David Bowie - Lazarus (Video) 

David Bowie looked straight into the eyes of death, and used it to create his last masterpiece, fucking brilliant

It must be so painful knowing you’re dying and writing a song about it and sing it. He truly went out as a star ❤️

“I’ve now decided that my death should be very precious. I really want to use it. I’d like my death to be as interesting as my life has been and will be.” - David Bowie, 1976 (interview with Playboy)

8 years ago he passed away. Rest in peace starman

David Bowie looked at death in the eyes and said “let’s make art together!”. We miss you David!

The man is a true legend, even wrote his own goodbye song

David singing his own epitaph. The ultimate performance art video.

David Bowie was a symbol of fearlessness & love. My wife & I found out she was pregnant & that night, it was announced that David Bowie passed away. We named our son “Bowie” as a result.

He died 3 days after this video was posted. This was his goodbye

experimenting and innovating and pushing the edges right up until the very end...ain't that just like him?

A true legend.

I don't get emotional when stars pass away but I did the day David Bowie died. This masterpiece of an album came out two days before his passing, January 8th, on his 69th birthday. My husband and I listened non-stop for months, helping us mourn the passing of this great genius. Little did I know that seven years later on the exact day, I would lose my husband of 13 years suddenly and unexpectedly. As you can imagine this song has taken on new significance. Jimmy will live on forever in my heart.

You have liver cancer, 18 months left to live, and a net worth of $230 million. How do you spend your last moments? On drugs? Sex? Wild escapes across the World? Maybe you would. Bowie, however, got himself into the recording booth and lent his whole voice rehearsing and recording over and over--shooting scenes and retaking them for videos constantly, despite dying of a fatal and often painful diease. That's Bowie's way of doing it. Giving us--all of us--his last moments. That is arguably the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.

been five years now and Bowie won’t be forgotten for another thousand

How is it that I can feel such a deep feeling of loss about someone I've never met?

What a powerful piece of music. This was David's swan song, his parting gift to the world, and what a gift it was. If only we could all live lives as full as his.

This is a man who fought cancer, faced his mortality and accepted it. We all do at some point. Time is short, make the best of it.

Bowie entering the closet: his coffin. The two Bowie's: the bedridden one to symbolise his body decaying, the active one dancing and writing around the room to symbolise his mind's determination to finish the album, mind over matter. The girl under his bed trying to claw at him: symbolises the cancer trying to take hold of him, and, eventually, succeeding. The thought, effort and cleverness put into this music video is mind boggling, how he insinuated his death days before, is and will hopefully go down as one of the most artistically done albums ever made. RIP Bowie, we'll sure as hell miss you.

As dark as it is... Bowie wasn't going to let his death go without taking artistic opportunity from it. I miss the guy every day.

This was one of my dad’s funeral songs. I wasn’t able to listen to it for a long time after as the pain was too much , but now I find it so beautiful. My dad was a musician with an impressive collection of 12 guitars. Rest in paradise, hopefully you can jam with Bowie ❤️

Video is so honest it is difficult to watch. Especially that notebook scribbling part breaks my heart; that is how it must feel when you know your time is running out. I'm sure doing the record and videos made his last days here more bearable, though.

David Bowie: creates one of the most emotional songs I’ve ever heard Also David Bowie: “I WaS lOoKiNg FoR yOuR aSs”

Who the hell else can turn a chemo fever dream into a concept album. He won at art. All art. For ever.

Look up here, I'm in heaven I've got scars that can't be seen I've got drama, can't be stolen Everybody knows me now Look up here, man, I'm in danger I've got nothing left to lose I'm so high it makes my brain whirl Dropped my cell phone down below Ain't that just like me? By the time I got to New York I was living like a king There I'd used up all my money I was looking for your ass This way or no way You know, I'll be free Just like that bluebird Now, ain't that just like me? Oh, I'll be free Just like that bluebird Oh, I'll be free Ain't that just like me?

