Pop art and proto-punk: David Bowie’s odes to other artists
Somewhere between his debut single and the release of Blackstar, David Bowie became far more than just another artist. With each new song and record, he pushed the boundaries of popular music to their very limits. He pulled in glam and avant-garde influences and even extended his vision beyond the sonic realm, employing androgyny and fashion to enhance his artistry.
While Bowie was continually reinventing music, he was also continually reinventing himself. Writing and playing songs was never enough for the Starman, so he created entire personas around songs and albums, embodying them in his live shows and album covers. The most iconic character he created was, of course, Ziggy Stardust, an alien rockstar who gave name to Bowie’s iconic 1972 record, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
As he allowed his artistry to flourish visually and sonically, Bowie captured the attention and admiration of audiences across the world, something he still holds decades later. For some, his impact has extended far beyond the music, influencing style choices or entirely new pieces of art. His influence can still be felt across modern music, in the personas of St Vincent and the theatrics of Lady Gaga.
Art rockers and visual artists often pay homage to Bowie in their work, knowing that they are indebted to his formative work in that realm, but some artists have been more direct in their references to Starman. The Flaming Lips named their 2012 song, ‘Is David Bowie Dying?’ after the glam rocker, and even the comedy duo Flight of the Conchords paid tribute to him with their playful ‘Bowie’.
Countless artists have penned songs inspired by or directly about Bowie, but the art-rocker also wrote his fair share of odes to other artists. When he wasn’t creating extra-terrestrial characters for himself or playing with the limits of pop, he looked to his peers and idols for inspiration, pulling from their names and stories for his own songs.
This led to a number of songs in Bowie’s catalogue that were directly inspired by real-life people, from legendary songwriter Bob Dylan to French writer Jean Genet. Find some of the highlights below.
The songs David Bowie wrote about other artists
Iggy Pop (and Jean Genet)
Bowie harboured a close working relationship with Iggy Pop. The Stooges singer requested Bowie’s help to produce the band’s third studio record, 1973’s Raw Power, which kickstarted a lucrative creative partnership. In the years that followed, they would share stages and collaborate on a number of other records, including Iggy Pop’s debut solo album, The Idiot.
But even before they began working together, Iggy Pop’s influence bled into Bowie’s songwriting. In 1972, just a year before his first collaboration with the proto-punk icon, Bowie released a song called ‘The Jean Genie’. It took direct inspiration from the Stooges singer in its story while borrowing its title from Jean Genet.
Over growling harmonicas and guitars, Bowie tells the story of the Jean Genie. “The Jean Genie lives on his back, the Jean Genie loves chimney stacks,” he sings. “He’s outrageous, he screams and he bawls, the Jean Genie, let yourself go.” The description of the bold figure features several thinly-veiled references to Iggy Pop, such as the suggestion that he “smiles like a reptile,” nodding to his time in The Iguanas.
As enigmatic and rocking as the figure that inspired it, ‘The Jean Genie’ is a fine example of Bowie taking inspiration from those he admired. Little did he know, he and Iggy would soon be working together one-on-one.
Bob Dylan
Like Bowie, Bob Dylan has been endlessly referenced and borrowed from throughout music history. From alt-pop icon Lana Del Rey to The Beatles, the legendary protest songwriter extends his influence across decades-worth of music, and Bowie is no exception. His ode to Dylan is slightly more obvious than his ode to Iggy Pop — he even divulges his influence in the title.
Just a couple of years before he penned ‘The Jean Genie’, Bowie included a track called ‘Song for Bob Dylan’ on his iconic 1971 record, Hunky Dory. The record spawned some of Bowie’s biggest hits, including ‘Life on Mars?’ and ‘Changes’, but if you take a closer look at the second half of the album track-listing, you’ll find a gorgeous ode to the folk songwriter.
The instrumentation for the track almost sparkles, pairing gorgeous acoustic strums with twinkling keys. “Oh, hear this, Robert Zimmerman, I wrote a song for you,” Bowie begins, “About a strange young man called Dylan, with a voice like sand and glue.” Though his initial words aren’t too complimentary, referencing Dylan’s rough vocals, he goes on to praise the lyricists’ “words of truthful vengeance” that could “pin us to the floor”.
The influence of Dylan can be felt beyond the lyrics, in the sonic choices for the song. It’s a beautiful ode to the folk artist’s idiosyncrasies and impact, and a gorgeous blending of styles.
Andy Warhol
Bowie didn’t just take inspiration from fellow musicians. He also looked to visual artists, perhaps most notably pop art pioneer Andy Warhol. On Hunky Dory, you’ll also find a tribute to the artist just as blatant as Bowie’s ode to Dylan. This time, though, he didn’t even adorn the song name with “Song for,” simply titling it ‘Andy Warhol’.
The song begins with a set of piercing tones, over which Bowie’s voice can repeatedly reiterating the title name. “It’s Andy Warhol actually,” he declares, “Hol, it’s hol, as in holes.” When the ear-splitting electronica finally subsides, the song falls into a much softer folk soundscape, with layered vocals and guitar twangs.
“Andy Warhol looks like a scream,” Bowie sings, directly referencing his influence on the song once more, “hand him on my wall, Andy Warhol, Silver Screen, can’t tell them apart at all.” It’s further proof that Bowie certainly wasn’t subtle with his odes to other artists, just as he wasn’t subtle with anything else about his artistry.
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