1970

The Width of a Circle

Album: The Man Who Sold the World

In the corner of the morning in the past I would sit and blame the master first and last All the roads were straight and narrow And the prayers were small and yellow And the rumour spread that I was aging fast Then I ran across a monster who was sleeping by a tree And I looked and frowned and the monster was me Well, I said hello and I said hello And I asked "Why not?" and I replied "I don't know." So we asked a simple black bird, who was happy as can be And he laughed insane and quipped "KAHLIL GIBRAN" So I cried for all the others till the day was nearly through For I realized that God's a young man too So I said "So long" and I waved "Bye-bye" And I smashed my soul and traded my mind Got laid by a young bordello Who was vaguely half asleep For which my reputation swept back home in drag And the moral of this magic spell Negotiates my hide When God did take my logic for a ride (Riding along) He swallowed his pride and puckered his lips And showed me the leather belt round his hips My knees were shaking my cheeks aflame He said "You'll never go down to the Gods again" (Turn around, go back!) He struck the ground a cavern appeared And I smelt the burning pit of fear We crashed a thousand yards below I said "Do it again, do it again" (Turn around, go back!) His nebulous body swayed above His tongue swollen with devil's love The snake and I, a venom high I said "Do it again, do it again" (Turn around, go back!) Breathe, breathe, breathe deeply And I was seething, breathing deeply Spitting sentry, horned and tailed Waiting for you Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh


Written by: David Bowie