This video is extremely meaningful. He's writing furiously, trying to write the songs that he has in mind, and you can see him coming up with more ideas. He's desperately trying to keep writing while death is trying to pull him back, into the darkness of that wardrobe, and he gets visibly angry when he's pulled away from the paper he was writing on. His story wasn't finished. He had much more that he wanted to write, that he wanted to tell us, that he wanted to create. And there was nothing he could do about it, so he left us with this.

everything started going downhill ever since bowie died

He looked at death in the eyes and said “Let’s dance”

Hearing David Bowie sing “ass” so dramatically is stapled into my brain.

David was good friends with Freddie Mercury, and Queen, and he learned a lot from Freddie's death. Freddie was hounded by the press as he was ill, and dying, so David cleverly concealed his own illness until the very end. David also saw that even Freddie was dying, that he still went into the studio, and created one last masterpiece with Queen - the 'Innuendo' album, which was Freddie's goodbye to his fans. David also gathered all of his strength, as Freddie did years earlier, and recorded his own final masterpiece, and farewell to his fans, to the world. We can't beat death, but we can - if we're clever, go out on our own terms, which is what David did. Well done Major Tom.

Rest in Peace my most beloved musical genius

Man those distorted guitar tones are so sick.

He is on mars now

This shit still gives me the creeps, even three years later. Bowie was a true genius.

wow he really did reach his creative peak right at the end

How truly admirable. The man knew he was going to die, yet he spent his last days working his ass off, writing and recording music and shooting music videos. It shows what his art and music really meant to him.

It has been a fucking *rough* 8 years since this dropped.

"And the world is full of life, full of folk who don't know me". 1969 David Bowie, Conversation Piece "I've got drama that can't be stolen, everybody knows me now". 2015 David Bowie, Lazarus

This song: One of the greatest goodbye songs in history One of the *saddest* songs in history One of the best songs in history The last song of an incredible performer Uploaded 1 day before Bowie’s 69th birthday Uploaded 3 days before Bowie’s death goodbye, david bowie. goodbye, starman. goodbye, inspiration.

My heart hurts so much watching this. That first verse is so powerful in the context of him secretly dying. "Look up here, I'm in heaven".

Only David Bowie would say "OK death , let's get on with this and I will have the last song" True heavyweights of this life never die.

"When we were shooting Lazarus, he knew that he only had a month or 2 left of his life; we were sitting there, me and David and Jimmy King, who's his longtime collaborator, stylist, archivist and all that kind of stuff. We're sitting watching the playback of the take we just did and one of us said - I don't remember who it was, to be honest, I think it was Jimmy: 'Hey David, wouldn't it be funny if you ended the video by going back into the closet.' And David started giggling like mad: 'Yeah, look, David Bowie has come back into the closet! Fuck yeah, we've got to do that. Let's do that right away.' Even at the very end of things, he would have a laugh and he would be audacious. He had an enormous loyalty to his fans." - Johan Renck (Director), from 'David Bowie: A Life' by Dylan Jones.

That beautiful SOB. He turned his own death into artistic expression. Genius to the end.

he used this album and music video to tell the world he was dying. a very creative way but that bowie. Rest in peace

Every ounce of energy he had left, he put into making the greatest song of all time. Blackstar is not just the last David Bowie album, its a gift. a parting gift for all of us.

Only David Bowie can make the phrase "i was looking for your ASS" sound so sad and melancholic and have us cry to it.

I sat next to my Granddad's bed as he was passing away. The parts in the video where David leans upward and off the pillow it reminded me of something my Granddad started doing in his final days. It's like he could feel himself going and would try to sit up and grab the rail of the bed hospice brought in for him so he could be at home with his family instead of in the hospital. I believe there is a veil between here and the other side. The closer you get to death the thinner the veil becomes. As far as the meaning behind this and the other songs and videos, I'm not really sure what I think or how I feel about them quite yet. One of those things that will come to you in time it's right for you to understand it. Wherever he is I hope he's in peace.

"Look up here, I'm in heaven"

This song was his way of saying goodbye to his fans. I will always believe that.

How brave to face the death like that. He fought until the end with dignity and lot of power. A role model for many people.

This is terrifying yet oddly beautiful at the same. A masterpiece indeed.

you can tell he knew he was gonna die.. such a tragedy go lose an incredible musical genius..

