david bowie "win"

well, after posting “somebody up there likes me”, i had to give the “young americans” disc a thorough listening through again and i came up with what i think is the best song on the album. interestingly, it isn’t the one that garnered the most attention which is entitled “fame” featuring both the lyrics and the musical contribution of one john lennon of beatles fame.

the song that i think really grabs the character of this album, and in a sense, the time that it was created in is “win”. “win” opens with the fluttering echoplex saxophone of david sanborn, partnered with drummer andy newmark’s gentle tapped stickwork across the splash cymbals that leads into the drop-you-down-to-the-bottom toms and stomach rumbling bass of willie weeks. newmark then leans into an absolute cracker of a rim shot/hi-hat combination that drives the slow pace of the tune slowly but surely along until david’s voice appears and the song opens out with the full band and even some strings.

on “win”, bowie uses his entire vocal range to great effect, driving quickly from a smooth-as-honey crooning bass up into a breathy near falsetto. the backup singers - ava cherry, robin clark, and luther vandross - really carry the last half of the song in a call response section with bowie that drifts back into sanborn’s fluttering sax and newmark’s quickly fading drums as the entire song shuffles off into silence.

“win”

(hey, it ain't over)
me, i hope that i'm crazy
i feel you driving and rolling the wheel
slow down, let someone love you
ohh, i've never touched you since i started to feel
if there's nothing to hide me
then you've never seen me hanging naked and wired
somebody lied, but i say it's hip
to be alive

now your smile is spreading thin
seems you're trying not to lose
since i'm not supposed to grin
all you've got to do is win
(that's all ya gotta do)
(ooh, it ain't over)

me, i'm fresh on your pages
secret thinker sometimes listening aloud
life lies dumb on its heroes
wear your wound with honor, make someone proud
someone like you should not be allowed
to start any fires

now your smile is spreading thin
seems you're trying not to lose
since I'm not supposed to grin
all you've got to do is win
(that's all ya gotta do)
(ohh, it ain't over)

now your smile is spreading thin
seems you're trying not to lose
since I'm not supposed to grin
all you've got to do is win
(thats all ya gotta do, ohh)
all you've got to do is win
(it ain't over)
when your smile is spreading thin
(seek and believe in you)
since you're trying not to lose
(it ain't over, no, no)
since i'm not supposed to grin
(that's all ya gotta do)
all you've got to do is win
(it ain't over, no,,, ohh)
(seek and believe in you)
all you've got to do is win
(it ain't over, no, no)
wo-ohh, all you've got
is all you've got
(it ain't over)
it ain't over...

from philadelphia in late 1974 . . . “win”