Wild Is the Wind by David Bowie Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Emotive Ode to Love’s Fierce Nature

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for David Bowie's Wild Is the Wind at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Love me, love me, love me, love me
Say you do
Let me fly away
With you
For my love is like
The wind
And wild is the wind
Wild is the wind

Give me more
Than one caress
Satisfy this
Hungriness
Let the wind
Blow through your heart
For wild is the wind
Wild is the wind

You
Touch me
I hear the sound
Of mandolins
You
Kiss me
With your kiss
My life begins
You’re spring to me
All things
To me

Don’t you know you’re
Life itself

Like a leaf clings
To the tree
Oh my darling,
Cling to me
For we’re like creatures
Of the wind
Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind

You
Touch me
I hear the sound
Of mandolins
You
Kiss me
With your kiss
My life begins
You’re spring to me
All things
To me

Don’t you know you’re
Life itself

Like a leaf clings
To the tree
Oh my darling,
Cling to me
For we’re like creatures
In the wind
And wild is the wind
Wild is the wind

Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind

In the pantheon of David Bowie’s illustrious catalogue, ‘Wild is the Wind’ stands as a testament to his ability to infuse depth into cover songs, making them his own. This ballad, a cover of a song originally penned for a 1957 film of the same name, not only demonstrates Bowie’s vocal prowess but also reveals his aptitude for conveying complex emotions through music.

The song, which appears on his 1976 album ‘Station to Station’, is often overshadowed by his more flamboyant hits, yet it encapsulates a profound sense of yearning and passion that cuts to the core of human experience. Here we explore the layers beneath this haunting tune, delving into the lyrical tenderness and the wild, untamed metaphor of love that Bowie so exquisitely renders.

A Whirlwind Romance: The Turbulent Love Affair Behind the Lyrics

At the heart of ‘Wild is the Wind’ lies a passionate love story, told through the lens of natural imagery. Bowie’s iteration amplifies the intensity of the affair, with the lyrics acting as pleas for a love that is free, boundless, and as unpredictable as the wind itself. The invitation to ‘let me fly away with you’ speaks to a desire not just for escape, but for total immersion in a love that defies conventional bounds.

The repeated entreaty ‘love me, love me’ mirrors the hunger for an all-consuming connection, while underscoring the vulnerability inherent in the act of giving oneself over to another person completely. This raw emotional honesty is what lends the song its timeless resonance, inviting listeners to reflect on the fervor and ferocity of their own romantic entanglements.

Brushing The Soul: The Power of Sensory Imagery in Bowie’s Ballad

Bowie masterfully employs sensory imagery to evoke an almost palpable sense of intimacy. When he sings ‘You touch me, I hear the sound of mandolins,’ the collision of touch and sound encapsulates the synesthetic feeling of a profound connection that transcends the mere sensory. Similarly, the haunting refrain ‘your kiss, with your kiss, my life begins’ casts a lover’s embrace as a transformative experience, reminiscent of the rejuvenating force of spring.

These vivid descriptions harness our senses, pulling us into the immediacy of the song’s passionate embrace. It is in these specifics that Bowie conjures a universe within the song, a microcosm where every caress is imbued with the power to be life-altering, and every shared breath is an act of mingling with the elements themselves.

Wild Elements: The Hidden Meaning of Life and Love

Delving deeper into ‘Wild is the Wind,’ one uncovers a profound meditation on the nature of love and existence. Bowie’s cover communicates an understanding that love, much like life, is an untamable force, wild and free, not unlike the wind he references throughout the song. This thematic through-line presents a hidden, philosophical layer to what might initially appear as a simple love song.

The emotional terrain Bowie navigates reflects the dichotomy of love’s power; it is as nurturing as it is destructive, as stabilising as it is unsettling. ‘Wild is the Wind’ encapsulates this duality within its delicate melody and Bowie’s emotive vocal delivery, inviting us to ponder the unpredictable and often uncontrollable nature of what it means to love and be alive.

Clinging to Love: The Metaphor of Survival and Dependence

The poetic verse ‘like a leaf clings to the tree, oh my darling, cling to me’ is laden with meaning. In this simile, Bowie captures the dependence of love, the need for proximity and connection for sustenance. Leaves may flutter wildly in the wind, but their existence is anchored to that of the tree; this is the song’s poignant reminder of the complexities and dependencies in a romantic relationship.

Moreover, the phrase also highlights the fragility of love, likening it to a leaf that may at any moment be torn away by a fierce gust. Here, Bowie’s words resonate with the anxiety that accompanies deep affection, the knowledge that what gives life its vibrancy also exposes one to the possibility of loss and separation.

Echoes of Mandolins: Unpacking the Song’s Most Memorable Lines

Among the song’s stirring lyrics, the mention of mandolins strikes a particularly memorable chord. The sound of this stringed instrument, often associated with romance and serenity, serves as a metaphor for the beauty and harmony found within a loving touch. It signals the beginning of ‘life’, a euphemism for the awakening and deep fulfillment that accompanies true love.

Bowie’s vocal treatment of the words ‘touch me,’ ‘kiss me,’ and the ensuing ‘I hear the sound of mandolins’ is both tender and intense, revealing a range of emotion from the gentlest of caresses to the most insatiable of desires. These lines enshrine the song’s essence and ensure its place as a haunting ode to love in all its wildness.