"Life on Mars" is a song originally written and recorded by David Bowie. AURORA covered this song live since early in her career. Both the cover and the original song are sometimes titled "Life on Mars?".
A studio recording was released on February 19, 2016 on the soundtrack album Girls, Vol. 3[1] for the TV series Girls and it featured on episode 5, season 5 (2016) of the series.[2]
About the song[]
Performing the song in a session for Gigwise,[3] Aurora said:
"I just really understand 'the girl with the mousey hair', [...] she gets quite disappointed over the world and she hears about this greater, more beautiful life that might be out there somewhere. She asks herself these questions - is there life on Mars? Is there a purer life that I don't have access to? [...] It's just a really beautiful song, and I loved it from the first time I heard it. David Bowie himself is a hero, he just made us all feel so special - he was a genius. The way he behaved, the way he answered all of his interviews, the way he was, it was just so inspirational. [...] It's very bold to embrace your inner quirkiness, and he helped me not to be ashamed of who I am."[4]
She told Clash Music how she was chosen for the soundtrack of Girls:
"I was asked to record the song for the John Lewis advert, and I have been doing a cover for David Bowie's 'Life on Mars' for two years now because I love this song. When he died, it became an even more important song. And then Lena Dunham found me on YouTube, and her manager contacted mine saying she wanted my song to be in an episode. It was a beautiful scene too, I cried."[5]
Lyrics[]
It's a god-awful small affair
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mommy is yelling "No"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through a sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen
But the film is a saddening bore
Cause she's seen it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's on the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice with their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
Cause she writ it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
And I ask you to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's on the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
Is there life on Mars?
Lyrics transcribed by listening to Aurora's studio recording, starting from David Bowie's lyrics.[6]
Audio[]
Trivia[]
- The song appeared in many AURORA live sets, most notably during her 2015-2016 tours, often as an encore. Her first known live performance of the song was on 2/20/2014 at Framtidskonferansen, long before the studio recording of the song.
- Alf Lund Godbolt is credited for playing Rhodes on the song's recording. He frequently accompanied Aurora on keys for this song on tour as well.
References[]
- ↑ https://music.apple.com/album/1440845425
- ↑ https://www.hbo.com/girls/season-5/5-queen-for-two-days
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ipwa4iFjEQ
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160303103853/http://www.gigwise.com/features/105758/aurora-covers-david-bowie-life-on-mars-before-album-tour-john-lewis (archived from original)
- ↑ https://www.clashmusic.com/features/in-conversation-aurora
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/David-Bowie-Hunky-Dory/release/4641620