Holy Trinity High School Class of `73

1969-1973

"Song of the Day"

July 20, 2025

"Life on Mars?" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie.
Originally released on the Hunky Dory album in 1971, it was released
again as a single in the UK on 22 June 1973 during the height of his
Ziggy Stardust fame and the single reached #3 in Britain. In the lyrics,
a "girl with mousy hair" visits a cinema to escape from reality. The
song has no connection to Mars itself; the title was a reference
to the media frenzy of the US and Soviet Union race to get to
the red planet. The media interest inspired headlines
around the world that asked "Is there life on Mars?"

A bit about how it was written: In 1968, Bowie wrote the lyrics
“Even a Fool Learns to Love”, set to the music of a 1967 French song
“Comme d'habitude”, composed by Claude François and Jacques Revaux.
Bowie’s version was never released, but Paul Anka bought the rights to
the original French version and rewrote it into the song “My Way”, made
famous by Frank Sinatra in 1969. The success of Anka's version prompted
Bowie to write “Life on Mars?” as a parody of Sinatra’s recording.
The music uses the same chord sequence for it's opening bars.

Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the English musician David Bowie,
released in the United Kingdom on 17 December 1971 through RCA Records.
Bowie's backing band consisted of guitarist and string arranger Mick Ronson,
bassist Trevor Bolder, drummer Mick Woodmansey, soon to be named the
Spiders from Mars. Ex-Strawbs member Rick Wakeman would join them in
the studio on piano. After recording sesions were complete, Bowie asked
Wakeman if he wanted to be a part of the Spiders from Mars. Wakeman
declined and joined the progressive rock band Yes instead. The album
initially sold poorly and failed to break the UK Albums Chart. It was only
after the breakthrough of Ziggy Stardust in mid-1972 that Hunky Dory
became a commercial success. It climbed to #3 in the UK (two places
higher than Ziggy Stardust), and remained on the chart for 69 weeks.

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Life on Mars? - David Bowie (1971)

It's a god-awful small affair
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen

But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man!
Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best-selling show
Is there life on Mars?

It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns

But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man!
Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best-selling show
Is there life on Mars?


Songwriters: David Bowie

A Playlist of all HT Class of '73 Songs of the Day is available by clicking below:

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