I was battling Pancreatic Cancer when this was released and this song had a huge impact on me. 8 years ago today we lost Bowie to Liver Cancer.

Even Death itself shed a tear when he came for David.

He released this in RU-vid four days before passing away.

My friend said he hated David Bowie My friend got hit by a bus later I lost my bus driving license

THIS IS TOO SAD TO WATCH BECAUSE HE IS DYING ! ! !😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

And then the weirdness of these blackstar videos makes sense, the final thoughts of a dying man.

who came here because they're actually a David Bowie fan?

"Everybody knows me now..." Hell, he even realized the post-mortem explosion of popularity he was about to get.

Одна из мощнейших песен, произведших впечетление. Гениальный артист. Так выложится, обманув саму Смерть, заставив её поучаствовать в создании шедевра, дав ему бессмертие, это подвиг Артиста и Музыканта.❤️

I'd trade the lives of the entire Kardashian family for just one more day of Bowie on earth.

He didn't die He went back home to his planet Godspeed David Bowie

It took me 3 1/2 years before I could bring myself to watch this.

This breaks my heart, he was my hero I’m 60 and have grown up with this absolute hero ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I can’t believe that it’s been 6 years since he’s gone. Rest In Peace. You’re still so missed.

He said goodbye to the world the best way he could =]

I'll trade you a Trump & Hillary for David Bowie to be back

Very uncomfortable to watch, but I think that was the point. He was a great, amazing musician and intellect.

"i'll be free, ain't that just like me" This is probably the best line i heard in my entire life.

⚡️Fell to earth 1/8/47 returned to mars 1/10/16⚡️

Freddie Mercury: These are the days of our lives David Bowie: Lazarus Two of the greatest goodbye songs in music history

I met David when he died, through this song. On the same day, the TV news were announcing his death alongside the debut of his latest album and how related his final album was to this ending journey. After the tribute to him on the Portuguese news, they pass on this song. I was instantly hipnotized by the suffering, the deepness, the pain, the sound. Right after it, I mentally write the name of the song so I wouldn't forget it. I finished dinner, and went straight to RU-vid and listened to the song one more and one more and one more time... And I was only 15 at the time. This was the only David Bowie song I knew for a while. Then, I figured I knew other ones, like Changes. One or 2 years after that, I decided to deep search on Bowie's musical and cultural legacy. A genius. Still today this is one of my favourite songs. Thank you Bowie

Freddie Mercury: “Show Must Go On” David Bowie:”Lazarus” Both of these titles technically mean the same thing, they are immortalized by their work, in death, they have lost absolutely nothing at all, except for their damned body, that could not keep all that talent in it for any longer

man, don't ask who else is here in 2020, we never left.

David looked at death in the face and said “hold on, I’ve got to make a song”

Мурашки от этого видео !!! Клип тяжелый, страшный, но от этого гениальный!!! Спасибо Девид!!! Царствие тебе небесное!!!

I feel bad that I'm basically watching one of my idols describing his death

My dearest daddy was a fan of Bowie. He once said jokingly that he would like it for his funeral. And it will be so. He died yesterday. He lived shorter than David, because dad passed away at the age of 64. Cancer took him too.

The most awesome thing about him was the variety of genres in his music. He didn't stick with one thing, he did it all.

man looked death in the eyes and said....."I've got the perfect song for you"

Great stuff reminds me of when Johnny Cash made Hurt right before he passed. Creativity has no age limit.

He found out he was 100% going to die while filming this video.. they phoned him and said his treatment was being stopped. He was aware of this before filming the final shot going into the wardrobe.. really heartbreaking and also poetic.

Im not going to lie, I was not a Bowie fan and I unfortunately never listened to his music while he was alive. I heard someone talking about this video and the way they described it made me have to watch and as soon as I turned it on I was extremely haunted. The fact that this man knew he was dying and turned it into pure art shows true genius. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t appreciate his brilliance earlier.

yOU kNOW YOU'RE gETTING oLD wHEN YOUR "IMMORTAL' rOCKSTARS START DYING... LOVE YOU mR. bOWIE

That "Look up here, I'm in heaven" gets me every time. Even 5 years later.

