David Bowie was probably the coolest
It’s intentionally dense and confusing, so I’ll try my best to decipher whatever the fuck this is and not overthink it.
The first refrain starts pretty ominous:
In the villa of Ormen -> ormen means serpent in Norwegian. idk what that has to do with anything tbh.
Stands a solitary candle -> usually, solitary candles are in honor of someone dying or has already passed.
In the centre of it all
Your eyes
On the day of execution -> since★ is about mortality, I assume this is about himself and his meta-awareness ahead of his inevitable death
Only women kneel and smile -> “execution”, and not death; he’s referring to the performance of death.
At the centre of it all
Your eyes -> this part trips me up. is he referring to his own eyes? the viewer’s eyes? God’s?
Since this album was released 3 days before Bowie’s death, I assume he knew he was headed to his death. That probably ties in the themes of execution, the idea of death as performance, and his inevitable mortality.
Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre then stepped aside -> his soul seems to detach from his body in a precise manner. stepping aside though implies continuation
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried. -> his succesion - as an artist, prophet, leader - occurs, and a new Blackstar emerges in his place
(I'm a blackstar, I'm a star's star, I'm a blackstar)
This is my favorite part of the song. It expresses the idea that Bowie doesn’t really own “Bowie” anymore. The role of a prophet and Bowie’s ability to self-invent doesn’t belong to him anymore, but rather anyone brave enough to claim it. He’s transcended his position in this life.
How many times does an angel fall? -> angels fall when they defy god, probably referring to how much of an artist’s integrity can be lost before its stripped of grace
How many people lie instead of talking tall? -> talking tall is speaking with truth; art vs performance/deception. bowie notoriously had many masks/characters in his career
He trod on sacred ground, he cried loud into the crowd -> sounds like an epitaph or him narrating his art theatrically
(I′m a blackstar, I'm a blackstar)
(I'm not a gangstar)
I can′t answer why (I′m a blackstar) -> sounds like an ego death. he’s struggling with explaining his identity crisis and/or mortality.
Just go with me (I'm not a filmstar)
I′ma take you home (I'm a blackstar)
Take your passport and shoes (I′m not a popstar)
And your sedatives, boo (I'm a blackstar)
You′re a flash in the pan (I'm not a Marvel star)
I'm the Great I Am (I′m a blackstar)
I'm a blackstar, way up, on money, I've got game
I see right, so wide, so open-hearted pain
I want eagles in my daydreams, diamonds in my eyes
(I'm a blackstar, I'm a blackstar)
I feel like this part shows him wanting to transcend and feel everything at once. It feels like the flicker before the candle goes out: the last feeling of ego and imagination before his inevitable death.
Overall, with this song, my guess is that Bowie attempts to “own” his mortality in its fleeting seconds. He tries to, for the last time, live through his masquerades and dramatic highs before being crushed by his inevitable death, leaving him and the listener with unresolved questions about his own artistic integrity and legacy. It’s an amazing track and kicks off one of the best albums of all time. It’ll always be the song I remember David Bowie by.
10/10