Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

This is a paper i had to write for class. i made up a some of the bits about myself, but i liked it anyways and wanted to share it with you guys.


A look to past musical genres would be quite incomplete without a mention of the world-renown super star, David Bowie. This musical icon was most well known for constantly reinventing not only himself, but also the music around him. Becoming a living legend, the name Bowie has become immersed in popular culture in a plethora of public forums, ranging from novelty songs to television characters and parodies. There is no doubt that Bowie is among those who may claim the title of musical genius, but the question I find myself pondering most is not how he changed the music industry, but how this influential superstar of great acclaim has changed me.

Years before I came into the scene, David Bowie was breaking into the world stage, launching his career with the trend-shattering Space Oddity record. (Szatmary, David, 222) The album begins with the out-of-this-world story of Major Tom sitting in a tin can, then changes styles to pay tribute to Bob Dylan in ‘Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed’, using instruments such as the harmonica and guitar to reflect his Dylan influence.

His second album, Hunky Dory, received a similar reaction to the first in that it was a sound different from what was being heard at the time, though it was not a favorite of critics. According to a Rolling Stone interview, this second album was crafted as a tribute to his muses, namely in his songs ‘Andy Warhol’, ‘Song for Bob Dylan’, and ‘Queen b***h’, which was written for the Velvet Underground (Wenner). This album also contained the song that could perhaps be thought of as Bowie’s anthem, being ‘Changes’. It was around the time of this album’s release that Bowie began what would become the habit of constantly reinventing himself.

By 1972 Bowie had already began his next big change. He had transformed himself into Ziggy Stardust, with a backup band of Spiders from Mars. (Szatmary, David, 222)He donned elaborate costumes and orange hair as well equipping his stage for a full theatrical show. This was very different from the norm of the day which had most all of rock and roll’s stars wearing blue jeans for a performance of pure singing, neglecting to incorporate theatrics and stage presence into their shows. This change was that which was needed to launch him across the Atlantic and land him on music charts across America.

As Bowie was enjoying new found fame, he also began gaining notoriety in the music industry. He began collaborations with other artists, such as on the song ‘Fame’ which was co- written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar, and John Lennon (Wenner). This song eventually became Bowie’s first American single to reach number 1. He even said in an interview, “To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have done their best work by far with me”. This included the lead singer of The Stooges, Iggy Pop, who owed his career comeback to Bowie (Wenner).

It could be said that Bowie had to continually recreate his image because of the vast potential he had, as well as a way to keep up with his ever changing music. Subsequent albums released by David Bowie employed musical stylings such as glam rock, psychedelic rock, techno, electronic, and a wide variety of others. His diversity and unique character caused him to gain popularity quickly, and his music rose in the charts as well.

It was also his quirky character that would make him the icon he is today. He played up his mysterious qualities, which, when mixed with his eccentric personality, automatically led to a legend in the works. Even today, years prior to his death, he is somewhat of a cult sensation, especially after the film role in which he played the character Jareth in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, which has created a following all its own. He has inspired characters in television, such as his own alter ego in Jackson Publick’s cartoon series The Venture Brothers, as well as in music, most notably The Flight of the Conchord’s song, ‘Bowie in Space’.

There has been no doubt that the musical anomaly David Bowie has changed anything and everything he has touched, but the question I have set out to answer is how he has changed me. Learning of his early influence by Bob Dylan, I was naturally drawn to him. While Dylan may have impacted Bowie with his instrumental style, I was drawn to Dylan, and subsequently Bowie, because of the lyrics of Dylan’s protest era songs, which shaped my ideas and philosophies on human equality and the power of peace. Learning next of his involvement in songwriting with John Lennon, I was further impressed by Bowie and began to investigate the singer even more.

Bowie became like a silent mentor in the background of my life, always there and always sharing something with me. His music was that which I grew up with, and his were the lyrics that I would sing into hairbrushes alongside my best friend. His appearance in spandex pants during the film Labyrinth was the most joked about instance among my friends, though it was no small secret that each one of us had covert crushes on the rock-star-turned-actor. You can then imagine my delighted surprise when Bowie began cropping up in cameos during my favorite television shows. His appearance as the All Powerful Leader in episodes of The Venture Brothers, as well as a caricature of himself in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords cemented the fact that everywhere I turned in my life, I was surrounded by his presence.

This presence would go on to sway me even more as I grew older. Bowie’s constant company in my childhood made him a safe role model, someone I knew, which was a good thing to have around in the time of adolescence when everything changed and I was in need of a safe haven to cling to. While struggling with the new identity of “young adult”, David Bowie made it ok to be different. His constant reinvention of himself made the reinvention of my own self less difficult, as well as instilling in me the belief that the future of myself was not concrete. It was fine to be a little strange, and if I didn’t like who I became I could always morph into something else. He embodied the idea that no matter how many times a person changer or how subtly or radically that change took place, it was always possible to change again, to grow and evolve into something completely new.

David Bowie is a musical genius because of what he could allow himself to be. He was able to push the boundaries of what was acceptable, as well as cross the lines at times when it was not considered proper. He had the musical ability to launch himself into superstardom as well as the power to personally touch people that cemented his place in Rock n Roll history. His constant company in my life has made him a personal hero, and his public persona has made him a favorite of people everywhere, no matter how many ch-ch-ch-ch-changes he goes through.