Aleister Crowley
Posted by Moonage | Filed under The World Of David Bowie
Before I get started, start the mood music:
I will be mentioning a common theme among Bowie songs as I delve into his lyrics more. From about 1971 until 1976 or so, Aleister Crowley is a recurring theme with Bowie’s music. Starting with 1971’s Quicksand to 1976’s Station to Station, Crowley is referred to probably more often than any other one person Bowie references. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but for me, this was his creative peak as well. It would probably do better to understand some of the lyrics if one had an idea of what Crowley was about.
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First and foremost, he was an occultist. Probably the first and most famous person to basically claim to be an “occultist”. |
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Secondly, he was a showman. He was flamboyant and basically put on a show no matter what he was doing or who he was with. In a lot of ways, a rock star of the early 20th century. |
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Thirdly, he was a prolific writer. He wrote MANY books on the occult and his own special version of it. |
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Fourthly, he was a world traveler. He went to the Orient to further his knowledge of the occult. |
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Above all, he was a con-man. He used his dabbling in the occult to scam people out of money and spent much of his life destitute. |
But, people still discuss him to this day. A lot of the symbolism used today by occultists and occult wannabees were actually created BY Crowley. A lot of symbolism of today’s occultism is reputed to be from his works. ( This link even claims Jabba the Hut is a Crowley reference and has evidence to “prove” it. ) IMO, Ozzy Osborne’s best song is a tribute to Crowley.
My own interpretation of why Crowley appealed to Bowie ( and others ) for so long is that Crowley reminded Bowie of himself. He was yet another man who sold the world on a product he dreamt up himself. It also didn’t hurt that they both apparently had very deep curiosities about religion and the many aspects of it. Plus, it’s very obvious they both have incredible imaginations. For a short time Bowie did follow some of Crowley’s directions. However, he wrote about Crowley before and after his “participation”. I don’t know if that was just show or Bowie did get in that deep. But, take away the bizarre occult, and all you had left was someone who never ceased to shock and amaze society with the things he did and said, and made a living doing that exclusively for a short while. Now, do you think I’m talking about Bowie or Crowley at this point?
The Laughing Gnostic does a FANTASTIC job explaining Crowleyism and Bowie’s fascination with it. I really felt no need to go into the details, just go to that site. It’s a fabulous read.
Tags: aleister-crowley, david bowie, mr-crowley, occult, ozzy-osborne, quicksand, The World Of David Bowie
Quicksand
Posted by Moonage | Filed under Interpretations
Got an email from a fellow in London, England, who discussed some aspects of this blog. One of the things he mentioned is how much he enjoys Quicksand. Now, that struck a nerve with me because Quicksand is one of my Top 10 Bowie songs ever. Now, some of Bowie’s stuff was fluff, some was rockin’, some plain silly, some annoying, you get the picture. Quicksand is none of the above. It is COMPLEX. This is not a song to sit around and get stoned to, you’ll freak out. The music itself is OK, recorded originally in 1971 for Hunky Dory, Bowie’s last folk album. I did a much edgier version, my vision of what it could be if done today. It doesn’t feature that many instruments, but it’s constant flowing counter-melody is something that is never heard today, and I miss it. The lyrics are the heart of this one. Click on the song and sing along:
I’m closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley’s uniform
Of imagery
I’m living in a silent film
Portraying Himmler’s sacred realm
Of dream reality
I’m frightened by the total goal
Drawing to the ragged hole
And I ain’t got the power anymore
No I ain’t got the power anymoreI’m the twisted name on Garbo’s eyes
Living proof of Churchill’s lies
I’m destiny
I’m torn between the light and dark
Where others see their target
Divine symmetry
Should I kiss the Viper’s fang
Or herald loud the death of Man?
I’m sinking in the quicksand of my thought
And I ain’t got the power anymoreDon’t believe in yourself
Don’t deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death’s releaseI’m not a prophet or a stone age man
Just a mortal with potential of a superman
I’m living on
I’m tethered to the logic of Homo Sapien
Can’t take my eyes from the great salvation
Of bullshit faith
If I don’t explain what you ought to know
You can tell me all about it on the next Bardo
I’m sinking in the quicksand of my thought
And I ain’t got the power anymoreDon’t believe in yourself
Don’t deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death’s releaseDon’t believe in yourself
Don’t deceive with belief
Knowledge comes with death’s release
Now, quite a load huh? I doubt the average person understands much more than 1/3 of what Bowie’s even talking about, much less what it means. It was songs like this that got me hooked on Bowie in the first place. After uttering wtf a few times, I had to read stuff to figure out what he was talking about. That opened up entirely new worlds to a kid living in rural Kentucky. We didn’t have MTV, HBO, 100 cable channels, or even ( gasp ) the internet. Glimpses of alternative lifestyles came to us through artists such as Bowie. So, needless to say, I had to do a lot of reading.
