Home / Authors / David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie Quotes

Musician

David Bowie (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016) was a legendary British musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. Known as the 'chameleon of rock,' he was celebrated for his eclectic musical style, avant-garde stage personas, and constant reinvention. His career spanned decades, blending rock, pop, electronic, and soul. Iconic works include 'Space Oddity,' 'Heroes,' and 'Let's Dance.' Through characters like Ziggy Stardust, he challenged gender and identity norms, leaving a profound impact on popular culture.

Filter quotes by topic

All Thinking People Ifs Writing Kind Artist Rocks Wanted Feels I Can

Famous David Bowie Quotes

“A song has to take on character, shape, body and influence people to an extent that they use it for their own devices. It must affect them not just as a song, but as a lifestyle. The rock stars have assimilated all kinds of philosophies, styles, histories, writings, and they throw out what they have gleaned from that.”

People Writing Kind Philosophy Character Use Body Song Stars Influence Rocks Style Shapes Lifestyle All Kinds Devices Rock Star Influencing People

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“It would be positively boring if minds were in tune.”

Ifs Mind Would Be Boring Tunes Positively

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“The coming together of people I find obscene as a principle. It is not human. It is not a natural thing as some people would have us believe.”

People Believe Humans Together Natural Principles Obscene Coming Together Natural Things

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I'm not at ease with the word "love."”

Ease Words Love

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I was told that it was cool to fall in love, and that period was nothing like that to me. I gave too much of my time and energy to another person and they did the same to me and we started burning out against each other. And that is what is termed love.”

Persons Fall Energy Too Much Periods Falling In Love Burning My Time Time And Energy

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“Love is every type of relationship that you think of... I'm sure it means relationship, every type of relationship that you can think of.”

Thinking Mean Love Is Type

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“Sexuality and where it is going is an extraordinary question, for I don't see it going anywhere. It is with me, and that's it.”

Extraordinary Sexuality

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I'm regarded quite asexually by a lot of people. And the people that understand me the best are nearer to what I understand about me.”

People Understand Me

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“The people who don't know so much about me regard me more sexually.”

People Knows Regard Sexually

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“The younger people get into the lyrics in a different way; there's much more of a tactile understanding, which is the way I prefer it.”

People Way Different Understanding Different Ways Tactile

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I'm quite certain that the audience that I've got for my stuff don't listen to the lyrics.”

Certain Stuff Audience

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“There have been times when I've written something and it goes out and it comes back in a letter from some kid as to what they think about it and I've taken their analysis to heart so much that I have taken up his thing. Writing what my audience is telling me to write.”

Thinking Writing Heart Has Beens Kids Audience Taken Written Letters Analysis

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“Lou Reed is the most important definitive writer in modern rock. Not because of the stuff that he does, but the direction that he will take it.”

Doe Important Stuff Modern Rocks Reeds

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“There's a thing that just as you go to sleep, if you keep your elbows elevated that you will never go below the dream stage. And I've used that quite a lot and it keeps me dreaming much longer than if I just relaxed.”

Ifs Dream Used Sleep Stage Relaxed Going To Sleep Elbows

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I haven't changed my views much since I was about 12, really, I've just got a 12-year-old mentality.When I was in school I had a brother who was into Kerouac and he gave me On The Road to read when I was 12 years old. That's still been a big influence.”

Years Stills Bigs School Views Influence Havens Changed Brother Old Man Mentality I Haven't Changed

Author:David Bowie

“I find it easier to write in these little vignettes; if I try to get any more heavy, I find myself out of my league.”

Ifs Writing Trying Littles Easier Heavy League Vignettes

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“There's not much point in getting any heavier... there's too many things to read and look at.”

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“Things have to hit for the moment. That's one of the reasons I'm into video; the image has to hit immediately. I adore video and the whole cutting up of it.”

Reason Whole Moments Cutting Video Adore

Author:David Bowie

“I was studying Tibetan Buddhism when I was quite young, again influenced by Kerouac.”

Young Study Buddhism Tibetan Tibetan Buddhism

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I don't believe in proper cinema; it doesn't have the strength of television. People having to go out to the cinema is really archaic. I'd much rather sit at home.”

People Believe Home Television Don't Believe Cinema

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I want people to hear musicians like Joe Cuba. He has done things to whole masses of Puerto Rican people. The music is fantastic and important.”

People Want Important Done Whole Musician Mass Music Is Fantastic Cuba

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love Lucy, the great American domestic comedy. It's about how people really live, not like Lucy, who never touched dishwater. It's about people living and hustling to survive.”

People Film Next Left Comedy Tvs Touched Fabulous Hustle Great American Pork Lucy Warhol

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“The media is either our salvation or our death.”

Media Salvation

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“My particular thing is discovering what can be done with media and how it can be used. You can't draw people together like one big huge family, people don't want that. They want isolation or a tribal thing.”

People Want Done Bigs Together Used Media Particular Huge Draws Isolation Discovering

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“Trying to tart the rock business up a bit is getting nearer to what the kids themselves are like, because what I find, if you want to talk in the terms of rock, a lot depends on sensationalism and the kids are a lot more sensational than the stars themselves.”

Ifs Want Trying Kids Stars Bits Term Rocks Depends Sensational Tarts Sensationalism

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“The name Bowie just appealed to me when I was younger. I was into a kind of heavy philosophy thing when I was 16 years old, and I wanted a truism about cutting through the lies and all that.”

Years Kind Philosophy Wanted Lying Names Cutting Heavy Bowie Truism

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“I had a fantasy that i'd drift up to Scotland and spend my life as a faux bodhisattua.”

