This weekend, we recognized a tragic milestone—the 10-year anniversary of the passing of legendary English singer-songwriter David Bowie.
There’s no denying the artist’s influence, whose work from the late ’60s all the way up to his death in 2016 remains prevalent in pop culture to this very day. Hits like “Under Pressure,” “Starman” and “Heroes” continue to rack up listens around the world, with older generations passing down his music to younger ones, and avid music fans discovering his talents all on their own. We’re commemorating his life—and unforgettable music—by collecting some of his all-time most memorable lyrics below (which also double as excellent Instagram captions).
For apologizing for always calling the same person:
“I had to phone someone, so I picked on you.”
-“Starman”
For losing yet another phone to gravity:
“Dropped my cell phone down below Ain’t that just like me?”
-“Lazarus”
For when your schedule has you up far too early:
“Wake up, you sleepy head. Put on some clothes, shake up your bed.”
-“Oh! You Pretty Things”
For struggling with writer’s block:
“I’m busting up my brains for the words.”
-“Moonage Daydream”
For when it feels like you’re watching life from afar:
“I’m up on the eleventh floor and I’m watching the cruisers below.”
-“Queen B****”
For when success isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be:
“Every time I thought I’d got it made, it seemed the taste was not so sweet.”
-“Changes”
For wondering if you fit into someone else’s world:
“Does my prayer fit in with your scheme of things?”
-“Word on a Wing”
For remembering just how connected we all are:
“Oh no, love, you’re not alone, no matter what or who you’ve been, no matter when or where you’ve seen.”
-“Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide”
For sharing your enchantment with cinema:
“Now she walks through her sunken dream to the seat with the clearest view, and she’s hooked to the silver screen.”
-“Life On Mars?”
For just making the problem worse:
“And I’ve been putting out fire with gasoline.”
-“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”
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For feeling like your wildest wishes are coming true:
“Here are we, one magical moment. Such is the stuff from where dreams are woven.”
-“Station to Station”
For when pressure reveals your true character:
“This is our last dance, this is ourselves under pressure.”
-“Under Pressure”
(Heroes via RCA)
For feeling the crush of unrequited love:
“All I have is my love of love and love is not loving.”
-“Soul Love”
For the love that’s unconditional:
“As long as there’s sun. As long as there’s rain. As long as there’s fire. As long as there’s me. As long as there’s you.”
-“Where Are We Now?”
For wondering how someone truly feels:
“I’m happy, hope you’re happy too.”
-“Ashes to Ashes”
For doing your best not to sell out:
“Fame puts you there where things are hollow.”
-“Fame”
For committing to eternal love:
“I’ll stick with you, baby, for a thousand years. Nothing’s gonna touch you in these golden years.”
-“Golden Years”
For fighting for your independence any way you must:
“This way or no way, you know I’ll be free.”
-“Lazarus”
For feeling overwhelmed by your overthinking:
“I’m sinking in the quicksand of my thought and I ain’t got the power anymore.”
-“Quicksand”
For romanticizing New York City:
“They say the lights are oh so bright on Broadway.”
-“Aladdin Sane”
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For making wise use of your time:
“I know when to go out. Know when to stay in, get things done.”
-“Modern Love”
For when someone changes your perspective forever:
“She opened strange doors that we’d never close again.”
-“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)”
For willingly following wherever they go:
“If you say run, I’ll run with you, and if you say hide, we’ll hide.”
-“Let’s Dance”
For the one you love more than anything else:
“You’re spring to me, all things to me. Don’t you know you’re life itself?”
-“Wild Is the Wind”
For yearning for freedom:
“I, I wish you could swim like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim.”
-“Heroes”
For harboring complicated feelings:
“She’s uncertain if she likes him, but she knows she really loves him.”
-“Drive-In Saturday”
For when your parents are confused about your non-binary status:
“You’ve got your mother in a whirl. She’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl.”
-“Rebel Rebel”
For the bad luck that seems to follow you around:
“All the nightmares came today, and it looks as though they’re here to stay.”
-“Oh! You Pretty Things”
For when your favorite underground artist breaks containment:
“Ooh, how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name.”
-“Lady Stardust”
For reflecting on an aimless past:
“Still don’t know what I was waiting for, and my time was running wild.”
-“Changes”
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For falling for someone you never expected:
“Love is careless in its choosing.”
-“Soul Love”
For the love that feels like a dream come true:
“In this age of grand delusion, you walked into my life out of my dreams.”
-“Word on a Wing”
For when every action is carefully considered:
“I’ve never done bad things. I’ve never done bad things. I never did anything out of the blue.”
-“Ashes to Ashes”
For struggling with apathy:
“Seeing more and feeling less. Saying no but meaning yes.”
-“I Can’t Give Everything Away”
For ignoring the fickle nature of fashion trends:
“Fashion—turn to the left. Fashion—turn to the right.”
-“Fashion”
For traveling by plane:
“For here, am I sitting in a tin can far, above the world.”
-“Space Oddity”
For waiting for inspiration to strike:
“I will sit right down waiting for the gift of sound and vision.”
-“Sound and Vision”
For considering the possibilities:
“When you climb to the top of the mountain, look out over the sea. Think about the places, perhaps, where a young man could be.”
-“It Ain’t Easy”
For knowing relationships are a scam:
“Never going to fall for modern love.”
-“Modern Love”
For the awkward age where you have neither freedom nor control:
“You’re too old to lose it, too young to choose it.”
-“Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide”
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For when you can’t control your love:
“For my love is like the wind, and wild is the wind.”
-“Wild Is the Wind”
For knowing freedom isn’t far off:
“Oh, I’ll be free, just like that bluebird. Oh, I’ll be free, ain’t that just like me?”
-“Lazarus”
For letting someone know their future is bright:
“Don’t let me hear you say life’s taking you nowhere.”
-“Golden Years”
For when another rockstar breaks your heart:
“He took it all too far, but boy, could he play guitar.”
-“Ziggy Stardust”
For knowing it’s just a crush:
“She loves him, she loves him, but just for a short while.”
-“The Jean Genie”
For the transformation in yourself that seems swift and sudden:
“Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.”
-“Changes”
For not being afraid to show your strangeness to the world:
“‘Cause if you stay with us you’re going to be pretty kooky too.”
-“Kooks”
For going dancing:
“Put on your red shoes and dance the blues.”
-“Let’s Dance”
For when dancing to music feels like casting a spell:
“Dance, magic dance. Put that baby’s spell on me.”
-“Magic Dance”
For living in the moment, regardless of what comes next:
“We can beat them, just for one day. We can be heroes, just for one day.”
-“Heroes”
For even more unforgettable lyrics as captions, click HERE to discover all of our top favorites from Queen.
