"The Man Who Sold the World"
Song by David Bowie
Album	The Man Who Sold the World
Released	November 4, 1970 (U.S.) April 1971 (UK)
Recorded	Trident and Advision Studios, London 18 April - 22 May 1970
Genre	Rock
Length	3:55
Label	Mercury Records
Writer	David Bowie
Producer	Tony Visconti
The Man Who Sold the World track listing
"She Shook Me Cold" (7) "The Man Who Sold the World" (8) "The Supermen" (9)

"The Man Who Sold the World" is a song by David Bowie. It is the title track of his third album, released in the U.S. in November 1970 and in the UK in April 1971. It was later re-popularised and introduced to a new generation by Nirvana's cover on their MTV Unplugged in New York album. In the wake of this cover, Bowie bemoaned the fact that when he performed the number himself he would encounter "kids that come up afterwards and say, 'It's cool you're doing a Nirvana song.' And I think, 'Fuck you, you little tosser!'"^[1] The Man Who Sold the World File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... The Man Who Sold the World is an album by David Bowie. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Trident Studios is a British recording facility, located at 17 St Annes Court in Londons Soho district. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... For other uses, see Tony Visconti (disambiguation). ... The Man Who Sold the World is an album by David Bowie. ... She Shook Me Cold is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 for the album The Man Who Sold the World. ... The Supermen is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 for the album The Man Who Sold the World. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... The Man Who Sold the World is an album by David Bowie. ... This article is about the American rock band. ... MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American grunge band, Nirvana. ...

The song's themes have been compared to the horror/fantasy works of H.P. Lovecraft.^[2] The lyrics are also cited as reflecting Bowie's concerns with splintered or multiple personalities,^[3] and are believed to have been partially inspired by the nursery rhyme "The Psychoed", by William Hughes Mearns:^[4] “Horror story” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction, noted for combining these three genres within single narratives. ... A nursery rhyme is a traditional song or poem taught to young children, originally in the nursery. ... William Hughes Mearns (1875-1965) was an English teacher and poet. ...

Yesterday upon the stair

I met a man who wasn't there

He wasn't there again today

I wish that man would go away

Other releases

• "The Man Who Sold the World" appears as a B-side on the American single releases for the songs "Space Oddity" (1972) and "Life on Mars?" (1973). It also appears on various Bowie compilations.

• Bowie performed the song live for the first time in 1979 with Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias on Saturday Night Live. A portion of this show is included in the film The Nomi Song.

• A re-recorded version produced by Brian Eno appears as a B-side on the 1995 CD single for the song, "Strangers When We Meet". This version also appears on the bonus disc that followed some versions of Outside - Version 2.

A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Space Oddity is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a single in 1969. ... For other uses, see Life on Mars (disambiguation). ... Klaus Nomi (January 24, 1944 - August 6, 1983) was a German countertenor noted for remarkable vocal performances and an unusual, elfin stage persona. ... As the best friend and backup singer for Klaus Nomi, Joey Arias also designed his sets, costumes and the window of the Fioruccis designer clothing store in New York in the late 1970s. ... This article is about the American television series. ... The Nomi Song was a 2004 documentary about the life of singer Klaus Nomi. ... Brian Eno (pronounced ) born on 15 May 1948 in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England) is an English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer. ... Strangers When We Meet is a song by David Bowie, originally recorded for his 1992 album The Buddha of Suburbia. ... Outside is an album first released September 26, 1995 by David Bowie on Virgin Records. ...

Cover versions

Lulu

The song was covered by the Scottish singer Lulu in 1974, who performed it in "a sleazy, almost Berlin cabaret style".^[5] It was released as a single on 11 January 1974, making #3 in the UK charts. Bowie produced this version with Mick Ronson during the Pin Ups sessions and also contributed guitar, saxophone and backing vocals. The remainder of the band included Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass, Mike Garson on piano, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums.^[6] This article is about the Scottish as an ethnic group. ... Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, OBE, (born 3 November 1948 in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire), best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, songwriter, actor, model, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through the 2000s. ... Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting around the tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. ... Alternate meanings: Single In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-sides, often accompanied by several B-sides—usually remixes or other songs. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Mick Ronson (May 26, 1946 – April 29, 1993) born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire was an English guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. ... Pin Ups is a 1973 covers album by David Bowie. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... A backing vocalist or backing singer (or, especially in the U.S., backup singer or sometimes background singer) is a singer who sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, other backing vocalists, or alone but not singing the lead. ... Trevor Bolder (born June 9, 1950) is an English rock bass guitarist. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, popping or using a pick. ... Mike Garson is a professional pianist, most notable for his work with Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Prolific English drummer Aynsley Dunbar (born on January 10, 1946, in Liverpool, England) has worked with some of the top names in rock and roll, including John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, and Sammy Hagar. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block or tambourines, arranged for convenience playing by a single drummer. ...

