Absolute Beginners by David Bowie Lyrics Meaning – Piecing Together the Enigma of Love in Bowie’s Lyrical Universe
Lyrics
There’s nothing much to take
I’m an absolute beginner
But I’m absolutely sane
As long as we’re together
The rest can go to hell
I absolutely love you
But we’re absolute beginners
With eyes completely open
But nervous all the same
If our love song
Could fly over mountains
Could laugh at the ocean
Just like the films
There’s no reason
To feel all the hard times
To lay down the hard lines
It’s absolutely true
Nothing much could happen
Nothing we can’t shake
Oh, we’re absolute beginners
With nothing much at stake
As long as you’re still smiling
There’s nothing more I need
I absolutely love you
But we’re absolute beginners
But if my love is your love
We’re certain to succeed
If our love song
Could fly over mountains
Sail over heartaches
Just like the films
If there’s reason
To feel all the hard times
To lay down the hard lines
It’s absolutely true
David Bowie’s 1986 classic ‘Absolute Beginners’ operates on a celestial level of both narrative and melodic complexity. At its surface, a serene ballad—underneath, a rich tapestry of human emotion and existential thought. As we peel back the layers of Bowie’s lyrical labyrinth, the song’s core is as startling as it is simple: it is a poignant exposition on the intricacies of beginning anew, in love as in life.
But to leave the interpretation at a superficial understanding of fresh romance would be an injustice to the Thin White Duke’s artistic vision. Here, we delve beyond the basic to uncover the philosophical depth and cultural resonance that makes ‘Absolute Beginners’ a timeless piece in Bowie’s pantheon of hits.
A Beginner’s Guide to Love and Lunacy
Bowie introduces himself as an ‘absolute beginner,’ foregrounding vulnerability. This isn’t just a new romance; it’s a rebirth, a wiping of the slate clean. The admission of having ‘nothing much to offer’ juxtaposes with the grandiosity that Bowie’s persona typically suggests, perhaps nodding to his own personal evolutions.
Through Bowie’s eyes, love strips away the facades, leaving the bare essentials: two souls connecting in spite of their proverbial nakedness. It’s an equalizer that drives sane men to lunacy, encapsulated by Bowie’s affirmation of love within madness—a testament to romance’s anarchic power.
Navigating the Films of Love: Fantasy vs. Reality
Bowie likens love’s ventures to the escapist fantasies of film, evoking a sense of grand adventure. Yet, unlike the predictability of a movie script, real-life love is an unpredictable odyssey of highs and lows, triumphs and despairs—a concept Bowie toys with as he contemplates the application of cinematic romance to the ‘absolute’ truth of emotional hardship.
The analogue to film plots reveals a double entendre; films can seamlessly ‘fly over mountains’ and ‘sail over heartaches,’ showing us the epitome of romanticism that life often falls short of. Can the love of two ‘absolute beginners’ defy that gap? Bowie seems to believe it’s an endeavor worth the pursuit.
The Winds of Change & The Assurance of Constancy
‘Nothing much could happen,’ Bowie proclaims, heralding the stability of their connection over the turbulence of life. The stoicism implies an acceptance of external chaos, as long as the core—love—remains untouched. ‘Nothing much is at stake’ suggests a paradox; though everything is on the line for beginners, nothing can truly wound them so long as their bond endures.
It’s this sense of resilience flowing through Bowie’s verses, a jarring juxtaposition to the overwhelming newness of their experience. The singer finds certainty in the very novelty that should breed uncertainty, suggesting that the beginner’s mindset is, in fact, a fortress of sorts.
The Subtle Rebellion Against Hard Times
Bowie has never been one to shy away from countercultural sentiments, and ‘Absolute Beginners’ subtly upholds this rebellious spirit. His choice to ‘lay down the hard lines’ and eschew ‘the hard times’ reflects this defiance, an encouragement to challenge the status quo of emotional hardship and choose a path less trodden—one of optimism and unequivocal trust.
Boldly declaring the profundity of their love despite the difficulties echoes both a personal credo and a sociopolitical statement. In the authenticity of their passion, Bowie and his partner are revolutionaries against the bleakness of the era, opting to rewrite their own script in the face of adversity.
Eternal Echoes: The Most Memorable Lines
I’m an absolute beginner, but I’m absolutely sane,’ Bowie sings, capturing the oxymoron that saturates the human experience of new love. It is a line that reverberates through time, striking chords in the hearts of those who have ever stood on the precipice of a new relationship, both exhilarated and terrified.
But perhaps even more iconic are the final, assured words: ‘But if my love is your love, we’re certain to succeed.’ Here lies Bowie’s coup de grâce, a simple proclamation of collective strength within individual vulnerability. It’s an indelible truth that outlives the man, the music, and the era, securing ‘Absolute Beginners’ in the annals of lyricism’s greatest hits.
