Bowie, David - Bombers Lyrics

I love how it sounds so upbeat but the lyrics are so deep and dark.

The bum bum bum bum part is actually someone saying it onamonapia, not an instrument at a low note. I had wondered why I was so insatiably drawn to bumming along. :p

The Lemmy and Bowie comparisons will always continue.......... which isn’t always a bad thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow cool, possibly my favorite song he made

Sounds like that Bullet hit, White lies Blue Eyes on the chorus.

Even the Hunky Dory outtakes were brilliant.

Nothing against Fill Your Heart,
I just feel that Bombers is better.
Bombers into Andy Warhol is a beautiful segue.

Oooh,...segue you say !!!!

I love this fucking song. Bumbed it wasn't in Hunky Dory, but Fill Your Heart is such a brillant song.

See if you can scope out the 1991 cd reissue. It's got the song as a bonus track along with a stunning demo version of "Quicisand".

Classic pfp bois.

Reminds me of Peter Hammill.

Maybe the reason this song wasn't there is because thematically it's similar to oh! you pretty things...

So does this song remind anyone else of ts Elliot, Especially gonnorhea and wasteland, but in a mocking manner to life, the way catch-22 does...

bowie was so good this an outtake

If this song be in the album instead of fill your heart hunky dory will be perfect

Fantastic song, but I prefer Fill Your Heart for Hunky Dory. The melody of FYH is incredible, and the cover Bowie recorded was a really great arrangement. I also like this song played a bit slower. .75 is too slow, but .85 or .9 would probably sound really good.

There's a crack in the world.

Where was this recorded? I'm disappointed that I can only get the Bowie at the Beeb version on ITunes, his voice is much too quiet in comparison to the music... This version sounds amazing!

The former trident studios in soho, central london, as was the whole album.

(Lyrics)

All clear wail the sirens
Sunshine on the wasteland
Old man sitting in the white sand
Think we're in for a big surprise
Right between the eyes
Seemed a good idea
To drop a bomb on the wasteland here
Only one man could be seen
And he was old and so serene
Captain sat in his deck chair
And the red light flashed Beware
Pilot felt quite big-time
As the bomb sailed through the air
Well, they danced and sang
When the bang went bang
When the lights popped out
And the smoke began to clear
It was positively queer
All clear wail the sirens
Sunshine on the wasteland
Old man sitting in the white sand
Think we're in for a big surprise
Right between the eyes
"Die" said the General
"Cobblers" said the man
So the Pentagon sent a cable
And the Queen a telegram
A-bombs, H-bombs, even very small ones
Ripped apart that sand
'Til the stench was just revolting
And the sky a greenish tan
But the soldier said "Sir,
There's a crack in the world"
And the figures went "squash",
And the bits flew far and wide
How the universe sighed!
All clear wail the sirens
Sunshine on the wasteland
Old man sitting in the white sand
Think we're in for a big surprise
Right between the eyes
All clear wail the sirens
Sunshine on the wasteland
Old man sitting in the white sand
Think we're in for a big surprise
Right between the eyes
When the smoke had blown away
There was nothing left to view
Except a man dear Lord who looked like you
Floating high up in the sky

Word perfect 👨‍🎤

I've been attempting to memorize this song for SO long, it's not really working.

Well I've done it.. I've found my favorite song ever

Biggest and best earworm ever.

I take it hes got a B52 in his song too. Such a great bomber as it is!

Why on earth wasn't this track on the Five Years 'Re:Call 1' cd??

Perfect song.

I just realized something: Bowie re-used the few seconds' lead-in to the chorus of _Bombers_ for _Loving the Alien_ — and in turn, the BBC's Sci-Fi comedy Red Dwarf used that for _their_ lead-in to the chorus of the show's theme.

They sure did, only realised myself recently

Good ears!

I recognize it in the Red Dwarf theme now too.

THIS SONG MAKES ME SO HAPPY!! <3

Driving south on Nevada highway 93 with this on repeat

i dunno about everyone else but my cd copy of hunky dory has bombers on it

Mine didn't, great song tho.

fishboy1111111 added as a bonus track on later editions

Omikron soul has some lovely rarities!

Everybody sing!

*"'All clear!' wailed the sirens...!"*

+murielsartre

"Sunshine on the waste land!"

Amazing

reminds me of Neil Young at the beginning with the backup vocals :)

Same here

yes, reminds me of neil young at the very end section with just the piano, and his stringy high pitched voice

love you david x

Yes it's better than Fill Your Heart

It was only was on the cassette version of Hunky Dory for some reason

R.I.P My Love

Should have been on Hunky Dory. Sounds a bit like Blur (which of course I know this pre-dates)

The man truly responsible for the rock of today and more importantly the joy of music shared between millions and millions.

I know you're "floating high up in the sky" as an angel would.

Can you hear rhythm problems between drums and vocals at about minute 1:10?

+BlueVangaCovers ~ Nope, it's a syncopated rhythm recorded as intended.

My college years were full of Bowie and pre-facebook internet... Good times, man.

+Kainlarsen fuck you

It would have been nice to have this on Hunky Dory, but I'm glad the album was as it is. I feel something just might have been out of place.