Richard Barone

The song was covered by American singer Richard Barone in 1987 on his proto-Chamber Pop album, Cool Blue Halo. Using cello, acoustic guitar and symphonic percussion in an intimate live setting, it forshadowed the Unplugged ethos. Richard Barone is a musician born in Tampa, Florida, who began his career first as The Littlest DJ on a local top-40 radio station at age seven, then as the vocalist and leader of the Hoboken, New Jersey band The Bongos. ... Baroque pop as a style originated in the mid 1960s as the flipside of sunshine pop. ... Unplugged refers to musicians performing live using only acoustic instruments; that is, without plugging in amplified instruments (e. ...

Nirvana

A live rendition of the song was recorded by the American grunge band Nirvana in 1993, during their MTV Unplugged appearance. It was released on the band's posthumous MTV Unplugged in New York album the following year. Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article is about the American rock band. ... MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments. ... MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American grunge band, Nirvana. ...

The song was released as a promo single for the album, and received considerable airplay on alternative rock radio stations. It was also thrown into heavy rotation on music video stations such as MTV. A promo single (short for promotional single) is a single that is released to club or radio outlets for the purpose of promotion of a song. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ...

Nirvana cover chart positions

Polish Radio and Television (Polish: Polskie Radio i Telewizja) is a public-service broadcaster in Poland. ... The Latvian Airplay Charts first began in April 1994. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ...

Other covers

• Midge Ure on the film soundtrack Party Party (1982). This version is also included on No Regrets: The Very Best of Midge Ure, and the compilations The David Bowie Songbook and Starman: Rare and Exclusive Versions of 18 Classic David Bowie Songs, CD premium from the March 2003 issue of Uncut magazine.
• Here & Now on the album Fantasy Shift (1983).
• Električni Orgazam on the album Les Chansones Populaires (1983).
• Ed Kuepper on the album The Exotic Mail Order Moods of Ed Kuepper (1995).
• Simple Minds on the covers album Neon Lights (2001).
• 3 Melancholy Gypsys sampled the Nirvana version in their song "2010".
• Pachora on the album Ast (1999).
• Jordis Unga covered the song on Rock Star INXS and released it as a digital single.
• Hearts Fail on the album .2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie (2006).
• Bug Funny Music Foundation on the album Spiders from Venus: Indie Women Artists and Female-Fronted Bands Cover David Bowie (2003).
• Tacye - Diamond Gods: Interpretations of Bowie (2001)

Midge Ure OBE (born James Ure on October 10, 1953 in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a rock and roll guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Scotland, who had particular success in the 1970s and 1980s. ... Here & Now are an English progressive/space rock band, formed in the mid 1970s. ... Električni orgazam (Electric Orgasm) is band from Belgrade, Serbia. ... Ed Kuepper is an Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... Simple Minds is a rock band from Scotland, which had its greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s. ... Neon Lights is a cover album by Simple Minds, released in 2001. ... The Living Legends crew is a group of eight underground hip-hop creators. ... Jordis Unga (b. ... Rock Star: INXS is a reality television show where 15 contestants compete to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS. INXS enjoyed great popularity through the 1980s and early 1990s, but in 1997, frontman Michael Hutchence committed suicide. ...

See also

• The Man Who Sold the Moon, a 1949 science fiction short story and collection by Robert A. Heinlein. It contains many of the same themes as the song.

Cover of Shasta edition collection The Man Who Sold the Moon is a science fiction novella by Robert A. Heinlein written in 1949 and first published on February 23,1951, part of his Future History of stories sharing a common background from Life-Line to Da Capo. This story, which... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ...

Notes