Tuning: E A D G B E

Song: Life On Mars? Artist: David Bowie Album: Hunky Dory, 1971 URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v--IqqusnNQ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_%28song%29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kPDJQBtHaY (Live) Tempo: 4|4 Style: Weimar & French Cabaret Style Tuning: Standard Capo 3 Chords EADGBe D XX0232 F#m/C X44222 F#dim7/C X34242 B X24442 Em 022000 G/D XX0002 A7 X02020 F/C X33211 C#aug XX3221 (I/F) or Fret 9 (IX) Dm XX0231 Eb XX1343 Bb X13331 Bbaug X10332 Gm 355333 Bb7/F XX3334 G 320003 C X32010 Ebaug XX1003 Em7 020000 Am7 X02010 Cm7 X35353 C#m7b5 X4545X Ebdim7 XX1212 Bdim X2343X F#m 244222 Cm X35543 INTRO:(Piano over) |D | VERSE 1:

^DIt's a ^F#m/C#god-awful small ^F#dim7/Caffair, To the ^Bgirl with the mousy ^Emhair. But her ^G/Dmummy is yelling "^A7No!”, And her daddy has told her to ^Dgo. But her ^F#m/Cfriend is nowhere to be ^F#dim7/Cseen. Now she ^Bwalks, through her sunken ^Emdream. To the ^G/Dseat with the clearest ^A7view, And she's hooked to the silver ^F/Cscreen. But the ^C#augfilm is a saddening ^Dmbore. For she's ^Eblived it ten times or ^Bbmore. She could ^Bbaugspit in the eyes of ^Gmfools, As they ask ^Bb7/Fher to focus on…

CHORUS 1:

^GSailors ^Cfighting in the dance hall. ^Em7Oh man! ^EbaugLook at those cavemen ^Dgo, ^DmIt's the freakiest ^Am7show. ^Cm7Take a look at the ^GLawman, ^CBeating up the wrong ^Em7guy. Oh man, ^Ebaugwonder if he'll ever ^Dknow, ^DmHe's in the best selling ^Am7show. ^Cm7Is there life on ^Em7Mars?

^DIt's on ^F#m/C#Amerika's tortured ^F#dim7/Cbrow. That Mickey ^BMouse, has grown up a ^Emcow. Now the ^G/Dworkers, have struck for ^A7fame. 'Cause Lennon's on sale ^Dagain, See the ^F#m/Cmice in their million ^F#dim7/Chordes. From ^BIbiza to the Norfolk ^EmBroads, Rule ^G/DBritannia is out-of-^A7bounds. To my mother, my dog and ^F/Cclowns. But the ^C#augfilm is a saddening ^Dmbore, 'Cause I ^Ebwrote it, ten times or ^Bbmore. It's ^Bbaugabout to be writ ^Gmagain, As I ask ^Bb7/Fyou to focus on…

CHORUS 2:

CODA:(Instrumental & Fade) |C#m7b5 |D | |Ebdim7 |Em | |G/D |G/D | |G/D |C | |Cm |G | Very low frequency, Reprise of the INTRO Piano (Fade Out) |(D) | [End] NOTES: 1. “…In 1967 Claude Francois recorded Comme d’habitude, a song that became pretty fast famous in the USA. At that time a young David Bowie was commissioned to rewrite and sing the lyrics in English, hoping to give a larger diffusion to his debut record and earn popularity across the States. Even a Fool learns to Love, as the song was retitled, was unfortunately never released. Paul Anka, with a huge sense of business, bought the rights of that French song and rewrote it into the famous My Way. In a short time that version reached a huge popularity thanks to Sinatra’s interpretation. … 2. “…But what’s the point of quoting Mickey Mouse, John Lennon and a bunch of workers in the lyrics? To clear this point is to remind a huge Disney’s animators strike during the 40s. That fact (“a god-awful small affair” as Bowie sing) showed how the company turned arts and entertainment into factories and products. The “girl with the mousy hair” is quite bored of the repetitive work is doing (“she’s lived it ten times or more”) but it seems like there’s no way out: the revolution became a product itself, the idealism is ready to be sold on silver screens and dance halls. Even the 60s student protests turned into a brand. That’s the reason why Lenin-Lennon was once again up for sale. Life on Mars itself became a best seller from being an anti-showbusiness hymn. …” https://musicblob.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/david-bowie-life-on-mars/ 3. “…Bowie noted that Wakeman "embellished the piano part" of his original melody and guitarist Mick Ronson "created one of his first and best string parts" for the song.[1] The liner notes for Hunky Dory indicate that the song was 'inspired by Frankie'. …” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_%28song%29 4. This is simply ‘my take’ on how this might have been accompanied. By using the Capo on the third fret, (with deference to v.11, post my submission) it reduces the CHORUS to simple open chords. This version captures Mick Ronson's textured arrangements of the BRIDGE and the CODA. Feel free to transpose or simplify to suit your playing style. I believe that it comes very close to the spirit of the original. :-R

David Bowie - Life on mars