to Bowie.

Interestingly, many of Bowie’s relatives were on the spectrum for schizophrenia. He consequently came into regular contact with them. And it is thought that their openness and unfettered thinking had a positive effect on firing the imaginative side of Bowie’s personality. Bowie was spared the horrors of being struck down by this horrible illness.

Career Success

Encouraged by progressive parents, and a liberal school, Bowie studied the guitar and piano. And, by the time he left school, he had become reasonably proficient at both. Upon leaving school, he told his parents that he was going to become a Pop star. Surprisingly, given this was the early 60s, they supported him in his dream.

In the early days, he got into several different bands, but nothing stuck, and nothing felt right. David Bowie’s first band, The Konrads, was formed in 1962 and was essentially a wedding band. The last two bands he was involved with were the Buzz and The Riot Squad. Both final two bands he played with released records, but nothing that sold well or charted.

In 1964…

David Bowie’s first single, “Liza Jane,” was released with a band called The King Bees. At this point, he was still going under his real name, David Jones. Two years later, in 1964, he released his fourth single, “Can’t Help Thinking About Me.” That was the first record that saw him change his name to David Bowie.

The following single in the same year, “Do Anything You Say,” was the first time David Bowie sang and recorded as a solo artist. But, by not having released an album, none of his singles charted. However, in 1967, the comedy single “The Laughing Gnome,” although it did not chart at the time, later went on to receive a lot of attention and airplay. It earned him his first silver disc in the UK.

In 1969…

David Bowie’s debut album, the self-titled David Bowie, was released. That received almost no interest but made it to #125 on the UK charts. Then, confusingly, in the same year, he released his second studio album, also called David Bowie, and everything changed. The lead single was “Space Oddity,” and its release saw the man from Mars landing upon an unsuspecting public.

The album got to #7 in the UK and, importantly, to #16 in America. Additionally, “Space Oddity” got to #1 in the UK and #15 in the US. It also earned him his first platinum disc in the UK.

From this point, his career went meteoric…

He had a series of major hits. Some of the best David Bowie albums came from the 70s. Including “The Man Who Sold the World,” “Hunky Dory,” “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, and the Spiders From Mars,” “Aladdin Sane,” and “Low.”

This, I believe, was his purple patch, and I bought all these albums. Some of the highlights, as far as singles were concerned, in the same era included “Changes,” “Starman,” “Life on Mars,” and “Heroes.”

He went on to have a hugely successful career right up until he died in 2016 at the age of 69. However, the 70s is when David Bowie’s music was at its best for me. Although, I know that many of his adoring fans will beg to differ. So, where does “The Man Who Sold the World” fit into all of this? Let’s find out.

Recording

Surprisingly, despite “The Man Who Sold the World” as the title track to the album, which was released in 1971, the song was never brought out as a single. Other than on the B-side of a reissue of “Space Oddity” in the US in 1973. And the B-side of “Life on Mars,” which was released in the same year in the UK.

The backing track was recorded on May 4th, 1970, at Trident Studios in the Soho area of London. Famously, the session included Mick Ronson on guitar and Woody Woodmansey on drums. Both of them would go on to be part of David Bowie’s backup band, The Spiders from Mars.

The vocals were recorded on May 22nd in central London at Advision Studios…

Bassist John Visconti recalls that whilst waiting to go into the studio, Bowie began writing the lyrics for the song on a piece of paper. When Visconti asked him what was going on, apparently Bowie told him that he simply couldn’t be bothered to write the lyrics until necessary. And that writing them at the last moment was now part of this new creative process.

Visconti, who was also in charge of production and budgeting, was far from impressed with his new method of working. He told Bowie in no uncertain terms that it was not something he wanted to do ever again once the recording was complete.

Fortunately, it all worked out. And the lyrics are, quite frankly, amazing. Additionally, the song’s haunting, sinister, and otherworldly musical feeling was a masterpiece and complemented the words perfectly.

Lyrics and Meaning

So, what is the meaning of “The Man Who Sold the World” by David Bowie? The song is frequently linked to other artists’ pieces of literature. For example, The Man Who Sold the Moon by the science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein. However, there are no obvious thematic links.

The song is also compared to horror stories from writers like H. P. Lovecraft. But, again, the lyrics are not a close enough match to suggest a connection.

Like many of David Bowie’s best songs, the lyrics are vague and can be interpreted in several different ways. Plus, since Bowie was always careful not to fully explain what they mean, we are always left with a best-guess kind of scenario.

In this instance…

My best guess is that the main theme of “The Man Who Sold the World” is about his self-hatred for immersing himself in the music industry. It feels like the song from a man who regretted having to give up his privacy and becoming a public figure.

Alternatively, it could be a song about a man who feels he has lost control and has no idea of how to get it back. There also feels like there are a lot of self-doubts about his abilities. And that he feels he has sold himself artistically in the pursuit of money and fame. On this last point, it is something I would never accuse him of.

Lastly, the song could be interpreted as a sequel to “Space Oddity”…

As well as a song that explores various personalities. These include people capable of greatness, goodness, badness, and of magical things. Knowing David Bowie’s early years and family life, it may be a song that deals with some of his family members’ struggles with schizophrenia. The vagueness and the multiple themes of the song lend themselves to this kind of interpretation.

Want To Learn The Meaning Behind Other Songs?

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