Fantasy Scotland Faux

Author:David Bowie

“Elvis was a major hero of mine. I was probably stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something.”

Believe Enough Stupid Mines Hero Majors

Author:David Bowie

“I once asked [John] Lennon what he thought of what I do. He said 'it's great, but its just rock and roll with lipstick on'.”

Said Rocks Rock And Roll Lipstick Lennon

Author:David Bowie

“I don't expect the human race to progress in too many areas. However, having a child with an ear infection makes one hugely grateful for antibiotics.”

Humans Children Race Progress Areas Ears Grateful Human Race Infection Antibiotics

Author:David Bowie

“I would like to believe that people knew what they were fighting for and why they wanted a revolution, and exactly what it was within that they didn't like.”

People Believe Wanted Fighting Revolution

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“You can't put down anybody. You can just try and understand. The emphasis shouldn't be on revolution, it should be on communication. Because it's just going to get more uptight. The more the revolution goes on, and there will be a civil war sooner or later.”

Should Trying War Communication Revolution Goes On Civil War Sooner Or Later Emphasis Uptight

Book:David Bowie: The Last Interview

Source: David Bowie: The Last Interview

“Since early middle ages when people generally taking away the barbarity of their like, were pretty content. Although it was all an illicit contentment, what with the slave systems all over the world, in England especially, the peasants and the master, etc. People were incredibly content.”

People World Age Middle Masters England Slave Etc Contentment Middle Ages Peasants Barbarity

Author:David Bowie

“I woke up one day and realized I was a closet hetero”

One Day Closets

Author:David Bowie

“It took me a long time to reach the bottom and it went through various stages. I went from drugs into an alcohol stage. For a while, one feels, "Ah, I've kicked drugs," but what I discovered was I had another addiction instead.”

Feels Long Stage Drug Long Time Addiction Bottom Various Alcohol

Author:David Bowie

“One day I realized that I really needed to stop losing myself in my work and in my addictions. What happens is you just wake up one morning and feel absolutely dead. You can't even drag your soul back into your body. You feel you have negated everything that is wonderful about life. When you have fallen that far, it feels like a miracle when you regain your love of life. That's when you can begin really looking for a relationship. When you can appreciate the whole concept of giving to someone, not just taking.”

Giving Feels Soul Whole Body Happens Morning Wonderful Needed One Day Losing Concepts Appreciate Miracle Wake Up Addiction Your Body I Realized Your Soul Fallen Love Life Drag Losing Myself

Author:David Bowie

“I couldn't stand to be separated with my wife for months. It became quickly apparent to me that I needed to find a balance between my absolute work obsession and a private life that we could share without my disappearing all the time.”

Wife Share Months Needed Balance Absolutes My Wife Disappear Obsession Private Life

Author:David Bowie

“See the mice in their million hordes From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads.”

Millions Broads Mice Horde Norfolk Ibiza

Author:David Bowie

“Hitler was the first superstar.”

Firsts Superstar

Author:David Bowie

“I'm very shy. That's probably one of the reasons I got so heavily into drugs.”

Reason Drug Shy

Author:David Bowie

“I'm bemused by the whole Robbie Williams aspect of British pop. Posh Spice? It all looks like cruise ship entertainment to me.”

Looks Whole Aspect Entertainment Pops British Ships Spices Cruise Posh Cruise Ships

Author:David Bowie

“It makes me sad when I see artists who come alive when they go onstage, because, gee, I really come alive when I'm home.”

Home Artist Alive

Author:David Bowie

“My sexual nature is irrelevant. I'm an actor, I play roles, fragments of myself.”

Play Actors Roles Irrelevant Fragments

Author:David Bowie

“I'm English. I can't accept happiness that easily. There's got to be a trick in there somewhere.”

I Can Accepting Tricks

Author:David Bowie

“Time may change me, but I can't trace time.”

Author:David Bowie

“I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?”

Thinking Firsts Littles Helping Song Pieces Illuminating

Author:David Bowie

“They're the salt of the earth, those girls. They don't sit each night and compare notes on groups, criticising lyrics, asking if it's valid. They just play the record... yeah, and maybe they dance. I love them. I love them dearly”

Ifs Play Earth Night Girl Records Groups Asking Yeah Notes Compare Salt Salt Of The Earth

Author:David Bowie

“I'm afraid of Americans; I'm afraid of the world; I'm afraid I can't help it.”

World I Can Helping

Author:David Bowie

“A lot of people provide me with quotes. They suggest all kinds of things to say and I do, really, because I'm not very hip at all.”

People Kind All Kinds Hips

Author:David Bowie

“For me a chameleon is something that disguises itself to look as much like its environment as possible. I always thought I did exactly the opposite of that.”

Looks Environment Opposites Disguise Chameleon

Author:David Bowie

About the Author

Born: January 8, 1947
Died: January 10, 2016
Known for: Musician
Quotes: 412

Related Topics

Thinking People Ifs Writing Kind Artist Rocks Wanted Feels I Can

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

David Bowie: The Last InterviewRelated source material

David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - Off the RecordRelated source material

David Bowie: The Last Interview: and Other ConversationsRelated source material

The pocket book of David BowieRelated source material

Similar Authors

Patti SmithBrowse related quotes
Dolly PartonBrowse related quotes
Taylor SwiftBrowse related quotes
Madonna CicconeBrowse related quotes
Kristen StewartBrowse related quotes
George SaundersBrowse related quotes
Chuck KlostermanBrowse related quotes
Bruce SpringsteenBrowse related quotes
Marilyn MansonBrowse related quotes
Billy CorganBrowse related quotes