That was the most emotional experience I've ever had with a song. Holy shit, sir. Good luck on the other side.

He knew he was dying... R.I.P.

I remember I was still pretty Young when bowie died. I was 10 years old and I’d already had unlimited access to the internet lmao; I had seen a LOT of horrifying videos and for some reason when I first watched this - the beads on the eyes, the strange convulsing movements when he’s emerging/returning to the closet, and the saxophone (for whatever reason) all really frightened me. I refused to watch the video for a while but now that i’m here again 8 years later, I actually really enjoy the song. Bowie has become a rather huge part of my likeness towards music. Good thing I had parents with great music tastes to leech from as I grew older. But I’m now doing everything in my power to collect Bowie Vinyls. His music makes me wanna danceeee yk. That’s really cheesy to say but whatever. Will never ever ever ever ever not love Labyrinth. One of my absolute favourite movies of all time. I had also watched that when I was around 6 or 7, and even at 18 i still never get bored of it, no matter how many times I watch it. I swear to god if I ever become a bride, As the world falls down will be the song that plays if I ever dance with anyone. Broski is probably thriving in heaven now, and how right he was about how he’d blow up so much even after his death. But that’s not even a bad thing. Just means his Legacy is living on 😈🙏❤️

He's done it. He's a genius.

man...I don't know why, but the line "everybody knows me now" is incredibly haunting, as now that he's dead everyone is starting to become a fan of his.

This is so painful to watch on this day he won some grammies which he should have received many years ago. RIP David you are magnificent .

Господи, я сильно удивлена какой был этот человек. Я его буду помнить. Мне 17, мои сверстники такое вряд-ли будут слушать, но я ни за что не променяю на другое. Буду переслушивать и переслушивать, размышлять и размышлять о его песнях. Спасибо большое, низкий поклон вам, Дэвид Боуи!🖐️🌠🎶

The creative soul writes furiously, but is summoned persistently by the dying body. The soul succumbs, after giving us everything it could ... and then closes the door and says goodbye to us all forever.

This video makes so much more sense now.

In 2016 i found out i had uterine cancer and watched this over and over. It was scary and uncertain and a whirlwind of tests and appointments and surgery and testing. By the end of the year i was given a 97% chance it wouldn't come back. In April 2017 I found out it had come back and was all through my body and was given 6 weeks to live and a 15% chance chemo would work at all. Here it is 2018 and I'm still here. 5 rounds of radiation (twice) and 16 rounds of chemo later I'm still here. Dont know why, but I am. I haven't listened to this since the shit REALLY hit the fan and understand this song more than ever. It's a sad anthem that no one should relate to. Update 9/2018 Still waiting on final chemo and then PET/CT. My platelets have been too low to receive it. Docs said after receiving as much chemo as I have, the bone marrow gets tired. Just a waiting game now. Thanks for the support. ❤

I can't believe it's been 8 years since David Bowie passed away. Rest in peace David Bowie We'll miss you so much😢💐🕊❤😪🥰 (2016-2024) 8th anniversary of David Bowie's death. (1947-2016) Thank you for your music and memories.

Good night goblin king....

. . . and the stars look very different today . . .

Death is a part of life, and I normally accept that... but I sort of want David Bowie back.

When Blackstar came out, I intentionally didn't listen for reasons I could not articulate or reflect on. I first heard this song 4 weeks ago by chance. The same day I heard that my grandmother (who was much more of a parent to me than my actual parents) was going to die. This video scarred me. I couldn't really watch it. I scrolled down immediately to listen to the song, for in this video I saw something so jarring and real, it hurt too much. It felt so very honest and vulnerable about aging and death. It shocked me into reality, in many ways. My granny was going to die. I saw her twice more before it happened. And I listened to this song more and more. When she died, I felt able to watch it. It hurt. But it also healed me. We buried her on Friday. I still think about it all the time right now. But its starting to ease. I am listening to this song and remember her life, her struggles and the sacrifice she made for me and my siblings. Anyway, not sure why I am writing all that here but. This song means a lot to me. Far more than it would have if I had listened to it eight years ago.