David Bowie – Douglas Ernst Blog

Fans of David Bowie haven’t heard much from the man in years. That changed as of January 8, 2013.

Music idol David Bowie broke years of silence and speculation today to release his first new single in a decade – with an album to follow.

The star, who shot to fame in the late ’60s with “Space Oddity”, surprised fans by suddenly releasing a new recording, “Where Are We Now?”, on his 66th birthday. …

A follow-up album called The Next Day is set to be released in March.

Whereas fans of Guns and Roses heard Chinese Democracy and thought, “This is decent, but definitely not worth a decade of hype,” Bowie’s single has something incredibly special to it. This listener, who does not claim to be a music aficionado, hears a sad stripped-down piece with poignant lyrics. There’s a sense of longing and emotion that only a true artist can capture. ‘Where are we now?’ is a song that many young people won’t get — until they’re 66.

Where are we now? Where are we now?
The moment you know … you know … you know.
As long as there’s sun. As long as there’s sun.
As long as there’s rain. As long as there’s rain.
As long as there’s me. As long as there’s you.

Anyone who has ever been sick — truly sick — can appreciate this song. Anyone who gets a tear in their eye when they think about what it would be like to lose that husband or wife they’ve built their life around, can appreciate this song. Anyone who gets a lump in their throat when they think about how special every moment of every day is, can appreciate this song. At a minimum, Bowie earns respect for baring his soul to the audience; one would be hard pressed to listen to ‘Where are we now?’ and argue that the artist is holding back.

We all must come to grips with our own mortality. We will die, and if we’re lucky we’ll have loved ones by our side when we say that last goodbye. But even those who live a tremendous life will have regrets. We know that all that matters are the essentials to make life worth living, but there will always be a part of us that wishes for just a little more time to make it right where it went wrong … to visit an old friend … or to reminisce for just a moment longer.

‘Where are we now?’ is a winner because it seems to capture a universal truth: At some point in time, despite the will of the mind and the soul, the body will betray us. It will get old, break down and prevent us from doing the things we love to do and the things we put off because we always thought “there’s always tomorrow.” Well, there isn’t always tomorrow, and realizing that is bittersweet.

‘The Next Day’ will hopefully be packed with tracks that are just as honest and heartfelt as its single, which will make the album a winner … if just for one day.

ObamaSad — The President is a fractured, drifting mess if he thinks Americans aren't tired of federal government spending sprees (with your money).

Barack Obama seems to think that conservatives have a lack of faith in the American people:

“For the past few weeks, a majority of Senators have tried not once, not twice, but three times to extend emergency relief on a temporary basis. Each time the partisan minority in the Senate has used parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote, denying millions of people who are out of work much needed relief…These leaders in the Senate who are advancing a misguided notion that emergency relief somehow discourages people from looking for a job should talk to these folks. That attitude I think reflects a lack of faith in the American people…because the Americans I hear from…aren’t looking for a handout. They desperately want to work—they just can’t find a job, ” (Barack Obama).

I find this odd coming from someone who subscribes to a brand of liberalism that:

Turns average Americans into criminals.
Mandates the purchase of a good or service as a requirement for lawful residence in the United States.
Balloons entitlement spending in a way that says, “You’d be less dependent on your mother if the umbilical cord was never cut, than you’re about to be on us.”

I somewhat feel bad for the president. He seems lost in space. Politically, he’s a fractured man. He’s detached from the pulse of the American people in a way that would make David Bowie’s Major Tom do a double-take. If it wasn’t for stimulus bills that didn’t stimulate, health care debacles, a federal government that wants to dabble in the manufacturing of cars, cash for clunkers, and a whole host of other hopeandchange overreaches…this probably wouldn’t register a blip on the average voter’s radar. But at every turn the current administration seems to be looking for ways to spend your money on some newfangled (or should we say old-fangled?) schemes to redistribute wealth.

Perhaps if the President keeps floating away untethered from the opinion of the voting public he’ll be answer the question, “Is There Life on Mars?”

See what happens when you vote for hopeandchange when you’re under pressure, kiddies? The world falls down.

Put in simpler terms, you thought you were getting a David Bowie and Freddie Mercury classic for a president, and you got…Vanilla Ice. Word to ya Motha…