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Adapting George Orwell’s Novel Nineteen Eighty-Four to songs:

a literary analysis of ’Nineteen Eighty-Four based’ lyrics in songs of

David Bowie and Muse

Diplomarbeit

zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades

einer Magistra der Philosophie

an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz

vorgelegt von

Fiona FEIZLMAYR

am Institut für Anglistik

Begutachter: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Hugo Keiper

Graz, 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction 1

2. Adapting Literature to Songs: General Thoughts 3

3. George Orwell’s Novel Nineteen Eighty-Four 6

3.1. Publication, Contents, and Reception 6

3.2. George Orwell and his Dystopian Society 9

3.2.1. The Alteration of Collective Memory and of the Common Language 10

3.2.2. Aspects of Power, Control, and Torture 12

3.2.3. Sexuality and Resistance 13

3.3. The Topicality of Nineteen Eighty-Four in Culture and Society 15

3.3.1. Nineteen Eighty-Four in (Popular) Media 16

4. “We want you Big Brother“: Bowie’s Handling of Nineteen Eighty-Four 19

4.1. David Bowie: Characteristics of his Career, Music, and Style 19

4.2. Working on Nineteen Eighty-Four: From Musical to Album 21

4.3. “1984“: Bowie’s Introduction to his Dystopian World 23

4.4. “Big Brother“: Praising the Dictator 26

4.5. “We Are The Dead“: Pointing out Big Brother’s Flaws 29

4.6. Further Songs on the Topic of Nineteen Eighty-Four 33

4.7. Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four in Bowie’s Songs: Concluding Thoughts 36

5. “Love is our Resistance“: Nineteen Eighty-Four in Songs by Muse 38

5.1. Muse: A Short Historical Overview of the Band 38

5.2. Bellamy’s Dystopian Ideas and their Manifestation in the Song Lyrics 39

5.3. “Resistance“: Bellamy’s Central Statement 42

5.4. “United States of Eurasia“: Resistance to US Politics 46

5.5. “Uprising“: An Appeal for Revolution 49

5.6. Further Muse Songs that are based on Nineteen Eighty-Four 52

5.7. Dystopia then and now: Concluding Thoughts on the Songs by Muse 55

6. Further Examples for Nineteen-Eighty-Four in Song Lyrics 56

6.1. Nineteen Eighty-Four based Lyrics that Criticize Contemporary Issues 56

6.2. Nineteen Eighty-Four in other Song Lyrics 59

6.3. The Nineteen Eighty-Four Movie Soundtrack 63

7. Summary and Conclusion 66

8. Bibliography 68

8.1. Primary Sources 68

8.2. Secondary Sources 69

8.3. Appendix: Song Lyrics 74

1. INTRODUCTION

George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four touches on topics that have

concerned society since its publication in 1949. Through the second half of the 20th

century to the present day, aspects of the novel, such as surveillance, changing war

arenas, governmental oppression, and totalitarianism have not lost their significance;

rather, they are as present on the political landscape as ever before. What is more,

Orwell’s neologisms, including Big Brother, the Thought Police, and Doublethink, have

become common vocabulary in our daily language use. Because Orwell’s representation

of a dystopian, totalitarian society, portrayed in detail in Nineteen Eighty-Four, are still of

interest to the generations that have followed him, it is not surprising that his novel has

been a source of influence for various artists of many different genres, whose works

have seized on similar political and societal topics and themes as Orwell’s novel.

This diploma thesis focuses on song lyrics that are thematically and conceptually based

on and make reference to George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Various

contemporary singers and songwriters, most prominently among them David Bowie and

Matt Bellamy, the singer and songwriter of the band Muse, make direct or indirect

references to the content of Nineteen Eighty-Four in the lyrics of their songs. Both David

Bowie and Muse have dedicated a whole album to Orwell’s ideas of a dystopian society.

David Bowie incorporated issues of Nineteen Eighty-Four into his album Diamond Dogs

and Muse released an album called The Resistance, which revolves around aspects of

Orwell’s dystopia. As a fan of the musical style of Muse, I increasingly started to pay

attention to the lyrics of the songs and the concept of the album The Resistance, which

eventually inspired me to choose this topic for my diploma thesis.

Since it is unlikely that the two songwriters, Bowie and Bellamy, might have just

incorporated various references to the novel into their lyrics without any real reason, this

thesis will examine their motives for doing so. This thesis will attempt to answer the

following general questions regarding George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and

the use of its contents in popular song lyrics:

1) What makes singers and songwriters - this diploma thesis mainly focuses on songs of

David Bowie and Matthew Bellamy of the band Muse - consider Orwell’s Nineteen

Eighty-Four to be a useful and up-to-date source for their songs?

2) What specific themes of Nineteen Eighty-Four are important to them and how are

they incorporated into their songs?

3) How do the references to the novel used in the lyrics possibly affect different readings

and interpretations of these songs?

In order to answer these questions, this diploma thesis provides a detailed literary

analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four-based song lyrics. This thesis is subdivided into the

following chapters: Chapter 2 focuses on song lyrics in a literary context and their

recognition within this distinct field of research. Additionally, this chapter points out some

examples of song lyrics that are based on literary works and briefly elaborates on

characteristics of the intermedial shift of contents from literature to song lyrics. Chapter 3

provides general information regarding Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, including its

publication, content, and reception. Furthermore, the subchapters determine and

investigate important themes of the novel, such as collective memory and its extinction,

as well as the instalment of a new, common language; aspects of power, surveillance

and totalitarianism; and love and sexuality as an act of resistance. What is more, aspects

of the perpetual topicality and relevance of the themes of Nineteen Eighty-Four are

highlighted and elaborated on. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 focus on the song lyric analysis and

interpretation. In order to make the contents of the individual lyrics more tangible, each

song analysis includes a brief formal stylistic analysis, but the focus remains on

interpretation of the songs’ content, metaphors, and allusions. Since this thesis deals

with Nineteen Eighty-Four based lyrics, the topics of the songs are, of course, associated

with the contents of the novel. Chapter 4 is dedicated to David Bowie’s incorporation and

handling of Nineteen Eighty-Four in the songs of this album Diamond Dogs. Chapter 5

deals with the album The Resistance by the band Muse, and the dystopian ideas that

have influenced their song lyrics, which are supported by references to Orwell’s novel. In

order to provide a full analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four based lyrics, Chapter 6 puts the

focus on other artists who have been inspired by Orwell’s novel. This selection of songs

based on Nineteen Eighty-Four is primarily derived from an online list of song lyrics

which retell or make reference to popular works of literature. In fact, Orwell’s dystopia is

the literary work which has inspired the most songs - a fact which already highlights how

well the novel lends itself to implementation into contemporary song lyrics (cf. List of

songs that retell a work of literature).

