somebody up there likes me

there may have been one of those utterly compelling momentary magical insights for david bowie when he put together this absolute cracker of a song incorporating his new-found passion for the philadelphia sound with his own incredible musical sensibilities. i don't know. the song and tune really stand on their own. taken from his 1975 release entitled ”young americans”, (which has one of my favourite album covers by any musician), the song features a very tight group of musicians but the sound you'll take away from it and the reason you'll be drawn back to it is the groundbreaking, genre carving sax of david sanborn.

i first heard this song a year or so after it was released and at the time i mistakenly associated david more-or-less exclusively with glam rock. it came as a welcome surprise to hear well-formed and passionate music clealry informed by luther vandross with all the beautiful call-response and gorgeous back up singing that i associated with the crack bands of philly. it was through "young americans" and especially his later albums "low" "heroes" and "lodger" that i came to appreciate and to some degree develop an understanding for myself of what some of david's music is about beyond the adopted stage presence.

here's the first song of david bowie's that i really liked - and still like to this day . . . . "somebody up there likes me".

he's everybody's token, on everybody's wall
blessing all the papers, thanking one and all
hugging all the babies, kissing all the ladies
knowing all that you think about from writing on the wall
he's so divine, his soul shines
breaks the night, sleep tight
his ever loving face smiles on the whole human race
he says "i'm somebody"
he's got his eye on your soul, his hand on your heart

he says "don't hurry, baby
somebody up there (somebody) likes me"
he's the savage son of the tv tube
planets wrote the day was due
all the wisest men around
predicted that a man was found
who looked a lot like you and me, yeah
everyone with sense could see
nothing left his eye unmoved, he
had the plan, he had to use
he's so divine, his soul shines
breaks the night, sleep tight
his ever loving face smiles on the whole human race

he says "i'm somebody"
he's got his eye on your soul, his hand on your heart

he says "don't hurry, baby
somebody up there (somebody) likes me"
somebody plays my song in tune
makes me, makes me, makes me stronger for you, babe
was a way when we were young, that
any man was judged by what he'd done
but now you pick them on the screen (what they look like)
where they've been

[chorus 2]
he's got his eye on your soul, his hand on your heart

he says "don't hurry, baby
somebody up there (somebody) likes me"
leaders come, they hate all the people know
that given time, the leaders go
tell me, can they hold you under their spell
can they walk and hold you as well as a
smile like valentino?
could he sell you anything?
keep your eyes on your soul, keep your hand on your heart

he says "don't hurry, baby
somebody up there (somebody) likes me"
somebody (somebody) somebody (somebody
yeah, can't remember (somebody) peace so well

oh, space to ramble, (somebody, somebody) space to boogie

soul shine (ooh-ooh)
so divine
somebody (ooh-ooh, somebody)
soul shine (ooh-ooh)
so divine
somebody (ooh-ooh)
somebody, somebody, somebody