The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Five Years
Pushing thru the market square
so many mothers sighing
News had just come over,
we had five years left to cry in
News guy wept and told us
earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet
then I knew he was not lying
I heard telephones, opera house, favourite melodies
I saw boys, toys electric irons and T.V.’s
My brain hurt like a warehouse
it had no room to spare
I had to cram so many things
to store everything in there
And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people
I never thought I’d need so many people
A girl my age went off her head
hit some tiny children
If the black hadn’t a-pulled her off, I think she would have killed them
A soldier with a broken arm, fixed his stare to the wheel of a Cadillac
A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest
and a queer threw up at the sight of that
I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour
drinking milk shakes cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine
don’t think you knew you were in this song
And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor
And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there
Your face, your race, the way that you talk
I kiss you, you’re beautiful, I want you to walk
We’ve got five years, stuck on my eyes
We’ve got five years, what a surprise
We’ve got five years, my brain hurts a lot
We’ve got five years, that’s all we’ve got
Soul Love
Stone love – she kneels before the grave
A brave son – who gave his life
to save the slogans
That hovers between the headstone and her eyes
For they penetrate her grieving
New love – a boy and girl are talking
New words – that only they can share in
New words – a love so strong it tears their hearts
To sleep – through the fleeting hours of morning
[CHORUS]
Love is careless in its choosing
Sweeping over cross a baby
Love descends on those defenceless
Idiot love will spark the fusion
Inspirations have I none
Just to touch the flaming dove
All I have is my love of love
And love is not loving
Soul love – the priest that tastes the word and
Told of love – and how my God on high is
All love – though reaching up my loneliness
evolves
By the blindness that surrounds him
[CHORUS]
Moonage Daydream
I’m an alligator, I’m a mama-papa coming for you
I’m the space invader, I’ll be a rock ‘n’ rollin’ bitch for you
Keep your mouth shut,
you’re squawking like a pink monkey bird
And I’m busting up my brains for the words
Keep your ‘lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!
Don’t fake it baby, lay the real thing on me
The church of man, love
Is such a holy place to be
Make me baby, make me know you really care
Make me jump into the air
Keep your ‘lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!
Freak out, far out, in out
Starman
Didn’t know what time it was the lights were low
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin’ down some rock ‘n’ roll ‘lotta soul,
He said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That weren’t no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive
[Chorus:]
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
‘Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
I had to phone someone so I picked on you
Hey, that’s far out so you heard him too!
Switch on the TV
We may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window I can see his light
If we can sparkle he may land tonight
Don’t tell your poppa or he’ll get us locked up in fright
[Chorus 2x]
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
It Ain’t Easy
When you climb to the top of the mountain
Look out over the sea
Think about the places perhaps, where a young man could be
Then you jump back down to the rooftops
Look out over the town
Think about all of the strange things circulating round
[CHORUS]
It ain’t easy, it ain’t easy
It ain’t easy to get to heaven when you’re going down
Well all the people have got their problems
That ain’t nothing new
With the help of the good Lord
We can all pull on through
We can all pull on through
Get there in the end
Sometimes it’ll take you right up and sometimes down again
[CHORUS]
Satisfaction, satisfaction
Keep me satisfied
I’ve got the love of a Hoochie Koochie woman
She calling from inside
She’s a-calling from inside
Trying to get to you
All the woman really wants you can give her something
too
[CHORUS (x2)]
Lady Stardust
People stared at the makeup on his face
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
And lady stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace
[CHORUS]
And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
And he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
([second time:] really quite paradise)
And he sang all night long
Femme fatales emerged from shadows
To watch this creature fair
Boys stood upon their chairs
To make their point of view
I smiled sadly for a love I could not obey
Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and dismay
[CHORUS]
Oh how I sighed
When they asked if I knew his name
[CHORUS]
Get some pussy now!