2. ADAPTING LITERATURE TO SONGS: GENERAL THOUGHTS

Booth, on the meaningfulness of song lyrics, states that “[w]hat the modern reader most

wants to find in poetry is the poet’s personal encounter with reality, fixed with subtle

rightness in a unique construction of language. I should declare that songs almost never

answer to this expectation” (1981: 23). As a matter of fact, song lyrics have often been

neglected as they have not been perceived as an interesting field for literary studies. For

a long time, the focus in research has been on written poetry only. But, as Eckstein

(2010: 14) points out, “[l]yrics are no more and no less, the other tradition of modern

poetry“, and, therefore, deserve to be taken equally seriously. The main aim of this

chapter is, on the one hand, to position song lyrics within a literary context, since in this

thesis they are analyzed from a literary perspective. On the other hand, the focus is on

the adaption and intermedial transposition of literary works to song lyrics. Some general

examples of such intermedial shifts are provided.

Lyrics and poetry share the same basis and historical progress. In fact, the separation of

these two genres is a relatively late development. The connection between literature and

song goes back to the works of William Shakespeare, who pioneered incorporating

songs into his works. Further historical connections between lyrics and literature include,

amongst others, the art songs by the Austrian composers Schubert and Mahler during

the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite their common roots, lyrics are not considered to be

the same as poetry, however (cf. Caroll/Hanson 2014: 9; Eckstein 2010: 13). Booth

(1981: 8) states that a “[s]ong belongs to both non-literate and literate culture, having

originated in the former and been naturalized in the latter.” At the same time, he adds

that “[s]ong is poetry; then again song is not poetry as we usually understand poetry, but

rather a collateral descendant from a common ancestor” (1981: 23). Griffiths (2003: 42)

goes a step further and states that people need to “stop thinking that the words in pop

songs are poems, and begin to say that they are like poetry […] like prose.” Regarding

the poetics of song lyrics, Griffiths states that for the past decades the so-called “poetry

of pop” has marked an era during which singers and songwriters, like Bob Dylan, have

acquired the status of “song-poets”. Over time, their works have become similarly

appraised and are now treated like those of modern poets (2003: 41).

In general, song lyrics cover a wide variety of themes and cultural issues, spread over

various genres of music. The interpretation of song lyrics involves, apart from an

understanding of their verbal meaning, the recognition of cultural values and social

embedding. The message of a song is shaped by the circumstances in which it is written,

as well as by the general conditions under which it is performed. Eckstein alludes to the

fact that lyrics - in contrast to poetry - are generally intended to be performed and sung,

which shapes the reception of their content (cf. 2010: 13, 23, 38). Of course, the music

that accompanies the lyrics also contributes significantly to the listeners’ comprehension

of the meaning of a song. What is more, song lyrics are usually heard and perceived

without a dramatic context and, therefore, the listeners have great interpretative

freedom . Booth points out that listeners tend to deeply immerse themselves in a song, 1

and interestingly, they either identify themselves with protagonist or with the singer, if the

song addresses a second person (cf. 1981: 15-16).

Since song lyrics are mainly listened to and not read, their texts need to present a certain

unity and clarity, which, according to Booth (1981: 12), leads to a “partial redundancy”. In

order to make their lyrics easily understandable content-wise, singers fall back on

internal repetition, for instance, which refers to elements like choruses, verbal repetition,

rhyme, and alliteration (cf. 1981: 9-13). According to Pattison, this choice of language to

some extent limits but also determines the content of the songs, as the language needs

to be more straightforward and to the point. He adds that songwriters have little time and

space - usually only about 3 minutes - to integrate the messages they want to convey in

their songs (cf. Pattison 2012: 123-127). In addition, melody and rhythm constrain the

style of the language. It may be due to these ’redundancies’ that lyrics have not been

acknowledged as regular poetry in literary studies. Despite these limitations, there are

still various examples in which songwriters have incorporated highly complex lyrics - in

terms of language as well as of content - into their songs. Supporting this assertion,

Griffiths states that songs can, in fact, lose markers of lyric consistency and move closer

to more complex prose forms, like short stories (cf. 2003: 53-54). Various popular songs

contain such narrative elements, including some songs on David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs

album.

In the case of David Bowie, the narrative elements that are found in these songs are

based on the literary model of Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, which served as

an inspiring example for the content of the song lyrics. A literary message - in this case

Orwell’s novel - can serve as the literary basis for the content of different forms of media.

A shift from one medium to another is defined as intermediality. This kind of “migration” -

as it is called by Pennacchia Punzi - of literary themes and concepts into other media is

particularly common in literature, as, for instance, when a script is turned into a film.

Intermedial transposition from literature to song lyrics is perhaps not the most common,

but nevertheless there are a variety of forms and topics of interest relating to this

phenomenon (cf. Pennacchia Punzi 2007: 9-15). Wikipedia, in fact, dedicates an entire

website to songs that retell works of literature, on which several hundred of such

examples of intermedial shifts are listed alphabetically. Apart from the songs that use

Taking to an extreme, David Bowie considered his lyrics to be public property regarding any kind of 1

interpretation, once he had finished writing them. He was of the opinion that it was not the artist’s job to imply the meaning of his songs, but rather the listener’s (cf. Johnson 2015: 2-3).

Nineteen Eighty-Four as a literary basis, various popular song lyrics have taken their

inspiration from literary classics. To name only a few examples, poetry that provides the

basis for song lyrics is, for instance, found in songs by the band Bastille: the song “Poet“

was inspired by William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and the song "Weight of Living, Pt. I"

was based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of The Ancient Mariner. Regarding

drama, for instance, Shakespeare’s works served as inspiration for the song “Juliet” by

Emilie Autumn, who based it on the play Romeo and Juliet, while the song “Sigh no

More“ by the band Mumford and Sons derives from Shakespeare's Much Ado About

Nothing. An example of lyrics derived from prose would be, for example, the song

“Wuthering Heights“ by Kate Bush, which is based on Emily Brontë’s novel of the same

name, or Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”, which quotes Lewis Carroll’s Alice in

Wonderland (cf. List of songs that retell a work of literature). A further well-known and

highly popular example of the adaption of literature to songs is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s

musical Cats. Its song lyrics are based on T.S. Eliot’s collection of poems Old Possum's

Book of Practical Cats and other unpublished drafts by the author (cf. Old Possum's

Book of Practical Cats).

It can be said that drawing on themes and ideas from literary works have, in fact,

become common practice for the creation of song lyrics. The reasons for why singers

and songwriters decide to take inspiration or draw text from literature can vary greatly,

however. The way the themes are implemented or quoted within the lyrics differs from

song to song. Regarding the realization of Orwell’s dystopian ideas in songs, it can be

said that all artists approach Nineteen Eighty-Four from slightly different points of view

and incorporate them into their songs for varying reasons. The following chapters focus

on the use of Nineteen Eighty-Four based lyrics in songs. In order to introduce Orwell's

novel, chapter 3 is dedicated to the author and the themes and concepts of Nineteen

Eighty-Four, before taking a look at the representation of the content of his dystopian

novel in song lyrics in chapters 4, 5, and 6.

