David Bowie, a musical legend and cultural icon, left an indelible mark on the world with his unique blend of music, fashion, and artistry. His words, both in interviews and through his lyrics, have inspired generations. In this article, we explore David Bowie's wisdom through a collection of quotes categorized under various themes. Each sub-title presents a specific facet of Bowie's profound insights, encapsulating his thoughts on life, creativity, art, music, love, change, inspiration, individuality, time, and self-discovery. Let's dive into the timeless quotes of David Bowie and understand the depth of his brilliance.
Life Quotes
"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."
"Turn and face the strange changes."
"Life is amazing, isn't it? So, believe in life!"
"The truth is, of course, that there is no journey. We are arriving and departing all at the same time."
"Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been."
"To me, making music is the most joyous thing in the world."
"You can't stand still on one point for your whole life."
"To survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."
"All clichés are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is."
"Don't let yourself be manipulated by the soul-draining machine."
"We can be heroes, just for one day."
"Confront a corpse at least once. The absolute absence of life is the most disturbing and challenging confrontation you will ever have."
Creativity Quotes
"I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations."
"The only art I'll ever study is stuff that I can steal from."
"Creativity is like a drug, but it doesn't kill you."
"If I feel a little odd, it’s probably a good thing. It’s because I’m doing something different."
"All my big mistakes are when I try to second-guess or please an audience."
"I like the idea of using sound to suggest and explore the complex feelings beneath the truth."
"Make the best of every moment. We’re not evolving. We’re not going anywhere."
"I find only freedom in the realms of eccentricity."
"Once I've written something, it's out there and I've forgotten about it."
"A lot of my works are intended to be ironic."
"I often need a different punctuation of each audio track with the silence in between to break it up."
"Ageing is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been."
Art Quotes
"Art was, seriously, the only thing I'd ever wanted to own."
"Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable."
"The moment you know you know, you don't know anything."
"I think that the only art worth talking about is the art that is still happening."
"To me, art is something that brightens your day, changes your mind, and forever impacts your soul."
"What I like about creating work specifically for the visual arts is that I can personalize the whole process."
"The process of writing the songs often becomes a very interesting experience for me."
"Love remains, even when the art fades."
"I get really excited when I start something, and then I inevitably get frustrated."
"I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human."
"It's more fun painting with other musicians."
"What I do is stand-up theatre."
Music Quotes
"I find only freedom in the realms of eccentricity."
"Music has given me over 40 years of extraordinary experiences."
"It’s always time to question what has become standard."
"I don’t care what anyone says about me. I live to create music, and nothing else matters."
"You can neither win nor lose if you don’t run the race."
"I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I much preferred expressing the company I kept."
"Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity."
"I’m always surprised that I’m still drawing better than ever, you know."
"As an artist, I always felt grateful to hear a song on the radio."
"When I write a song, I consider myself to be writing to an audience of one. Everyone else is invited to listen in."
"Music is a form of communication, it’s what I do best."
"Where I’m coming from, and what I bring to music as a lyricist, has more to do with fantasy and my life experiences."
Love Quotes
"We can be Heroes, just for one day."
"Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new."
"I'm happy to be alive, I'm happy to be who I am."
"I think love is the most complex emotion and it's also the one emotion that seems to elude people the most."
"Love is the answer, and you know that for sure."
"There's a special kind of person in every artist’s circle, one who's completely supportive – totally and unreservedly supportive- of their partner's work."
"Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned along the way."
"I'm an instant star. Just add water and stir."
"Although I really believe that you must love yourself and all people and nature in order to spread joy, you cannot measure it artistically."
"You can neither win nor lose if you don’t run the race."
"All you have to do is stand still and let the music and the love serve you."
"The message that holds a degree of suspense, that seems forever ambiguous and uncertain, is the message most likely to engage us deeply."
Change Quotes
"Turn and face the strange changes."
"Time may change me, but I can't trace time."
"Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming."
"I'm always aware of how little time there really is, which constantly drives me to waste as little time as possible."
"I'm an instant star. Just add water and stir."
"How can I act? There's a thief in my heartbeat."
"The way I look at life, all the best parts are in my songs."
"You can neither win nor lose if you don’t run the race."
"I'm kind of aware that maybe people in the street don't acknowledge who I am."
"Don’t you wonder sometimes about sound and vision?"
"Most of the time, my songs have no relevance to my life or what's going on in it."
"Once you lose that sense of wonder, you're dead!"
Inspiration Quotes
"The truth is, of course, that there is no journey. We are arriving and departing all at the same time."
"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."
"Make the best of every moment. We’re not evolving. We’re not going anywhere."
"As an artist, I always sense my time will come eventually."
"Sometimes you’re not even close to breaking through your creative expression until it stops being interesting to you."
"I'm reached the stage where I can refuse to comply."
"The very years I swept through leaving a blaze of desperation and was left alone."
"Life’s a lot more enjoyable when you believe the future will be as interesting and entertaining as possible."
"To survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."
"I’m always surprised that I’m still drawing better than ever, you know."
"None of us have all the answers, but we can add little pieces that build options for others."
"I always had a fear of being answerable to someone else beyond my work."
Individuality Quotes
"I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations."
"The best thing you can do is work with the unexpected and unusual, rather than attempt to shape or conform to it."
"Turn and face the strange changes."
"I'm an instant star. Just add water and stir."
"To create and inhabit a different world through music is the most challenging accomplishment."
"Exile is a self-imposed lack of natural identity and perhaps the one way to survive this insanity."
"Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been."
"It's true: I'm always changing my mind on things, I want to keep people guessing."
"My relationship with my audience? It’s kind of like when you’re talking to someone at a bar and you start feeling this incredible intimacy.
"I’m not actually successful, I make provocative art, that's what motivates me."
"You can’t shake integrity by asking questions or making observations."
"The fragmented and contradictory state is often the prelude to understanding innovation".
Time Quotes
"Time may change me, but I can't trace time."
"Turn and face the strange changes."
"I'm always aware of how little time there really is, which constantly drives me to waste as little time as possible."
"Time will crawl, till the end of the day."
"The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is."
"We can be Heroes, just for one day."
"Learning to sing is like learning to walk. You forget the steps and just become one with the air."
"Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming."
"There's no point in wasting time with complacence."
"Confronting the past with the wisdom of the present is the only way we bring change effectively."
"Live each moment like it's your last."
"We must steal from time these moments that are truly ours."
Self-Discovery Quotes
"I always knew why I chose this life, and I wouldn't change a thing."
"I find only freedom in the realms of eccentricity."
"Once I've written something, it's out there and I've forgotten about it."
"You never know where the last grain might lead you."
"The quest for self-discovery in life always intrigued me the most."
"Life is fragile, handle it with all the reverence you can muster."
"I have nothing but my imagination and wit, the essentials to the perilous journey."
"Self-denial, that's the greatest aphrodisiac."
"Throughout my life I've hidden in some of the most mysterious places."
"It’s true: I'm always ready to reinvent, cutting the cords of comfort."
"Living in the truth of your essence is the pinnacle of self-discovery."
"What I find most thrilling? Lurking on the edges, fearing every step forward."
Final words
David Bowie's inspirational life and career have given the world a multitude of iconic moments and unforgettable music. But beyond his artistic genius, it is his words that often resonate just as profoundly. His thoughts on life, creativity, art, music, love, change, inspiration, individuality, time, and self-discovery have left us with a rich legacy of wisdom to draw upon. Whether through his songs or his musings, Bowie challenged us to look at the world differently, embrace our true selves, and always seek out beauty and meaning. As we reflect on these quotes, may they continue to inspire us to live more authentically, think more creatively, and love more deeply every single day.
