Artists
Musicians featured in this piece are:
David Bowie – lead vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, saxophone, string arrangement
Mick Ronson – electric guitar
Trevor Bolder – bass guitar
Woody Woodmansey – drums
Unknown brass/string section – strings, two trumpets, two trombones, two tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone
Written by David Bowie. Produced by David Bowie & Ken Scott, recorded at Trident Studios, London, 4 February 1972.
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” closes out the Ziggy Stardust album by detailing the character’s final collapse as a burnt-out rock star, and it correspondingly served as the closing number of the Ziggy Stardust live show. David Bowie cited James Brown’s “Try Me” and “Lost Someone” as loose inspirations. At the final Ziggy Stardust concert, held on 3 July 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon, Bowie preceded the song by announcing “This is the last show we’ll ever do” — a line later understood as the retirement of the Ziggy persona, caught on film in D.A. Pennebaker’s Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture.
David Bowie – Rock’n Roll Suicide Lyrics
Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth
You pull on your finger, then another finger, then your cigarette
The wall-to-wall is calling, it lingers, then you forget
Oh oh, oh, oh, you’re a rock ‘n’ roll suicide
You’re too old to lose it, too young to choose it
And the clock waits so patiently on your song
You walk past a cafe but you don’t eat when you’ve lived too long
Oh, no, no, no, you’re a rock ‘n’ roll suicide
Chev brakes are snarling as you stumble across the road
But the day breaks instead so you hurry home
Don’t let the sun blast your shadow
Don’t let the milk float ride your mind
You’re so natural – religiously unkind
Oh no, love! You’re not alone
You’re watching yourself but you’re too unfair
You got your head all tangled up
But if I could only make you care
Oh no, love! You’re not alone
No matter what or who you’ve been
No matter when or where you’ve seen
All the knives seem to lacerate your brain
I’ve had my share, I’ll help you with the pain
You’re not alone!
Just turn on with me and you’re not alone
Let’s turn on and be not alone (wonderful)
Gimme your hands ’cause you’re wonderful (wonderful)
Gimme your hands ’cause you’re wonderful (wonderful)
Oh, gimme your hands
To listen to other songs from the Teleskop 18 program and the full program, click here.