I love this so much! Should've taken the place of Fill Your Heart.

+veritaseros
Good suggestion!

True....and the Superman (HD CD extra track 1992) should have been placed.... But, Bowie wily fox he was knew it was too proto punk for the time....

Without a doubt. I would have preferred Buzz The Fuzz which was a stronger Biff song IMO.

Agreed, it was original supposed to but at the last minute Bowie picked Fill Your Heart, which is a shame.

Pretty sure 'The Supermen' pre-dates that, it was the last track on his 'The Man Who Sold The World' which as you know came before Hunky Dory, but I think the track was changed slightly or extended, cant quite remember

i giggled at the end lmao I did not expect david to go to that note

It makes me think of Spongebob singing that knitted sweater song everytime

Bombers is better than Fill Your Heart. But I suppose it would have been a bit out of place on the album where the only real rocker is Queen Bitch.

Biff should of been kicked to the curb. This belonged on that album.

This should have been on Hunk Dory. It would of been my favourite track next to 'Kooks'

Absolute lost classic.

I think this song fits with the rest of Hunky Dory far better than Fill your Heart does, which is either too sappy or too vicious, depending on your impression.

awesome song :D

I have this on casset,on RYKO records,the out-takes on each album

Truly Amazing.

Either this or Candidate should be a campaign song.

@ElvisFerdinand And you're proud of yourself, moron?

I disliked this to be an annoying ass, even though i like the song :)

@shonawilleatyou shh, don't say that, trolls will dislike it

@Manwithcam it was on the version of hunky dory I have
and The bewley brothers

@Manwithcam it was on the version of hunky dory I have

0 dislikes ;]

The beeb version is better, more piano.

@Toblarone1200 Franz Ferdinand isn't THAT old

@Toblarone1200 Yeah: by the English in the South Australian desert 1952-63... first bombs in the AIR... fried aborigines; soldiers were told: if you tell your families you will either hang or get 30 years.

I feel like this song should be on School House Rock.

Love it <3

Die said the general
*Cobblers said the man
So the Pentagon sent a cable
And the Queen a telegram

*Loves the use of the word Cobblers

@TRAdamTM is that a sarcastic comment or its true?

Hi I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite David Bowie song in the whole Universe.

after i got Bowie at the beeb and heard this one, I almost stopped breathing greatest Bowie song ever. So freakin cheery and it got a message!

I really enjoy this song. It is really catchy. Bowie is just great.

He was right it leave this off the album. It's not bad, but it's not up to the standards set by one of his greatest albums; it would have been more fitting on Space Oddity or Man Who Sold the World.

@pinkflud And to think he was high for a good portion of the 70s

@TheRideArounds Think so ? I dont hear that myself.

@movieonyoureyelids Dont you mean favorite song OFF Hunky Dory ?

I love this song! I didn't even know it existed until now and it's fantastic <3

GREAT!! I thought I heard all the Bowie stuff from this period. A nice surprise!!!

My favourite Bowie-Non-Album-Track! :) :)

sounds alot like queen, good song

CANCION DE 1971

I agree on both choices.

BOMB! BOMB! BOMB! one of the best songs ever! i love you bowie :o)

Happiest track about armageddon ever

an instant wild electric jolt of sure-fire fun from the very first note. catchy, coy, flirtatious, hard, and utterly irresistible. thanks.

There was an American band called Bullet who had a one hit wonder back in '71 called White Lies Blue Eyes....sounds just like Bowies song Bombers.

I agree with you. But I also think Song for Bob Dylan is quality.Bowie is so versatile that people like you will talk shit about one song while being able to love others..and forget that it's all BOWIE.If you love BOWIE for who he is before simply loving what he's made then you can start by saying"In my PERSONAL opinion.etc.But if you just love Bowie's songs before loving Bowie than your appreciation of his music is worthless.Forget your head and you'll be free yeaThe writing on the wall.

Sorry I meant Hunky Dory rofl

I agree... And I read that this song (Bombers) was left out and replaced with Fill Your Heart (which is not even Bowie's - it's a cover)... That's one of my least favourites off Hunky Fory... It would've been much better with Bombers!!

Velvet Goldmine? Never heard it, will look it up.

I cant figuer why both this and Velvet Goldmine, two of Bowies coolest and most original songs from this era, were excluded from the initial cut of that album wheres a dud like Song For Bob Dylan, one of Bowies WORST songs ever, DID get included?! Hmmm Go figuer. He's been performing these two gems though at some of his recent concerts I understand, wich makes me hapy.

This song was recorded in 1971 during the sesions wich culminated in the album 'Hunky Dory, yet was initialy left off, but was finaly included on the CD version of that album nearly twenty years later!

One of the catchiest early Bowie tracks. Would have been the most catchy on Hunky Dory, I think. To bad it wasn't used.

I'm 29 but I bought this album (with Bombers as a bonus track) like ten years ago...I remember really digging this song back in 1998or so. Thank you SO much for posting this (coincidentally, it was like JUST posted a couple of weeks ago, and I just searched for this for the first time this evening...thanks again).