The Bewlay Brothers
David Bowie
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And so the story goes they wore the clothes They said the things to make it seem improbable Whale of a lie like they hope it was And the good men tomorrow had their feet in the wallow And their heads of brawn were nicer shorn And how they bought their positions with saccharin and trust And the world was asleep to our latent fuss Sighings swirl through the streets like the crust of the sun, the Bewlay Brothers In our wings that bark Flashing teeth of brass Standing tall in the dark Oh, and we were gone Hanging out with your dwarf men We were so turned on By your lack of conclusions I was stone and he was wax so he could scream and still relax Unbelievable And we frightened the small children away And our talk was old and dust would flow Through our veins and though it was midnight back at the kitchen door Like the grim face on the cathedral floor The solid book we wrote cannot be found today And it was stalking time for the moon boys, the Bewlay Brothers With our backs on the arch And if the Devil may be here But he can't sing about that Oh, and we were gone Real cool traders We were so turned on You thought we were fakers And now the dress is hung, the ticket pawned The factor max that proved the fact is melted down Woven on the edging of my pillow And my brother lays upon the rocks He could be dead, he could be not, he could be you He's chameleon, comedian, Corinthian and caricature Shooting up pie in the sky Bewlay brothers In the feeble, in the bad Bewlay brothers In the blessed and cold In the crutch-hungry dark Was where we flayed our mark Oh, and we were gone Kings of Oblivion We were so turned on In the night walk pavilion Lay me place and bake me pie I'm starving for me gravy Leave my shoes, and door unlocked I might just slip away Just for the day, ay Please come away, ay Just for the day, ay Please come away, ay Please come away, ay Just for the day, ay Please come away, ay Please come away, ay Please come away, ay Please come away, ay Away Away
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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
Track Origin"The Bewlay Brothers" is the last track on David Bowie's fourth studio album "Hunky Dory," which was released in December 1971.
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DedicationThe song is rumored to have been written for Bowie's half-brother Terry, who suffered from schizophrenia and was a huge influence on his early writing. The track is quite personal and emotional.
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Title MysteryThe title of the song 'Bewlay Brothers' itself is a mystery. Some theories suggest it's an allusion to the Bewley's Oriental Café, a famous cafe in Dublin, Ireland where Bowie used to visit.
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Lyric Composition'Bewlay Brothers' is known for its decidedly opaque and abstract lyrics, making it one of the most cryptic songs of David Bowie. The lyrics do not follow a coherent storyline, but rather they are more fragmented and elusive.
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Song's ImpactDespite the track's elusive lyrics and deep symbolism, it remains one of Bowie's most haunting and affecting songs.
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Musical StyleThe song is a folk number but with Bowie’s trademark glam-rock twang to it. It features the beautiful harmony from Bowie’s backing vocal which is accompanied by the captivating guitar work and piano.
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Non-promotional FactorUnlike most of the other tracks on "Hunky Dory," "The Bewlay Brothers" was never performed live and it wasn’t released as a single.
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ReinterpretationThe lyrics of the song have been interpreted in numerous ways over the years and the general consensus is that even Bowie himself was unsure of its meaning. It's perceived ambiguity makes it a much-discussed and analyzed track among Bowie's fan base.
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Critical ReceptionDespite its enigmatic nature, critics have hailed "The Bewlay Brothers" as a masterpiece of songwriting and a testament to David Bowie's sophistication and complexity as an artist.
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Homage in TitleTom Hingston earlier in 2021 released a video tribute, "No Trending," for David Bowie with the subtitle "from David Jones to the Bewlay Brothers," acknowledging the significant impact of "The Bewlay Brothers" on Bowie's career.
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