Rock icon and living legend David Bowie releases a new album, 'The Next Day,' 12th March after 10 years of artistic silence. It is an album that probably only David Bowie and those working with him on the album, was expecting. The records first single has many similarities with some of Bowie's older recordings.
History and the Berlin Wall ties the new album and its opening single, 'Where Are We Now?' together with Bowie's epic album and single 'Heroes.'
On the new single, The Thin White Duke sings about Berlin today and Berlin and the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall also played an important role in the classic 1977, 'Heroes' single, where David Bowie sings about a young couple that meets at the Berlin Wall. In an interview later that year, Bowie wondered, why the two lovers, sitting on a bench, had met on such an unpleasant location.
In Bowie's song the settings gets a twist. Thus, the verse: 'I, I can remember standing by the wall, And the guns shot over our heads, And we kissed, as though nothing could fall.' Here the drama is on, guns are firing over the two lovers heads. Are the guns real, maybe firing at a couple who tries to cross the Berlin Wall, or are the guns symbolic fire against a dying relationship that is being killed by the harsh consequences of reality.
So, the Wall was already on Bowie's mind, in 1977, where 'Heroes' was released. Furthermore, there is a duality between the two songs texts, which gives 'Where Are We Now' an extra dimension; one could call it a unique historical perspective. On 'Heroes,' Bowie sings about a relationship that is doomed to fail by the circumstances of reality. However, the lovers pretend or dream that it will last forever, by ceasing the moment and forgetting about everything and 'kissing like nothing could fall,' acting like dramatic heroes.
The story takes place in front of a wall that, during the Cold Wall, appeared as a 'permanent solution' to a permanent problem - that East- and West Berliners naturally wanted to be able to live, where they wanted, and that they risked being shot if they tried to cross the Wall.
David Bowie sings about the Berlin Wall again on 'Where Are We Now,' but this time from a historical perspective. He mentions locations that were important during the fall of the Berlin Wall, and which became important for our understanding of the Cold War. But, many of the places is also from his personal experiences during his time in Berlin in the 70s, were he lived for a period.
Looking at the two album covers, the connection between the albums become even more obvious. The front cover from the 'Heroes' album is used on the new album. However, Bowie's face have been replaced with a white square and the album title: 'The Next Day.' Is it the aftermath of the 'Heroes' single or the Fall of the Berlin Wall? We will know more 12th March, where David Bowie's new album is released.
History and the Berlin Wall ties the new album and its opening single, 'Where Are We Now?' together with Bowie's epic album and single 'Heroes.'
On the new single, The Thin White Duke sings about Berlin today and Berlin and the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall also played an important role in the classic 1977, 'Heroes' single, where David Bowie sings about a young couple that meets at the Berlin Wall. In an interview later that year, Bowie wondered, why the two lovers, sitting on a bench, had met on such an unpleasant location.
In Bowie's song the settings gets a twist. Thus, the verse: 'I, I can remember standing by the wall, And the guns shot over our heads, And we kissed, as though nothing could fall.' Here the drama is on, guns are firing over the two lovers heads. Are the guns real, maybe firing at a couple who tries to cross the Berlin Wall, or are the guns symbolic fire against a dying relationship that is being killed by the harsh consequences of reality.
So, the Wall was already on Bowie's mind, in 1977, where 'Heroes' was released. Furthermore, there is a duality between the two songs texts, which gives 'Where Are We Now' an extra dimension; one could call it a unique historical perspective. On 'Heroes,' Bowie sings about a relationship that is doomed to fail by the circumstances of reality. However, the lovers pretend or dream that it will last forever, by ceasing the moment and forgetting about everything and 'kissing like nothing could fall,' acting like dramatic heroes.
The story takes place in front of a wall that, during the Cold Wall, appeared as a 'permanent solution' to a permanent problem - that East- and West Berliners naturally wanted to be able to live, where they wanted, and that they risked being shot if they tried to cross the Wall.
David Bowie sings about the Berlin Wall again on 'Where Are We Now,' but this time from a historical perspective. He mentions locations that were important during the fall of the Berlin Wall, and which became important for our understanding of the Cold War. But, many of the places is also from his personal experiences during his time in Berlin in the 70s, were he lived for a period.
Looking at the two album covers, the connection between the albums become even more obvious. The front cover from the 'Heroes' album is used on the new album. However, Bowie's face have been replaced with a white square and the album title: 'The Next Day.' Is it the aftermath of the 'Heroes' single or the Fall of the Berlin Wall? We will know more 12th March, where David Bowie's new album is released.
About the Author:
Seek the newest information on David Bowie's new album and single go to The Next Day Preview, or find information on this Bowie blog.