3. GEORGE ORWELL’S NOVEL NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is an outstanding piece of dystopian fiction. It

portrays the life of the protagonist Winston Smith within a brutal totalitarian society, led

by Big Brother and the Inner Party. As a piece of anti-utopian fiction, the novel takes one

more step beyond known reality and presents the reader with some highly negative

predictions: Nineteen Eighty-Four describes an unlikely pessimistic future scenario as if it

were possible to become reality. That is why in the years after its publication, the

dystopia was read as a warning to upcoming generations. The nightmarish visions

portrayed in the novel are partly based on Orwell’s and his generation’s experience with

totalitarian regimes. In fact, critics have pointed out the close connection between

Orwell’s biography and the fictional narrative. It has been said that the novel’s pessimistic

predictions about the future can be attributed to Orwell’s ill health and consequent

introversion during the time the novel was written (cf. Howe 1983: 6-8; Lowenthal 1983:

209-210; Lea 2001: 78). In terms of content, Nineteen Eighty-Four tells the story of

Winston’s life under the totalitarian regimes that are taking over the world and controlling

its population. Totalitarianism and oppressive governments are consistently relevant

issues in politics, a fact that has made Orwell’s dystopian novel and its themes and ideas

both topical and relevant since it was released. The following subchapters present further

information on the novel and its general topics, with a special focus on the alteration of

history and memory, aspects of surveillance and punishment, and the idea of love as a

means of resistance. In addition, subchapter 3.3 focuses on the novel’s timelessness

and its resulting influence on various forms of media.

3.1. Publication, Contents, and Reception

Orwell came up with the idea for Nineteen Eighty-Four at the beginning of WWII in

Europe in 1938/39, a time when various totalitarian powers were shaping the political

landscape, and many people were embracing the ideologies they propagated (cf. Howe

1983: 3). At the end of the war, Orwell, whose birth name was Eric Arthur Blair, lived in

London, where he worked as a journalist and publicist, among other things. When he

became terminally ill, Orwell moved to the Island of Jura on the western coast of

Scotland in order to isolate himself and to finally write Nineteen Eighty-Four. The novel

was released in 1949, only months before the author passed away. Orwell was a

socialist, democrat, egalitarian, and humanist who wanted to make his readers aware of

the ills of contemporary politics and economics. Seeing himself a political writer, his aim

was to popularize this genre. In fact, Rodden considers Orwell to be the most influential

and political author of the 20th century (cf. 2003: 64).

As mentioned above, Orwell’s biography influenced the contents of his novel: on the one

hand, Orwell was highly afraid of the breakdown of the welfare state and its respectable

government due to totalitarianism in the aftermath of WWII. Taking his ideas partly from

his perception of Stalinism and Nazism, Orwell created his own vision of totalitarianism.

In addition, the time Orwell spent based in imperial Burma also influenced his perception

of suppressed majorities and oppressive governments (cf. Lee 1969: 128; Crick 1982:

15-28; Avishai 1983: 58). As dystopian fiction about totalitarianism had become popular

in the 1930s, one can suppose that Orwell was also partly inspired by his literary

predecessors. Rose points out that the works of Olaf Stapledon in particular - “Last and

First Men” (1930), “Last Men in London” (1932), and “Darkness and the Light” (1942) - as

well as Yevgeny Zamyatin’s “We” (1921), were major sources of influence for Orwell. 2

The fact that Nineteen Eighty-Four was previously intended to be titled The Last Man in

Europe supports the assumption that the novel contains textual echoes of Stapledon’s

dystopian literature (cf. Rose 1992: 93-97).

Miller (1983: 21-22) describes the novel as “a work that perceives the nightfall of an evil

history through the mind of its last subject, who struggles to regain his consciousness

[…]: a work, in short, that deliberately evokes that state of perfect nightmare.” Essentially,

the novel’s story line follows the life of the protagonist Winston Smith , the so-called “last 3

subject”, a single, middle-aged man who stands out of the anonymous crowd as he

begins to question the system. Following the story line, “the entire book merely portrays

successive alterations in Winston Smith’s consciousness,” documenting his encounters,

thoughts, and beliefs (Lee 1969: 129). The society Winston lives in is ruled and

controlled by the god-like leader Big Brother and the Inner Party, an elitist group which

essentially pulls the strings behind the political machinery. This machinery is divided into

the Ministry of Truth, engaged in altering the truth and modifying collective memory

according to the needs of the Party; the Ministry of Plenty, which deals with issues of

controlling the economy; and the Ministry of Love, which punishes people who have

crossed the Party line. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth. His job is to rewrite the

history of Oceania as the military conflicts and political relationships with the two other

remaining nations, Eurasia and Eastasia, are permanently changing. Oceania is always

at war and the inhabitants are kept in everlasting fear of being attacked - a fear which is

deliberately triggered by the Ministry of Truth as a means of control and tyranny. In

addition to the external threat, the Inner Party and the Thought Police have the people of

Orwell was fascinated by Zamyatin’s novel “We“, since it featured a dystopian society that was filled with various 2

horrors. Similar to Nineteen Eighty-Four, Zamyatin’s book depicts a secret love affair which is mixed up with the protagonist’s participation in the underground resistance (cf. Deutscher 1954: 120-123).

The protagonist’s name serves two effects: Firstly, Smith is the most common English surname, classifying the 3

protagonist as an everyman. Secondly, the name Winston could be an allusion to Winston Churchill who was a salient personality in English foreign affairs during WWII, comparable to how Winston Smith is atypical and outstanding in the society of Oceania (cf. Lee 1969: 136-137).

Oceania under constant surveillance with the help of telescreens, bugs, and

microphones. This helps them catch those who, for instance, commit Thoughtcrime -

speaking ill about or questioning Big Brother - or Sexcrime - having sexual relations for

pleasure. The main aim of the Party is to create a submissive, homogenous society,

deeply devoted to Big Brother as well as trained to spy and tell on each other.

As an act of resistance, Winston starts writing down his illegal thoughts in his diary: he

questions why constant scrutiny, brutality, and fear seem to be necessary in the daily life

of Oceania. Steinhoff states that Winston interestingly voices similar worries as Orwell

did in his own diary during WWII (cf. 1975: 150). Over the course of the novel, Winston

falls in love with Julia, who, in his opinion, embodies everything that is illicit in Oceania.

