LogFAQs > #955607311

157. David Bowie Lazarus (2015)
from the album Blackstar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oad-EQyp6M

Key lyrics:
Look up here, Im in heaven

While there is a seemingly endless supply of songs about death, few are written by someone actually in the process of dying. Even among artists getting on in age, few are put in a position to recognize their final moments. Rarer are the artists who, in that fragile state, are still capable of writing a genuine hit, a song that reminds everyone why they were so beloved in the first place. Only days before his death, David Bowie did the impossible, a legacy act releasing a late career album one could easily argue as his finest work. Lazarus stands as the clearest acknowledgement of his impending fate.

David Bowie was a musical chameleon, and he dared to push new boundaries even on this final release. Lazarus shows shades of both jazz and gothic rock, starting as a gently brooding piece before Bowie works himself into an impassioned plea. He proudly declares he will be free, but there is enough tension there to show his fear. The song then winds down with an extended instrumental outro Bowie is gone, but his music will live on. And though there is a hint of fear in Bowies voice, the music itself suggests a meditative trance. Instead of spending his final months in terror, Bowie took the time to reflect and pen a fond farewell, not letting the curtain fall until it was truly over.

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