Star
Tony went to fight in Belfast
Rudi stayed at home to starve
I could make it all worthwhile
as a rock & roll star
Bevan tried to change the nation
Sonny wants to turn the world, well he can tell you that
he tried
I could make a transformation as a rock & roll star
[CHORUS (x2)]
So inviting – so enticing to play the part
I could play the wild mutation
as a rock & roll star
I could do with the money
I’m so wiped out with things as they are
I’d send my photograph to my honey – and I’d c’mon like
a regular superstar
I could fall asleep at night
as a rock & roll star
I could fall in love all right
as a rock & roll star
Hang On To Yourself
Well she’s a tongue twisting storm, she will come to the
show tonight
Praying to the light machine
She wants my honey not my money she’s a funky-thigh
collector
Layin’ on ‘lectric dreams
[CHORUS]
So come on, come on
we’ve really got a good thing going
Well come on, well come on
If you think we’re gonna make it
You better hang on to yourself
We can’t dance, we don’t talk much
We just ball and play
But then we move like tigers on vaseline
Well the bitter comes out better on a stolen guitar
You’re the blessed, we’re the Spiders from Mars
[CHORUS (x3)]
Ziggy Stardust
Come on, ah, come on, ah [repeat ad inf.]
Ziggy played guitar,
jamming good with Wierd and Gilly,
And The Spiders from Mars.
He played it left hand,
but made it too far,
Became the special man,
Then we were Ziggy’s Band.
Ziggy really sang,
screwed-up eyes and screwed-down hairdo
Like some cat from Japan,
he could lick ’em by smiling
He could leave ’em to hang
He came on so loaded man,
well-hung and snow white tan.
So where were the spiders
while the fly tried to break our balls?
Just the beer light to guide us.
So we bitched about his fans
and should we crush his sweet hands?
Ziggy played for time,
jiving us that we were Voodoo
The kids were just crass,
He was the naz
With God given ass
He took it all too far
But, boy, could he play guitar.
Making love with his ego,
Ziggy sucked up into his mind
Like a leper messiah
When the kids had killed the man
I had to break up the band
Ziggy played guitar
Suffragette City
Hey man, oh leave me alone you know
Hey man, oh Henry, get off the phone, I gotta
Hey man, I gotta straighten my face
This mellow thighed chick
Just put my spine out of place
Hey man, my schooldays insane
Hey man, my work’s down the drain
Hey man, well she’s a total blam-blam
She said she had to squeeze it but she… then she…
[CHORUS]
Oh don’t lean on me man
Cause you can’t afford the ticket
I’m back on Suffragette City
Oh don’t lean on me man
Cause you ain’t got time to check it
You know my Suffragette City
Is outta sight…she’s all right
Hey man, Henry, don’t be unkind, go away
Hey man, I can’t take you this time, no way
Hey man, droogie don’t crash here
There’s only room for one and here she comes
Here she comes
[CHORUS]
A Suffragette City, a Suffragette City
I’m back on Suffragette City [x2]
Suffragette City
Ohhh, Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am!
Suffragette City [ad lib]
Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide
Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth
You pull on your finger, then another finger, then your cigarette
The wall-to-wall is calling, it lingers, then you forget
Oh, you’re a rock ‘n’ roll suicide
You’re too old to lose it, too young to choose it
And the clock waits so patiently on your song
You walk past a cafe but you don’t eat when you’ve lived too long
Oh, no, no, no, you’re a rock ‘n’ roll suicide
Chev brakes are snarling as you stumble across the road
But the day breaks instead so you hurry home
Don’t let the sun blast your shadow
Don’t let the milk float ride your mind
You’re so natural – religiously unkind
Oh no love! You’re not alone
You’re watching yourself but you’re too unfair
You got your head all tangled up but if I could only make you care
Oh no love! You’re not alone
No matter what or who you’ve been
No matter when or where you’ve seen
All the knives seem to lacerate your brain
I’ve had my share, I’ll help you with the pain
You’re not alone
Just turn on with me and you’re not alone
Let’s turn on with me and you’re not alone
Let’s turn on and be not alone
Gimme your hands cause you’re wonderful [2x]
Oh gimme your hands.