‘Breaking Glass’: the David Bowie fight song that inspired a classic parody
Two things dominate conversations about David Bowie whenever his name is brought up. These are where he found his inspiration and how he subsequently became an inspiration. Bowie had an imagination unlike any other, creating complicated characters who belonged between the pages of a book rather than on the reels of a cassette player and whose names still feel holy in their utterance. That led to some exceptional songwriting, which has since inspired several other musicians to pick up the art form.
If you were asked to pick a work that epitomised Bowie, then there is a number you can choose from. Tracks such as ‘Heroes’, ‘Life on Mars’, and ‘Starman’, immediately come to mind as timeless classics. However, if you wanted a song highlighting the aspects of Bowie mentioned above, then one of the best places to turn is his 1977 piece, ‘Breaking Glass’.
This might come as a surprise initially, as ‘Breaking Glass’ is a relatively low-key song from the album aptly named Low. It only consists of one verse and is hardly at the top of every Bowie lover’s list of favourite works; however, it highlights just how good a songwriter he was when finding inspiration in unlikely places.
One day, Bowie had gone to the studio with his wife to see her friend Roy Martin. What was supposed to be a flying visit came to blows as Bowie and Martin argued and started fighting. Words were exchanged, glasses were smashed, and Bowie managed to get so angry that Iggy Pop had to step in to pull him away.
Filled with rage, rather than punch a wall or smash a window as most people would do, Bowie gathered his bassist and drummer George Murray and Dennis Davis, and started writing about the incident. The result was ‘Breaking Glass’, the title of which was inspired by the glasses that were broken during the altercation.
Though the song isn’t considered one of Bowie’s best, it still has merit. The riff and overriding melody are funky, and Bowie’s voice chimes through in its usual infectious way. Additionally, it’s interesting to see how Bowie can take an altercation with someone and turn it into a fun piece of art.
The piece didn’t stop at just being a feature on the album Low, but ended up inspiring the musician Nick Lowe, who found the song so intriguing that he made the parody track, ‘(I Love the Sound of) Breaking Glass’. The parody did better than the original, climbing to number seven on the charts. “I think the music on my ‘Breaking Glass’ has something to do with him,” said Nick Lowe, “I think I pinched something off of him in the music.”
Bowie had an enticing ability as a songwriter, to the point that even short tracks, written in the heat of the moment following an argument, had enough about them to inspire other musicians.