She constantly commits Sexcrime - sometimes even with Party members - and she is

able to get hold of forbidden goods, like chocolate and coffee. In order to keep their

romance secret, Winston and Julia meet in hiding places, such as a clearing in the

woods or the room above the junk shop where Winston bought his diary, to privately

enjoy their sexual relationship and to rebel against Big Brother. Being taken with the idea

of resistance and craving a better life, Winston wants to join the Brotherhood, an

underground organization that is trying to overthrow the Inner Party and Big Brother. The

protagonist is certain that O’Brien, one of the heads of the Ministry of Truth, is a member

of the Brotherhood and contacts him, willing to join. After entering the secret

organization, Winston and Julia receive the book The Theory on Practice of Oligarchical

Collectivism written by the system’s only public enemy Emmanuel Goldstein. The book

explains how the political mechanisms behind Big Brother essentially work, but the

question of why politics in Oceania need to be so restrictive is not answered. One day,

while Winston is reading Goldstein’s book, the Thought Police enter the lovers’ hiding

place above the shop and take them to the torture rooms at the Ministry of Love. Winston

realizes that both this hiding place and the Brotherhood were traps. Additionally, he

learns that he has been closely surveilled for years, and that the Party is aware of all of

his illicit thoughts and deeds. O’Brien, the person he trusted most, reveals himself to be a

key member of the Inner Party and the torturer who tantalizes and brainwashes Winston

to the point that he is mentally and physically broken. The last chapter of the novel

depicts a submissive Winston Smith who has completely adjusted to the system and

who, without hesitation, has changed from hating to loving Big Brother (cf. Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four).

When it was first published in 1949, Nineteen Eighty-Four had an enormous impact on its

readership as it represented a world that was still vivid in peoples’ memories. To those

living at the time of totalitarianism during WWII, the themes covered in the novel were an

intimate description of their own experiences, and Orwell’s dystopia was, therefore, a

nerve-wracking read. According to Howe (1983: 5), “[i]t was to Orwell’s credit that he

understood how the imagination flourishes when it is grounded in common reality,” and

Steinhoff (1975: 166) points to the fact that “history is rewritten“ in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Decades after its publication, the novel still raises questions and concerns about whether

society could actually morph into something similar to the nightmarish predictions

presented in Orwell’s novel. Miller (1983:19) points out that as time goes by “the year

1984 loses that sinister futurity which Orwell projected onto it, [and] we find that the novel

cannot stand out as it once did, that it can no longer be described in shocked

superlatives.” Just before the actual year 1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four became a

bestseller once again, 35 years after its first publication (cf. Rodden 2003: 62-63). But as

the year came and went, the novelty and futuristic value of Nineteen Eighty-Four

disappeared, and Lea (2001: 175) wonders if “[p]erhaps 1985 was not the best thing to

happen to Orwell after all.“ Nineteen Eighty-Four has not become irrelevant in the new

millennium, though it can no longer be read as a prophecy of what might happen (cf.

Rodden 2003: 65). Because the content of the novel is connected to the politics of the

fascist and socialist regimes of WWII, to life during the Cold War, and to circumstances

that prevail under totalitarian regimes in general, the political topicality and importance of

Orwell’s novel have been sustained since its publication.

3.2. George Orwell and his Dystopian Society

Long before he began writing Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell “believed that faith in

objective reality and faith in the possibility of writing truthful history are closely related,

that memory is an essential part of the self, […] and that there can be no inner freedom

for human beings living in isolation,” Steinhoff (1975: 180) states, already pointing toward

the major issues that Orwell’s novel criticizes. Deutscher (1954: 131) notes that “Orwell

saw totalitarianism as bringing history to a standstill,” a thought which is also elaborated

in detail in Nineteen Eighty-Four. In order to create his own concept of totalitarianism,

Orwell incorporated various themes, topics, and ideas into Nineteen Eighty-Four that

predicted a nightmarish vision of society. According to Greenblatt (1965: 112), the

desperate and pessimistic mood of the novel could “be the result of Orwell’s conclusion

that he had explored all the so-called solutions to man’s misery and found nothing but

lies. The whole world […] is steadily moving toward a vast and ruthless tyranny” was the

author’s opinion on society during and after WWII. In contrast to real totalitarian regimes,

Orwell did not implement a distinct tyrannical leader figure in his novel. He presents the

reader with Big Brother, the anonymous and imagined leader of Oceania. However,

political permanence is not upheld through Big Brother but rather through the Inner

Party’s strong influence on society (cf. Lowenthal 1983: 210). The irrefutable power of

the Party is displayed by the first line of the novel, which states that “[i]t was a cold day in

April, and the clocks were striking thirteen“ (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 7). This

quotation shows the way in which the Party has even overruled nature and time. The

scenery of the novel is generally referred to as bewildering and confusing, as a place that

is only half familiar (cf. Miller 1983: 23). Greenblatt notes that the setting of Nineteen

Eighty-Four might represent Orwell’s perception of London during WWII in 1944 (cf.

1965: 112). The author aims to represent an exaggeration of reality, which serves as both

a satire of current WWII and Cold War politics as well as a warning about the future. Lee

(1969: 134) points out that unfortunately “[w]e do not see its [the dystopian society’s]

development; we get little indications of how such a society came to be,” which makes it

difficult to avoid such a scenario in the future.

Having outlined the general ideas behind the creation of Orwell’s totalitarian and

dystopian world of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the following subchapters focus on the

individual themes and topics that generate Orwell’s nightmarish images of the future. The

aspects of Nineteen Eighty-Four, which are, to some extent, always relevant include

those of collective memory and common language, power and its maintenance, and

sexuality as an act of resistance. These themes have become relevant for use in other

media, like, for instance, journalism, and are highlighted in this chapter because they are

relevant for the analysis of the Nineteen Eighty-Four based song lyrics.

3.2.1. The Alteration of Collective Memory and of the Common Language

In the society presented in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, collective memory is

constantly being altered by the Ministry of Truth because political relations, and therefore

also the truth, are constantly in flux. Avishai notes that, in totalitarianism, the concept of

an objective truth must be eliminated as long it can harm the ideology (cf. 1983: 65). A

subjective truth is implemented by a higher authority to secure the Party’s claim to the

absolute truth. This subjective truth eventually becomes the objective truth once it is

accepted by every member of the society, a fact which is misused by the Inner Party to a

large extent. Due to the resulting standstill of political and social development, the past,

the present, and the future are no longer distinguishable in Oceania (cf. Miller 1983: 41).

Eliminating memory and truthful history also serves the effect of abolishing arguments

against the Party because there are no past examples of alternative ways of life (cf.

Steinhoff 1975: 170). Scrutinizing the past, Winston actively searches for the such

alternatives to a society ruled by Big Brother. As Howe puts it, Winston desperately tries

to remember minor things, like how his mother caressed him as a child or how a simple

poem was phrased (cf. 1983: 17). Nonetheless, due to the implementation of the Party’s

subjective truths, his personal memories are no longer accessible. The telescreens are

one medium used by the Party to effectively spread subjective truths among the people.

