Lazarus (David Bowie song)

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"Lazarus"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Blackstar
Released 17 December 2015
Format Digital download
Recorded 2015 at The Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios
(New York, New York)
Genre
Length
  • 6:22 (Album version)
  • 4:05 (Video edit)
Label
Writer(s) David Bowie
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Blackstar"
(2015)		 "Lazarus"
(2015)		 "I Can't Give Everything Away"
(2016)
Blackstar track listing
"'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore"
(2)		 "Lazarus"
(3)		 "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)"
(4)
Music video
"Lazarus" on YouTube

"Lazarus" is a song by English rock musician David Bowie. It was released on 17 December 2015 as a digital download, making it the second single from his twenty-fifth studio album, Blackstar. The single received its world premiere on BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq on that date.[2] In addition to its release on Blackstar, the track is used in Bowie's off-Broadway musical of the same name.[3] The official music video, directed by Johan Renck, was released on 7 January 2016, just days before his death.

"Lazarus" was Bowie's first top 40 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 in more than 28 years, landing at number 40 in the week after his death.[4]

Background

According to Bowie's producer Tony Visconti, the lyrics and video of "Lazarus" and other songs on the album were intended to be a self-epitaph, a commentary on Bowie's own impending death.[5][6][7]

Music video

Bowie in a deathbed, as depicted in the music video

The official music video for "Lazarus", featuring a shorter edit of the song lasting just over four minutes, was uploaded on 7 January 2016 to Bowie's Vevo channel on YouTube.[8] The video was directed by Johan Renck, who also directed the music video for Bowie's previous single, "Blackstar". It was shot in November 2015 in a studio in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.[9] The video is shown in a 1:1 aspect ratio and prominently features Bowie, appearing with a bandage and buttons sewn over his eyes as in the "Blackstar" video, lying on a deathbed.

The video finishes with Bowie retreating into a dark wardrobe. In the scenes featuring the wardrobe, Bowie is wearing a diagonally striped suit referencing the back cover of the 1991 CD reissue of the Station to Station album, where he is pictured sitting on the floor drawing the kabbalistic Tree of Life.[10][11] The Tree of Life is also referenced in the Station to Station lyrics, a "magical movement from Kether to Malkuth".[12][13]

Track listing

Digital download
No. Title Length
1. "Lazarus"   6:22

Personnel

Personnel adapted from Blackstar liner notes.[14]

Musicians
Technical personnel

Charts

Chart (2015–16) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 72
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[16] 38
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[18] 45
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 14
Finland (Suomen virallinen latauslista)[20] 22
France (SNEP)[21] 35
Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 77
Hungary (Single Top 40)[23] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 48
Italy (FIMI)[25] 23
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[26] 89
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 32
New Zealand Heatseekers (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 9
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[29] 49
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 42
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 16
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[32] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 40
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[34] 3
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[35] 17

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Worldwide 17 December 2015 Digital download
Italy[36] 18 December 2015 Contemporary hit radio Columbia

See also

References

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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "David Bowie – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for David Bowie. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "David Bowie: Lazarus" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "Lescharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  24. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 2, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  25. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  26. ↑ "David Bowie – Chart history" Japan Hot 100 for David Bowie. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  27. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  32. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2016-01-21" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ "David Bowie – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for David Bowie. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  35. ↑ "David Bowie – Chart history" Billboard Adult Alternative Songs for David Bowie. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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