Is David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’ inspired by Aleister Crowley?
Few songs offer up a vision of David Bowie‘s determination to finally cash in on his decades of creativity more succinctly than ‘Just Dance’. While the song is undoubtedly of a higher calibre than most artists of the time, it does represent the moment Bowie — a notoriously pure and devoted follower of artistry and its non-commercial nourishment — decided to give up on some of his previous values and attempt to sell some record, boost a money-spinning stadium tour and enjoy the riches his art should have long afforded him. However, while the track is one of the singer’s shiniest pieces of pop, there is a suggestion that it is inspired by one of the darker figures of the 20th century.
Aleister Crowley quickly became one of the most revered men in rock and roll after creating his Thelema religion, proclaiming himself its prophet and providing three rules to live by, the most notable of which being “Do what thou wilt”. Sat between Sri Yukteswar Giri and Mae West on the cover of The Beatles’ 1967 LP Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Crowley was one of the most prominent men in the explosion of rock and roll that emanated out of London in the 1960s and ’70s and largely because his teachings were so quickly adaptable for the lifestyle that was propelling the cultural revolution.
Jimmy Page, Toyah Wilcox, Robert Fripp, Frank Zappa and, as you might have guessed, David Bowie has all claimed to have been influenced by Crowley. Thelema became one of the more hip religions of the day, taking inspiration from Eastern philosophy, as well as “Do what thou wilt,” Crowley also taught “Every man and every woman is a star” and “Love is the law, love under will,” meaning he became an incredibly fashionable thinker, even if his ideas did stray in the occult at times.
Using some Satanic imagery, Crowley was quickly adopted by artists such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath as an instantaneous way to appear edgier and darker than other outfits. With Crowley’s teachings, they could continue the free love movement while still moving into a new direction of hedonistic tribalism. In short, Crowley and his teachings became a cheat sheet for anyone looking to become a rock and roll star. Enter David Bowie.
Since 1971’s Hunky Dory, Bowie has been referencing Crowley’s teachings. In his song ‘Quicksand’, Bowie sings: “I’m closer to the Golden Dawn, Immersed in Crowley’s uniform of imagery.” Things don’t stop there, either. In his 1976 song ‘Station to Station’ Bowie once again made reference to Crowley, this time picking out his book of erotic poetry White Stains, compounding the many hauntings, spooks and suspected otherworldly experiences bowie claimed to have endured during this heavily drugged period of his life.
Cocaine greatly impacted Bowie’s life, both professionally and personally, but as the paranoia of the period subsided, Bowie still kept himself connected to Crowley. In Lazarus, Bowie pays homage to Crowley’s Tree of life, and, as you might have guessed, in ‘Let’s Dance,’ there is also a striking resemblance to some of Crowley’s lesser-known works, namely his poem Lyric of Love to Leah, a piece that Bowie would have undoubtedly known about.
Naturally, several elements likely provide the structure of Bowie’s dancefloor-ready banger. But its connection to Crowley and his work can’t be ignored. References to dancing, crimson shoes, and parading under the moonlight, among many others, appear in both texts and suggest that the previously perceived “pop song” from Bowie’s past may well have been a deliberate retelling of one of Bowie’s darkest facets. As they say, all that glitters isn’t gold.