Installed in every household, they constantly (mis-)inform the inhabitants. The so-called

Two Minutes Hate fills the screens with sadistic images of the enemies and creates

feelings of fear and hate in its viewers. An additional aim of the telescreens is to replace

social interaction generates disconnectedness among the people entirely eliminates

social life in Oceania (cf. Avishai 1983: 67-68).

In addition to the alteration of collective memory, a new language has been implemented

as a means of political manipulation. Orwell strongly believed that for a society to be

functional and stable, the clarity of language and the ability to use an unlimited variety of

words was of the utmost importance (cf. Lea 2001: 142). According to Avishai, political

freedom and opposition need a language which allows its users to articulate the

concepts behind these two key issues of a self-determined life (cf. 1983: 63). Newspeak,

the language of Oceania, does not meet these requirements. Miller (1983: 29) defines

Newspeak as a “radical abridgment of English,” as the language is reduced to its limits.

For instance, only six words cover the concepts of good and bad. In The Principles of

Newspeak Orwell (Nineteen Eighty-Four: 257-258) states that the “vocabulary was so

constructed as to give exact […] expression to every meaning […], while excluding all

other meanings […]. This was done partly by the invention of new words, but chiefly by

eliminating undesirable words and by stripping such words as remained of unorthodox

[and| secondary meanings.” In the totalitarian society of Nineteen Eighty-Four, language

and words are designed to serve functional purposes only (cf. Lea 2001: 137). According

to Steinhoff, Orwell’s invention of Newspeak was a protest against the devaluation of the

English language to a means of propaganda during WWII. This protest is based on

Orwell’s career as a journalist and the fact that he always understood the power of

language as a medium for political manipulation (cf. Steinhoff 1975: 167-169). Since, in

the society of Nineteen Eighty-Four, every means of uttering one’s personal opinion has

been eliminated by the implementation of Newspeak, it can be said that Orwell’s novel is

a depiction of how totalitarian regimes silence their political opponents in order to

maintain their power. One of the concepts connected to Newspeak is Doublethink, a

means of reality control which attempts to neutralize and eliminate any opportunity to

utter personal opinions, thoughts, or divergences from the norm. Reality control and the

concomitant implementation of an ideology are common political weapons in totalitarian

regimes. Steinhoff points out that a concept like Doublethink supports the attempts of

totalitarian nations to demand the inhabitants’ persistent loyalty to the leader. In Oceania,

Doublethink forces the inhabitants to maintain their obsession with Big Brother (cf. 1975:

163-166)

3.2.2. Aspects of Power, Control, and Torture

In his novel, Orwell envisaged that by the year 1984, the world would be ruled over by

the three totalitarian powers: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. These nations would

ensure their survival by permanently fighting wars against one another and by constantly

controlling their inhabitants’ minds (cf. Lowenthal 1983: 210). Miller (1983: 42) elaborates

the means used for control and explains that “Oceania does not approach a state of rest,

it is explosive, noisy frantic, hectic […]: bombardments, torture, daily bouts of managed

hate, sudden ’bulletins’, wild parades, unceasing panic, […] war rallies, and so on” are

used to put the inhabitants in a state of constant fear. Fear is one of the major means of

keeping the inhabitants of Oceania down. What is more, Deutscher (1954: 124) refers to

aspects of controlled economy and states that “[i]n Oceania technological development

has reached so high a level that society could well satisfy all its material needs and

establish quality in its midst. But inequality and poverty are maintained in order to keep

Big Brother in power.” Additionally, the Party relies heavily on mind control, distorting the

collective memory and the objective truth to secure their power. Telescreens serve as the

main medium of manipulation as they permanently present the watchers with a distorted

reality. Additionally, the built-in cameras and microphones are used to constantly

scrutinize the inhabitants of Oceania (cf. Lea 2001: 159). What is more, by their

upbringing, children are educated to keep a careful eye on their fellow beings - especially

on their parents - and to report their crimes to the Thought Police. “Big Brother no longer

needs to control his citizens because they have become their own most effective

monitors,” points out Lea (2001: 165).

Whenever inhabitants of Oceania commit a crime, they are sent to the Ministry of Love

where from they usually never return to their previous lives. Winston assumes that these

people are killed or “vaporized“, as it is called in Nineteen Eighty-Four (cf. Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four: 21). After his capture, though, Winston realizes that the

punishment at the Ministry of Love mostly aims at torturing people to the point that they

give in to the Party’s overruling power. In the beginning, Winston is still optimistic that his

will is strong enough, as he “tells O’Brien that he, a ’superior’ man, and more generally

the ’spirit of Man’, will defeat O’Brien and what he represents” (Lee 1969: 144). Avishai

(1983: 71) notes that O’Brien is a fraud since he “knows the arguments against the Party

and [therefore] loves its power all the more“. O’Brien’s explanation, that “the Party seeks

power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are

interested in solely power,” is not at all satisfactory to the reader (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-

Four: 227). In Goldstein’s book on the political structures of Oceania, the explanation for

why the Party seeks power is as unsatisfactory as O’Brien’s because the book was in

fact written by the Thought Police (cf. Greenblatt 1965: 114-115). Since the question of

‘why?’ is never sufficiently answered in the novel, Steinhoff assumes that Orwell was

perhaps of the simple opinion that people are just keen on having power over others in

general without any distinct reason (cf. 1975: 208). Be that as it may, the fact that Orwell

has O’Brien speak very openly and cynically about the use of power in Oceania was a

progressive step by the author so soon after WWII (cf. Howe 1983: 12-13).

In Winston’s case, the torture he experiences aims at reducing him to a minimum of a

human being, so that the Party can build him up again as a model citizen that devotedly

follows their ideology (cf. Steinhoff 1975: 210-211). O’Brien clearly explains to Winston

that “[n]ever again will you be capable of ordinary human feeling. Everything will be dead

inside you. Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living […]. You

will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with

ourselves” (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 220). The act of filling Winston with themselves

refers to brainwashing him and to finally turning him into an obedient and devoted citizen.

In order to kill Winston’s fighting spirit, the ultimate threat is applied to him. In Room 101,

the prisoners encounter what they are most afraid of, which is, in Winston’s case, rats.

Lea (2001: 135) explains that “the threat of Room 101 is designed to inflict such a

significant trauma on his [Winston’s] consciousness that he cannot possibly conceive of

his prior life,” and points out that Winston is too traumatized afterwards to be resistant

again.

