Cygnet Committee

David Bowie

About Cygnet Committee

"Cygnet Committee" is a song written by David Bowie and recorded in 1969 for his second eponymous album (released in the U. S. as Man of Words, Man of Music and re-released in 1972 as Space Oddity). At over 9 minutes this ambitious progressive folk rock song was Bowie's longest studio recording until the opening/title track of 1976's Station to Station.


Year:
1969
9:23
190 
#7

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I bless you madly,
Sadly as I tie my shoes
I love you badly,
Just in time, at times, I guess
Because of you I need to rest
Because it's you
That sets the test

So much has gone
And little is new
And as the sparrow sings
Dawn chorus for
Someone else to hear
The Thinker sits alone growing older
And so bitter

"I gave Them life
I gave Them all
They drained my very soul
...Dry
I crushed my heart
To ease their pains
No thought for me remains there
Nothing can they spare
What of me?
Who praised their efforts
To be free?
Words of strength and care
And sympathy
I opened doors
That would have blocked their way
I braved their cause to guide,
For little pay

I ravaged at my finance just for those
Those whose claims were steeped in peace, tranquility
Those who said a new world, new ways ever free
Those whose promises stretched in hope and grace for me"

I bless you madly,
Sadly as I tie my shoes
I love you badly, just in time,
At times, I guess
Because of you I need to rest, oh yes
Because it's you
That sets the test

So much has gone
And little is new
And as the sunrise stream
Flickers on me,
My friends talk
Of glory, untold dream, where all is God and God is just a word

"We had a friend, a talking man
Who spoke of many powers that he had
Not of the best of men, but ours

We used him
We let him use his powers
We let him fill our needs
Now we are strong

And the road is coming to its end
Now the damned have no time to make amends
No purse of token fortune stands in our way
The silent guns of love
Will blast the sky
We broke the ruptured structure built of age
Our weapons were the tongues of crying rage

Where money stood
We planted seeds of rebirth
And stabbed the backs of fathers
Sons of dirt

Infiltrated business cesspools
Hating through our sleeves
Yea, and we slit the Catholic throat
Stoned the poor
On slogans such as

'Wish You Could Hear'
'Love Is All We Need'
'Kick Out The Jams'
'Kick Out Your Mother'
'Cut Up Your Friend'
'Screw Up Your Brother or He'll Get You In the End'

And we know the flag of love is from above
And we can force you to be free
And we can force you to believe"

And I close my eyes and tighten up my brain
For I once read a book in which the lovers were slain
For they knew not the words of the Free States' refrain
It said:
"I believe in the power of good
I believe in the state of love
I will fight for the right to be right
I will kill for the good of the fight for the right to be right"

And I open my eyes to look around
And I see a child laid slain
On the ground
As a love machine lumbers through desolation rows
Plowing down man, woman, listening to its command
But not hearing anymore
Not hearing anymore
Just the shrieks from the old rich

And I want to believe
In the madness that calls 'Now'
And I want to believe
That a light's shining through
Somehow

And I want to believe
And you want to believe
And we want to believe
And we want to live
Oh, we want to live

We want to live
We want to live
We want to live
We want to live
We want to live

I want to live
I want to live
I want to live

I want to live
I want to live
I want to live

Live
Live
Live

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David Bowie

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 - 10 January 2016), known by his stage name David Bowie ( /ˈboʊ.i/ BOH-ee), was an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. He is known for his distinctive voice as well as the intellectual depth and considerable eclecticism of his work. more »

30 fans

Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, TINTORETTO MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Background
"Cygnet Committee" is a track from David Bowie's second self-titled studio album, released in November 1969 (later re-titled "Space Oddity" for its 1972 re-release).
Song Length
The song is the longest on the album, clocking in at a substantial 9 minutes and 35 seconds.
Inspiration
It has been reported that Bowie was inspired to write "Cygnet Committee" after experiencing disillusionment with the peace and love sentiments of the 1960s hippie culture.
Lyrics
The lyrics are packed with references to various personal experiences and figures from Bowie's life at the time, including the London Arts Lab - a collective responsible for organizing arts events, which Bowie had been involved with.
Co-Worker
The song features the contribution of Tony Visconti, a frequent collaborator and producer of Bowie's - he served as the bass player in this piece.
Performance
Despite its striking and memorable lyrics, the song was not regularly performed live by Bowie.
Song Development
In its earliest forms, "Cygnet Committee" was titled "Lover to the Dawn," and it carried a different theme – more of a straightforward love song.
Lyrics Rewrite
David Bowie recounted that he rewrote the lyrics after a betrayal by partners in the experimental ‘Beckenham Arts Lab.’
Critical Reception
Some critics noted the Dylan Thomas-esque poetic nature of the lyrics. It was described as a "sermon," with Bowie feeling "let down" by the counterculture he ostensibly was part of.
Legacy
Although not one of Bowie’s popular hits, "Cygnet Committee" is often considered an underappreciated gem, presenting a glimpse into Bowie's lyrical growth and thematic transition.

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