I’m going to borrow a LOT from “David Bowie and the Occult“. That page is a fabulous read. Once initiated, the opening line of the song is the theme to the rest of it.
“The Golden Dawn was a magical secret society which flourished at the end of the 19th century and taught a unique blend of Jewish mysticism (called Cabbala, also to be found in Bowie’s symbolism), astral travel, magic, yoga (also practised by Bowie) and how to communicate with angels and demons. For this latter communion it was first necessary to empty the mind, to make room for the unknown to enter“…..
So, Bowie has become closer to the Golden Dawn. He has emptied his mind and immersed himself in Crowley:
“Crowley’s key maxim was “Do what Thou Wilt” (as can be found on Bowie’s ‘After All’, 1970), which (among many other interpretations) is equated with the Greek word “Thelema” which stands for “Will”. In the Crowleyan world, ‘Thelema’ refers to sexmagick (which Crowley spelt ‘Magick’ to distinguish it from the purely ceremonial variety): to reach illumination while having sexual intercourse through techniques focusing the sexual energies upon a wish, a sort of an inner photography which represents the desire to be fulfilled.”
The total goal was to become the unknown. To be something completely different for a period of time. For Crowley, it was to become a sort of god. Bowie doesn’t say what his goal is. He hints at with “death’s release”. I assume he is seeking knowledge from the afterlife. To talk to angels.
He then jumps into all kinds of commercial and political symbolism. Sex is a huge part of Crowleyism. I take the “twisted name in Garbo’s eyes” to mean he wishes to have the desire of Greta Garbo, his example of the ultimate in sensuality. With using “Churchill’s lies”, he wants to be the ultimate salesman, a person everyone trusts, even if they shouldn’t.
“Portraying Himmler’s sacred realm of dream reality”. This line is profound. Never in the history of man were so many people misled into a frenzied state of murder and cruelty to man than during the Nazi reign of Germany. Second in power to Hitler, it was Himmler that designed the SS and gave it direction. He was also the man who put together the media support that turned latent racism issues in Germany into a call for murder against an entire race. It may have been Hitler’s wish, but Himmler was the Man Who Sold The World. He had the ability to turn otherwise good people into murderers based on the illusion of supremacy. Bowie is aspiring to have Himmler’s ability to control mankind.
These weren’t ordinary people. They were almost god-like in their ability to influence people. Bowie wanted to empty his mind and become these people for a short while. In the end, he realizes he’s mortal and can’t do what Crowley was claiming. Crowley’s promises were all “bullshit faith”. Realizing that, he feels he’s wiser. And, he’ll know that “on the next Bardo”. Bardo is the Tibetan Buddhist state between death and life. In other words, in his next life, he’ll know Crowley was a fake and not fool with it.
Then there’s some fluff to add to the lyrics and prop up the impression he’s making.
Bet ya didn’t think all that was crammed into that one little song now did ya?
If anyone has a different interpretation, I’d love to hear it.
To me this song very strongly defined Bowie personally. Bowie had already morphed from a clean-cut pop singer to a long-haired cross-dressing hippie. Hunky Dory was the point Bowie would start morphing wildly from one defined personna to another, totally discarding the previous image as if it never existed. Many times killing the character off with a “retirement”. In other words, experiencing new lives after the deaths of the previous character. In simpler terms, telling us about it on his next Bardo. He recently “retired” again and promptly showed up with David Gilmour. I don’t think he’s stopped shooting for his dream reality. And, in his case, that’s a good thing.
Tags: david bowie, Interpretations, quicksand
Rick Wakeman
Posted by Moonage | Filed under The World Of David Bowie
Rick Wakeman is arguably the most gifted keyboardist to ever grace rock. His breakthrough came in 1973 with The Six Wives of Henry VIII. However, in 1969 he was still pretty much unknown, not having joined Yes for the first time. Somehow he teamed up with Bowie to do a couple of songs, one of which being Space Oddity. Rick then teamed up with Bowie again to do most of the songs on Hunky Dory. This album particularly showcased Wakeman’s talent. Changes and Life on Mars being two particularly good piano pieces. As far as I know, this ended the Bowie/Wakeman colaborations, much to the loss of both. Although Wakeman enjoyed some success for a few years, especially teaming up with Elton John for Madman Accross the Waters, the piano riffs of Changes remain probably the most memorable effort he ever made. With Bowie’s creativity and Wakeman’s talent, there could have been some really good stuff there. And, given Wakeman’s tendency to go way over the top in total absurdity ( see this description of the live performance of King Arthur ), I can’t help but wonder why it is whenever Bowie records with someone, they either die or go temporarily nuts?
Here’s my versions of a few Bowie/Wakeman tunes.
And here’s the originals:
Tags: changes, david bowie, hunky-dory, oh-you-pretty-things, quicksand, rick-wakeman, space-oddity, The World Of David Bowie