3.2.3. Sexuality and Resistance

Sexuality is a key political issue in Nineteen Eighty-Four, and sexual deprivation another

means to control society. Personal freedom and autonomous decisions are issues

people generally want to protect even under the most severe of circumstances, which is

why sex is used as an act of rebellion against Big Brother in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Hoffman Baruch notes that, in (anti-)utopian worlds, sexual freedom and individuality

usually go hand in hand with separation from authoritative leaders. The example of

restricted sexuality essentially shows how deeply the Inner Party is involved in the

inhabitants’ personal lives as they attempt to eliminate all opportunities for intimate

relations (cf. Hoffman Baruch 1983: 51-53; Howe 1983: 9). Miller explains the

governmental instalment of sexual restrictions in Oceania and points out that over the

time the inhabitants have become entirely indifferent towards each other’s bodies and

towards the act of sexual pleasure itself. Sexual intercourse is only possible and wanted

if the Party allows a couple to have a baby (cf. Miller 1983: 31).

With regard to the political use of sexual restrictions, Howe (1983: 9) explains that the

inhabitants’ unsatisfied “[s]exual energy is to be transformed into political violence and

personal hysteria,” which means that this energy additionally stirs panic and fear

amongst the population. Julia’s main heresy is Sexcrime - unlike Winston, whose crimes

are also of a political nature. Greenblatt (1965: 115) states that “[s]ex […] represents a

threat to the state, because it is essentially private, isolated, uncontrollable,” which is why

the act of Sexcrime is punished severely. Winston’s briefly recurring ecstasy from his

love affair with Julia is an additional act of defiance, as it utterly opposes the rules of the

Party. The libido and the animalistic instinct that awaken within Winston serve as a

means of liberation and, once more, support his resistant intentions (cf. Miller 1983:

33-34). Winston clearly describes that act of resistance through sexuality: “[Y]ou could

not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything

was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their [Winston’s and Julia’s] embrace had been a

battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political

act” (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 112). Apart from the act of making love, descriptions

of emotional love among the people of Oceania are scarcely found in the novel. It can be

said that all the inhabitants’ love - as long as they are still able to feel it - is solely and

devotedly directed at Big Brother and his ideology. The inhabitants’ devotion is especially

important to the Party because if the leader is doubtlessly worshipped and loved like a

god, he will not be called into question. As a matter of fact, the Party spreads the myth of

the “saviour-tyrant” Big Brother, who would do anything for his people, as long as they

are faithful (Greenblatt 1965: 113).

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston’s personal resistance is not only expressed through his

secret love affair with Julia but also through his illicit thoughts, which he writes down in

his journal, and through his entry into the Brotherhood. Winston knows that he is solely a

drop in the ocean and a successful revolution can only be carried out by a larger mass.

In his journal, he notes that if “there is hope [for resistance] it lies in the proles“ (Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four: 64). The so-called proles are similar to the working class of a

society, the proletarians, and they make up about 85% of the population of Oceania. This

large majority is suppressed by the members of the oligarchically-ruling Inner Party and

is deprived of the opportunity to rebel against its oppressors (cf. Greenblatt 1965: 113).

The entire system in Oceania is designed to ensure the fact that nothing makes a

difference. It does not matter whether you step up for your rights or not. At his own

expense, Winston learns that nothing will ever bring about change to the society he lives

in (cf. Miller 1983: 28).

3.3. The Topicality of Nineteen Eighty-Four in Culture and Society

Lee says that Nineteen Eighty-Four can neither be directly connected to nor is it shaped

by current history or politics. In his opinion, “the evidence presented in the book is a

product of all-too-mutable history” (1969: 134). But, not only does Nineteen Eighty-Four

allude to the events that took place just before its publication, it has also provably shaped

and still shapes the political world decades after its release. Deutscher (1983: 119) points

out that “[f]ew novels written in this [early post-war] generation have obtained popularity

as great as that of George Orwell’s 1984. Few, if any, have made a similar impact on

politics,” especially on the politics of the Cold War. Furthermore, Deutscher states that

“[t]he title of Orwell’s book is a political by-word. The terms coined by him […] have

entered the political vocabulary; they occur in most newspaper articles denouncing

Russia and communism” (1983: 119). Deutscher points out a circumstance which Orwell

was afraid might happen: in order to counter those who would misuse his novel for

political reasons, Orwell wrote a clarification which states:

My novel […] is not intended as an attack on socialism […] but as a show-up of the

perversions to which a centralized economy is liable, and which have already been partly

realized in Communism and fascism. I do not believe that the kind of society I describe

will arrive but I believe (allowing, of course, for the fact that the book is a satire) that

something resembling could arrive. […] The scene of the book is laid in Britain in order to

emphasize […] that totalitarianism, if not fought against, could triumph anywhere. (Orwell

in July 1949 in a Letter to the Editor to the Life magazine, qtd. in Steinhoff 1975: 198-199)

During the Cold War Nineteen Eighty-Four was used as an ideological weapon against

Communism and Collectivism by the Western World and became an important

instrument of political propaganda. It needs to be said that, with regard to Nineteen

Eighty-Four, different interpretations from various focal points are possible and that these

diverging readings have been misused for political interests. Contrary to a western

reading, the Soviet point of view sees Oceania as a controlled US-American society,

under the constant surveillance of the FBI and its head J. Edgar Hoover. Both sides, East

and West, have essentially made use of the same arguments, criticizing each other by

arguing that their opponent’s politics and society are the true representatives of the world

presented in Nineteen Eighty-Four (cf. Steinhoff 1975: 186).

Rodden states that the political landscape has changed dramatically since the year 1984:

the Cold War has ended, the Berlin Wall has fallen, and the Soviet Union has collapsed.

The bipolar world order as such no longer exists and, therefore, the anti-communist

ideology of the Western world has faded (cf. 2003: 65). But the Cold War era was not the

only time during which the topics of Nineteen Eighty-Four were politically relevant.

Totalitarianism, tyranny, and oligarchy have not gone extinct. Various totalitarian and

military regimes are still in power in various countries around the world, and surveillance

and governmental control are daily companions, even in Western countries. According to

Lea (2001: 119), Orwell’s dystopia is timeless as its “representation of the totalitarian

state is persuasive and unsettling to such a degree that it has become lodged within the

cultural memory of the Western world and is consistently resurrected as a metaphor for

repressive state governance.” The terms ’Orwell’ and ’Orwellian’ in connection with

political and social issues have become synonyms for governmental control over

inhabitants, for personal repression, and for a lack of personal freedom (cf. Lea 2001:

176). The year 2003 - in which Orwell would have been 100 years old - brought about

new discussions about his dystopian visions and ideas. Rodden (2003: 62) points out

that “commentators on the war on terrorism [have found] increasing and urgent reason to

evoke his dystopian vision” once more. The constant War on Terror and the fear of an

unpredictable enemy have changed politics over the world tremendously. In the

aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001, US and

European governments began to put their citizens under surveillance and to collect their

data, ostensibly as a means of fighting terrorism. McGrath (2004: 19-20) mentions the

“extraordinary degree to which the average citizen in Western society is documented by

government and commercial data banks, and the […] phone and email monitoring

systems“ which serve aims similar to the telescreens in Oceania.

