Blackstar – English Lyrics

• By: David Bowie

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a unique linguistic journey with David Bowie's 'Blackstar.' This captivating and complex song, his final artistic statement, offers a rich tapestry of avant-garde jazz and profound lyrical themes. Delve into its poetic verses and layered meanings to explore advanced English vocabulary and nuanced expressions related to life, death, and artistic legacy, making it an extraordinary piece for language learners.

[English]

In the Villa of Ormen

In the Villa of Ormen

Stands a solitary candle

...

At the centre of it all

At the centre of it all

Your eyes

...

On the day of execution

On the day of execution

Only women kneel and smile

...

At the centre of it all

At the centre of it all

Your eyes

...

Your eyes

...

In the Villa of Ormen

In the Villa of Ormen

Stands a solitary candle

...

At the centre of it all

At the centre of it all

Your eyes

...

Your eyes

...

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 Blackstar

How many times does an angel fall?

How many people lie instead of talking tall?

He trod on sacred ground

He cried loud into the crowd

I'm a Blackstar

I'm a Blackstar

I'm not a gangster

I can't answer why

I'm a Blackstar

Just go with me

I'm not a filmstar

I'm-a 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, oh honey, I've got game

I see right so white, so open-heart it's pain

I want eagles in my daydreams, diamonds in my eyes

I'm a Blackstar

I'm a Blackstar

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 star

I'm a Blackstar

I can't answer why

I'm not a gangster

But I can tell you how

I'm not a flam star

We were born upside-down

I'm a star star

Born the wrong way 'round

I'm not a white star

I'm a Blackstar

I'm not a gangster

I'm a Blackstar

I'm a Blackstar

I'm not a pornstar

I'm not a wandering star

...

I'm a Blackstar

I'm a Blackstar

...

In the Villa of Ormen

Stands a solitary candle

...

At the centre of it all

Your eyes

...

On the day of execution

Only women kneel and smile

...

At the centre of it all

Your eyes

...

Your eyes

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
blackstar /ˈblæk.stɑːr/ C1	noun - a symbolic, otherworldly star; also the title of David Bowie’s song and album
solitary /ˈsɒl.ɪ.tər.i/ B2	adjective - existing or living alone; isolated
candle /ˈkæn.dəl/ A2	noun - a stick of wax with a wick that gives light when lit
villa /ˈvɪl.ə/ B1	noun - a large, usually luxurious house in the countryside or a holiday resort
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight; paired organs located in the head
execution /ˌek.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/ B2	noun - the carrying out of a task or carrying out a death penalty
spirit /ˈspɪr.ɪt/ B1	noun - the non‑physical part of a person; a supernatural being
angel /ˈeɪn.dʒəl/ B1	noun - a spiritual being serving as a messenger of God
sacred /ˈseɪ.krɪd/ B2	adjective - connected with religion; holy
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A2	noun - the solid surface of the Earth; land
gangster /ˈɡæŋ.stə(r)/ B2	noun - a member of an organized crime group
popstar /ˈpɒp.stɑː(r)/ B2	noun - a popular music performer with mainstream fame
filmstar /ˈfɪl.m.stɑː(r)/ B2	noun - a famous actor or actress in movies
wander /ˈwɒn.dər/ B1	verb - to move about without a fixed course, aim, or goal
flash /flæʃ/ B1	noun - a brief, sudden burst of bright light
pan /pæn/ A2	noun - a shallow cooking vessel with a flat bottom
eagles /ˈiː.ɡəlz/ B1	noun - large birds of prey with powerful beaks and keen sight
diamonds /ˈdaɪ.məndz/ B2	noun - precious gemstones of clear, transparent crystal, often used in jewellery
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - an unpleasant physical or emotional feeling
open‑heart /ˈoʊ.pən ˈhɑːrt/ B2	adjective - characterized by honesty and emotional transparency

Key Grammar Structures

• Stands a solitary candle

  ➔ Inversion of subject and verb

  ➔ The normal order would be 'A solitary candle stands.' The inversion 'Stands a solitary candle' adds poetic emphasis.

• At the centre of it all

  ➔ Prepositional phrase as a clause fragment

  ➔ 'At the centre of it all' stands alone as an image—no finite verb—common in poetic ellipsis.

• On the day of execution

  ➔ Prepositional time phrase

  ➔ The phrase introduces time context. It modifies the implied verb that follows in the next line.

• Only women kneel and smile

  ➔ Subject-verb coordination with 'and'

  ➔ The subject 'women' performs two actions 'kneel' and 'smile', joined by 'and'.

• Something happened on the day he died

  ➔ Past simple tense and relative clause

  ➔ Main clause 'Something happened' + defining relative clause 'on the day he died' marking time of event.

• Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside

  ➔ Past tense sequence with two verbs

  ➔ The two verbs 'rose' and 'stepped' depict a chronological movement of the same subject.

• I'm a Blackstar

  ➔ Contracted form of 'I am' and simple present

  ➔ Statement of identity in present tense, using contraction common in speech and lyrics.

• How many times does an angel fall?

  ➔ Interrogative with auxiliary 'does'

  ➔ The auxiliary 'does' forms a question in the present simple, before the subject 'an angel'.

• Take your passport and shoes

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The verb 'take' directs the listener to perform an action—no subject needed in English imperatives.