David Bowie Webdream

Jack Kevorkian and The Supermen

Posted by Moonage | Filed under Interpretations

Two events are occurring right now. Last week or so, Livescience discussed the ethics of immortality. In the news today are articles about Jack Kevorokian dying in prison. Needless to say, the debate over Kevorkian’s actions assisting people to end their lives has had a rather lively debate. This isn’t a current event. It’s more events over a topic that has been pondered probably as long as man has been able to rationalize. Bowie apparently thought a lot about his own ending and what occurred afterward. In 1969 Bowie addressed the issue of death with The Supermen. It would be released on The Man Who Sold The World in 1970, possibly his best album lyrically. Here’s the lyrics to what I consider one of the Top 10 Bowie songs of all time.

When all the world was very young
And mountain magic heavy hung
The supermen would walk in file
Guardians of a loveless isle
And gloomy browed with super fear their tragic endless lives
Could heave nor sigh
In solemn, perverse serenity, wondrous beings chained to life

Strange games they would play then
No death for the perfect men
Life rolls into one for them
So softly a supergod cries

Where all were minds in uni-thought
Power weird by mystics taught
No pain, no joy, no power too great
Colossal strength to grasp a fate
Where sad-eyed mermen tossed in slumbers
Nightmare dreams no mortal mind could hold
A man would tear his brother’s flesh, a chance to die
To turn to mold

Far out in the red sky
Far out from the sad eyes
Strange, mad celebration
So softly a supergod cries

Far out in the red sky
Far out from the sad eyes
Strange, mad celebration
So softly a supergod dies

At the time Bowie was also performing Jacques Brel’s My Death as a staple during his Ziggy tours. It’s a horrid song that goes on forever. However, it illustrates Bowie’s near obsession with the afterlife at the time.

In his usual way, Bowie gives you a situation, a moment in time, tosses in a social issue, and gives no opinions or solutions. The question is all that remains. As mankind races towards becoming Supermen without population control, already limited and stretched resources, advanced medical care only for certain geographic regions, and polar opposite social values and mores, we’ve got to ask ourselves, do we really want to live forever? And, if someone chooses not to, do we respect their decision or just force them to find more creative ways to “tear his brother’s flesh, a chance to die, to turn to mold”?