The relevance of Orwell’s oeuvre in the 20th and 21st century is “an indication of [its]

enduring values […] and of their ability to reflect the changing conditions of political

anxiety even in the post-Soviet world.” Lea adds that despite its “historical specificity,” the

novel contemplates “the broader nature of power itself, and, in particular explore[s] the

potential for corruption by power that Orwell saw to be at the heart of humankind” and

which would never become extinct (2001: 9). The topics found in Orwell’s Nineteen

Eighty-Four are always relevant because they essentially deal with the dangers of a

controlled and exploited society. Due to the fact that the novel has not lost its topicality,

various forms of media have adapted its themes, topics, and ideas, and have

incorporated them into film, TV series, and songs.

3.3.1. Nineteen Eighty-Four in (Popular) Media

Since the themes of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four are timeless, they have been revived

in other forms of media. Miller (1983: 20) nicely sums up that the novel “has become a

standard text in colleges and high schools, it is invoked and quoted endlessly in other

books, in movies and on television, its eerie coinages have […] been entirely integrated

into the common speech of journalism.” Howe points toward the fact that concepts like

Newspeak, Big Brother, the Two Minutes Hate, and the Ministry of Love, have all entered

people’s consciousness and evidently shaped society (cf. 1983: 7). Lea adds that this

circumstance “is indicative of the degree to which Orwell’s work has outgrown its author

and has mutated to reflect upon changes in society” (2001: 177). Orwell’s Nineteen

Eighty-Four has been adapted to a variety of other media because the themes are

widespread within society. The following summary of examples of Orwell’s Nineteen

Eighty-Four in popular media aims to highlight the fact that the novel and its contents

have been of constant interest since its publication in 1949.

The treatment of Nineteen Eighty-Four in films has brought Orwell’s novel to new fame.

The first TV adaption was broadcast by the BBC in 1954. Without warning, leaving its

watchers unprepared for the horrors that were about to be shown, this movie displayed

the topics of Nineteen Eighty-Four in the raw. The TV play was a scandal but,

nevertheless, boosted book sales to 19,000 copies a week after its first screening. In

1956, a US version of the film was released, but it included many new adaptions of and

deviations from the contents of the book. The main focus of this film was on the two

lovers and how they heroically died together in a hail of bullets at the very moment

Winston defiantly proclaims the downfall of Big Brother. In 1984, interest in Orwell and

his novel revived: a large amount of documentaries on the topic as well as on Orwell’s

biography and his impact on the post-war culture were released. In addition, another

movie named “1984” was produced, which actually tried to replicate the outline of the 4

pessimistic future that is described in the novel. The movie primarily focused on

totalitarian systems and their psychological impact on Oceania’s inhabitants. In Lea’s

opinion, the film might have reflected the contemporary political landscape in Britain.

When the film was released, Britain was being governed with an iron fist by Prime

Minister Margaret Thatcher, the country and its industries were degenerated, and the

inhabitants of the UK were in a state of shock. Later movies that appeared on the market

were not directly based on the novel but took to some extent their inspiration from

Orwell’s dystopia. Kubrick’s interpretation of A Clockwork Orange (1962), Bladerunner

(1982), The Running Man (1987), Robocop (1987), The Truman Show (1998), and

Enemy of the State (1998), are all examples of modern, cinematic realizations which

make use of Orwell’s ideas (cf. Lea 2001: 177-190).

Phrases and concepts from Nineteen Eighty-Four have also been used in reality TV

series. The most prominent example - and perhaps also the most notorious - is the

reality TV show Big Brother, in which volunteers are locked in a house and constantly

monitored by cameras. The viewer thus takes over the role of Big Brother, as they

voyeuristically follow every step the contestants take. Our fascination with the private

The soundtrack to this movie adaption of Nineteen Eighty-Four has been produced by the band Eurythmics. It is 4

briefly elaborated on these song lyrics in chapter 6.3.

lives of others has made and still makes the show successful all over the world. The

violation of privacy has been the main point of criticism regarding Big Brother. Another

TV show, Room 101, confronts celebrities with their deepest fears by sending them into a

locked room containing their personal hate object. The similarity to Room 101 in the

Ministry of Love is obvious (cf. Lea 2001: 191).

In addition to film, television, and various genres in writing, Nineteen Eighty-Four has

also served as the basis for different musical adaptions. Due to its contemporary topics

and the many similarities between the fictional and real society and politics, it was

decided to use Orwell’s dystopia as a literary basis for an opera in 2005. Concerning the

topicality and the warning nature of the novel, the conductor and composer points out

that “a creeping 1984-ism” is, in fact, “the theme of today” (Premiere for opera of Orwell’s

1984). Not only in classical but also in popular music, many artists and songwriter have

dared to base their lyrics on the themes of Nineteen Eighty-Four. The following chapters

elaborate on and examine song lyrics that have found their inspiration in Orwell’s

dystopian novel. As a matter of fact, a wide range of UK and US musicians have included

aspects, themes, and references to Nineteen Eighty-Four in their songs. Without a doubt,

the two musicians or music groups who stand out the most in this regard are David

Bowie and Muse. The following chapters attempt to answer the questions of to what

extent these musicians took their inspiration from Nineteen Eighty-Four, how and why

they have incorporated ideas from the novel into their songs, and how those references

to the book might influence possible readings and interpretations of the individual songs. 5

The lyrics to all of the songs that are interpreted and analyzed in the course of the following chapters can be 5

found in the appendix of this diploma thesis (8.3. Appendix: Song Lyrics). In addition, those songs analyzed in-depth are also included at the beginning of the respective subchapters.

4. “WE WANT YOU BIG BROTHER": BOWIE’S HANDLING OF NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR

Scholars of literature are immensely drawn to song lyrics written by David Bowie

because many of his lyrics resemble fictional narratives and tell whole stories over the

course of the song. Another feature of Bowie’s songs that has caught critics’ attention is

the creation of song lyrics by using a special cut-up technique followed by a

rearrangement of its original lyrics. More precisely, this technique is carried out by writing

down lyrics on a sheet of paper, literally cutting them up, and then rearranging the

phrases and words into a new song. As a result, the songs are not entirely cohesive and

coherent but special in their characteristics. (cf. Ali/Wallace 2015: 263-267). Indeed,

David Bowie’s work is remarkably diverse. In terms of his inspiration, he is known to

have borrowed ideas from other forms of media and from various other artists. Even

though Bowie once stated in an interview that literature would never be a source of

inspiration for him, he is said to have based many of his ideas for songs, amongst others,

on Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and, of course,

George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eight-Four, a piece of literature which deeply

fascinated him (cf. Johnson 2015: 11-15; Copetas 1974).

