David Bowie: The Man Who Sold the World Meaning

Covered By: Nirvana (1994), Lulu (1974)

The Man Who Sold the World Lyrics

We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone, a long long time ago

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're...

1. anonymous

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   Nov 18th 2011 !⃝

   The song is about a man who does not know he died but come to realize this at the end of the song. We passed upon the stair (stairway to heaven, the man he met is god but does not know it) Spoke of was and when(everything in the past) I thought you died alone a long long time ago oh no not me(meaning I did not die you did) I laughed and shook his shook his hand, made my way back home(he laughed because he did not believe this was god and did not believe he died) I searched for form and land for years and years I roamed(The form he was searching for is his body and he searched for land because he was floating in heaven where there is no ground) I gazed a gazley stare at all the millions here(the millions of souls in heaven) We must have died alone a long long time ago(He accepts his death)
2. anonymous

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   Aug 8th 2011 !⃝

   about the singers mind and heart and remembering 'it'[whatever 'it' is]

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
3. anonymous

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   Mar 12th 2011 !⃝

   I believe that the song is about addiction. The meating on the stair is having to face the urge to use, and he thought that the addiction had died a long long time ago, but the addiction says, oh no, not me, we never lost control. The "man who sold the world" is the guy in his addiction, he gave up everything, "the world" for a high.
   
   Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right. Addiction is what this song means to me.
4. anonymous

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   Feb 25th 2011 !⃝

   It seems a dead man speaking with this spirit.......hence the line" The Man Who Sold The World"

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
5. anonymous

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   Jan 7th 2011 !⃝

   I would say it has something to do with esoteric teachings.
   
   the man who sold the world is the man who is in control of his own soul.
   
   So you have a man and his soul ( or his god if you will ) talking about their past.
   in this interpretation, "we" passed upon the stairs, " we" points to the physical and spiritual selves. the stairs could be a metaphore about going into the heavens.
   
   "although I wasnt there " -- the physical self obviously cannot be in the spiritual realm.
   
   So its a song a man's relation with his spiritual self. Some lost soul
   roaming around the earth, over a million hills, not accepting ( oh no! not me! I never lost control) its fate .
6. anonymous

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   Oct 30th 2010 !⃝

   "The Man Who Sold the World" was released in 1970. The Ziggy Stardust character was created two years later. How could Bowie be looking back at someone who didn't exist yet?
7. Taliben

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   Feb 25th 2010 !⃝

   In response to the person who said it was a meat puppets song, thats not true. The original was made by david bowie, but a lot of people don't like the original as much as the other versions because its a bit odd sounding.
8. anonymous

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   Jan 7th 2010 !⃝

   I think its about about reuniting with someone who is an awful person and finding out you are just as bad as they are. The world could be something that was very important to the narrator that the second person took away from them. This second person could likely be the first persons father.
9. frogger100

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   Jan 6th 2010 !⃝

   this song was inspired by a childhood rhyme david bowie had listened to,which went "i passed a man upon the stairs,although he wasnt even there,he wasnt there again today,how i wish hed go away".

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