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David Bowie ‘Blackstar’: Was Iconic Singer Foretelling His Death In Final Album And Lyrics [Videos, Photos]

By Charisse Van Horn
Published on: 01:52 PST, Jan 11, 2016

David Bowie released Blackstar on January 8, 2016, on what was the iconic singer’s 69th birthday. Two days later, the world was stunned to hear of David Bowie’s death to cancer. David Bowie did not make his battle with the fatal disease public. According to reports, David Bowie fought bravely against cancer for 18 months, before passing away on January 10, 2016. The album Blackstar and its introspective lyrics and moody, dark, and soulful rhythms has caused many to reflect that the singer was not only foretelling his death, but leaving us a musical journey of his final farewell. David Bowie sings hauntingly and repetitively, “I’m a black star, I’m a black star,” while he depicts a scenario of a man who is contemplating religion, life, and God.

Some of the lyrics from Blackstar are as follows.

“Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried
(I’m a blackstar, I’m a star’s star, I’m a blackstar)

In the villa of Ormen stands a solitary candle
Ah-ah, ah-ah
At the centre of it all, your eyes
On the day of execution, only women kneel and smile
Ah-ah, ah-ah
At the centre of it all, your eyes, your eyes
Ah-ah-ah”

You can listen to Blackstar in the video below.

Were the eyes he wrote about the eyes of Iman, his wife, whom he married in 1992? Iman has posted on her Instagram and official Twitter account sharing several photos of David Bowie, as well as some poignant sayings.

As David Bowie passed away two days after his 69th birthday and the release of Blackstar, Iman also retweeted some classic photos of her husband from his earlier years.

Blackstar is a critical success. Though some of the earlier tracks had been released at the end of 2015, the full album was only released on January 8, 2016. The official David Bowie Twitter channel is full of the album’s praise and acclaim, while tributes to the singer have begun to pour in. With news of David Bowie’s death, many are listening to Blackstar with a whole new perspective and frame of mind. Was David Bowie saying good-bye to his fans, his life, and planet Earth with the acclaimed album? Not many artists choose their last album or have a hand in the music that will become their legacy. It appears that Blackstar was carefully constructed as David Bowie’s final farewell and good-bye.

Some of the latest David Bowie tweets read differently after realizing he has succumbed to cancer.

There may be no other lyrical phrase from David Bowie’s Blackstar than Lazarus’ “Look up here, I’m in heaven,” to clarify that David Bowie was writing about his impending death. You can watch the Lazarus video below. Now knowing that this was made with David Bowie’s impending death in mind, it has an entire new meaning.

The full Blackstar CD is on YouTube. Here is the track listing, followed by the video.

  1. Blackstar
  2. ‘Tis A Pity She Was A W****e
  3. Lazarus
  4. Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)
  5. Girl Loves Me
  6. Dollar Days
  7. I Can’t Give Everything Away

https://youtu.be/Zk1etr2EF_Y

On January 11, 2016, the official David Bowie Twitter account announced news of his death.

The making of Blackstar was as secretive as the David Bowie’s 18-month battle with cancer. David Bowie is described as many things: a singer, actor, iconic musician, and painter, but one thing David Bowie truly is and always has been is a performance artist. From his androgynous look and heavy make-up, stylish glam-rocker hair and costumes from the 70s to the way he chose to leave a musical legacy culminating in a final album, Blackstar, David Bowie is the quintessential performance artist. David Bowie kept his personal battles private, yet journaled them in his lyrics and left them for us to mull over.

As people continue to mourn the loss of David Bowie, many will undoubtedly pore over the lyrics on his final album, Blackstar, and reflect upon the singer’s frame of mind while writing them. They are deep, reflective, and undoubtedly will set the soundtrack in mournful tones while many grieve David Bowie’s death.

David Bowie’s own lyrics foretell his coming death and leave us not only an album to listen to, but one that makes us come to grips with our own fragility and human existence. We are all made of stars, we are all stardust.

David Bowie came to us as Ziggy Stardust and departed from us a black star.

Rest in peace, David Bowie, you have forever left an indelible print on the world.

[Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images]

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