Joe Biden & David Bowie: A Thought For Friday
In recent days we have seen Joe Biden announce multi trillion dollar spending plans based largely around social welfare and other public spending, as the reverberation of the end of the Trump era continues. Just over fifty years ago,at the start of the 70s, David Bowie released the album “The Man Who Sold The World”, containing the track “Saviour Machine”, which opens with these lyrics….
“President Joe once had a dream
The world held his hand, gave their pledge,
So he sold them his scheme for a saviour machine.
They called it The Prayer, its answer was Law
Its logic stopped war, gave them food
Oh how they adored till it cried in its boredom”
And went on to say…
“Life is too easy,
A plague seems quite feasible now
Or maybe a War
Or I may kill you all”
The song is essentially about a President whose benevolent actions, made with the very best of intentions, inadvertently bring about the end of society, and the end of civilisation.
Portentous? Modern day Nostradamus? Meaningless coincidence?
Let us know your thoughts……
11 Comments
Andrew Petcher
Interesting theory.
giacomoasinello
Not sure about the “best of intentions” part.
grandmisadventures
without wanting to get into a political debate, I will say that President Trump did a lot of great things for the country that never gets mentioned and there are a lot of things President Biden is doing that are detrimental to the country that never get mentioned either.
leightontravels
Huge Bowie fan here Phil, I enjoyed this! Favourite album? Favourite handful of track?
Phil & Michaela
Oh where to start. OK, At the beginning. Hunky Dory was the first LP I ever bought, when just a pre-shaving fresh faced teenager; my next two were Ziggy Stardust and MWSTW, and later Aladdin Sane bought on its day of release. Bowie lost me a bit in the Young Americans era but came screaming back with Reality which is a masterpiece. Favourites? Oh that’s hard.. Ziggy, MWSTW and Reality all up there but I also have huge affection for Station To Station. I have a range of T shirts (my own designs) with snatched Bowie lyrics as the text on the shirt. The guitar intro to Rebel Rebel is my ringtone. Favourite tracks would be a massive list but if pushed…..Rebel Rebel, Stay, Lady Stardust, Moonage Daydream, New Killer Star, Life On Mars…but I could go on and on. Best gig ever? Reality Tour at Wembley Arena.
leightontravels
A thorough answer! I collected Bowie two albums a year time in chronological order until I was up to date. One of my most cherished musical journeys.
Phil & Michaela
Starman, Bowie & Ronson, Top Of The Pops, early 70s. That Thursday night was for me where it all started!
Steve Berger
Really – all Ziggy did was play guitar. Of course all Rembrandt did was paint.
I just want to travel overseas again.
Phil & Michaela
Yep. Life is drifting by while we’re all sat here waiting.
WanderingCanadians
Now that would be an interesting plot twist.
Lookoom
Well, in the end, we should do nothing, shouldn’t we? Even though we know that not deciding is worse than a bad decision…