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.
Douglas Ernst Blog 