4.1. David Bowie: Characteristics of his Career, Music, and Style

David Bowie was born in 1947 as David Robert Jones in the suburbs of London. The

young Bowie soon showed musical and artistic talent as he took up playing saxophone

and guitar and performed in various school bands as well as other music groups. When

his professional career finally started, he changed his name from David Jones to David

Bowie to make sure he would not to be confused with Davy Jones, the singer of the band

The Monkees. According to Perone, this name change was a symbolic act. Altering his

name foreboded Bowie’s changing attitude and his convertibility throughout his career,

making the singer a musical chameleon. More precisely, this means that Bowie

anticipated, adapted, but also shaped various different styles and trends throughout the

years (cf. Perone 2007: xi, 1). At the end of the 1960s, Bowie’s musical style resembled

that of sentimental song writers, his music was described as similar to the songs of song-

poet Bob Dylan. However, his first album Man of Words, Man of Music, released in 1969,

did not capture an audience. Bowie thought about quitting his musical career at once, but

with a new manager, a new band, and a new musical style, he finally had his

breakthrough: his next album The Man Who Sold The World, and especially the song

“Space Oddity“, which was released in 1969, finally made him popular and known to a

wider audience. At the same time, Bowie modified his appearance drastically: his hair

style and the way he dressed became colourful and conspicuous. In addition, Bowie

announced his bisexuality and became the leader of a new androgynous youth culture. It

can be said that Bowie had a tremendous influence on the English youth culture of the

1970s, as the country itself was damaged and dull. The spirit of the 1960s had vanished

and British society had become repressive and conservative. With the help of his

diverse, sometimes offensive, but also sophisticated lyrics, David Bowie shook up the

UK. By 1972 David Bowie had become a star and an icon, but at the same time he

wanted to remain a bohemian, an outsider to society. In order to become such an alien to

the community Bowie invented various alter egos and personalities, one more glamorous

and artificial than the other. The first and most prominent of his alter egos was Ziggy

Stardust, the personification of an alien who came to earth in the form of a rock star (cf.

Carson 1992: 532-537; Elms 2012: 7-9).

In their article, Ali and Wallace (2015: 263) point toward the fact that “[p]articularly in the

1970s, Bowie presented himself on ever-shifting grounds, whether he played a fictional

character, claimed different sexual identities or declared the apocalypse, the beginning of

the end.” Declaring the apocalypse was the main issue of the album Diamond Dogs,

which was released in 1974. This album almost ruined the artist’s career, as topic-wise it

was too dark and disturbing, even for Bowie himself. In 1975 he modified his musical

style again, playing funky club music, changing his appearance to that of a rock dandy,

and releasing the hit album Young Americans. In the course of the 1970s and the early

1980s Bowie moved to L.A. and Berlin and collaborated with several other musicians.

Throughout his career, he released entertaining and pop influenced albums, like Station

to Station and Let’s Dance, but Bowie also returned to darker, more sophisticated

themes and produced, amongst others, the albums Lodger and Scary Monsters (cf.

Carson 1992: 532-537). David Bowie was an exceedingly active musician for more than

four decades. He recorded more than 25 albums of which two thirds achieved the status

of either gold or platinum. Bowie was a highly influential artist until his death in January

2016. He is still an inspiration to many contemporary musicians. Even though he

repeatedly changed his musical style and never followed a specific trend in music, Bowie

contributed to the concept of rock music, or at least to its paradigms (cf. Hollingshaus

2013: 93-94; David Bowie dies of cancer aged 69). Perone (2007: xii) goes into more

detail and states that Bowie made a “tremendous impact on rock music through his

combination of various rock styles with theater and narrative poetic style.”

David Bowie’s singles and albums tended to generate critical reactions. On the one

hand, Bowie raised issues concerning sexual orientation and androgyny. As mentioned

before, he became the leading figure of an unfolding androgynous youth culture (cf.

Perone 2007: xii). On the other hand, critics of Bowie pointed toward the fact that his

songs were lacking in political commentary. Since rock music has always been

concerned with commenting on political issues and political change, Bowie’s

shortcomings with regard to these topics was seen as particularly blameworthy. 6

According to his critics, Bowie was politically inactive, but, in fact, he took part in political

events like the Live Aid concert in 1985. Speaking of Bowie and politics, Hollingshaus

(2013: 95) states “that although Bowie does not often give himself over to overt political

activities, the breadth and nature of his artistic work reveal that his work is in fact deeply

political.” According to Hollingshaus there is, at any time, a connection between politics,

aesthetics, and arts, which is why it seems legitimate to attribute a political agenda to

Bowie’s songs. Hollingshaus adds that the breadth of his work - referring to Bowie’s wide

spectrum of musical styles and the theatrical and artistic attempts in his music -

represents democracy as well as political sensibility. Another factor which, according to

Hollingshaus, invokes politics in the works of David Bowie is the singer’s attempt to

alienate himself. Positioning himself inside and outside society makes Bowie a

representative of political diversity and emancipation (cf. 2013: 94-96). In addition, Bowie

can be ascribed political sensibility regarding his perception of society. In many of his

songs, Bowie invented alternative scenarios for his own time, mostly visions of a doomed

mankind. He represented those scenarios in a highly imaginative way and wrote about

them as he seriously believed that they could possibly come to be (cf. Carson 1992:

535). The following chapter takes a look at the album Diamond Dogs, one of Bowie’s

darker and more foreboding pieces of work. In general terms, its content describes an

apocalyptic scenario and the decay of society - issues which definitely point towards

Bowie’s political sensibility and awareness. The themes of this album heavily draw on the

dystopian world of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

4.2. Working on Nineteen Eighty-Four: From Musical to Album

The album Diamond Dogs is filled with songs that contain serious apocalyptic images,

expressed through pessimistic lyrics about decay, destruction, and a loss of individuality.

From his early years on, Bowie had been fascinated by the features of totalitarian

societies and the resulting decline of humanity. Some have claimed that Bowie was in

fact the first artist who brought monstrous and horrific aspects of humanity into the

cheerful world of pop culture (cf. Ali/Wallace 2015: 272; Elms 2012: 84). Before working

on Diamond Dogs, Bowie had been exploring new aspects of his (musical) life. He retired

his alter ego Ziggy Stardust and broke with all the musicians who had worked with him

on his previous projects. In the course of a tour, Bowie paid a visit to the communist

Soviet Union. The impressions he got there - the stern bureaucracy, the poverty, and the

Rock music and political issues were always closely connected: In the 1960s and 1970s rock music was linked 6

to the civil rights movement, followed by the 1980s and 1990s in which rock concerts promoted human rights programs in third-world countries (cf. Hollingshaus 2013: 94).

oppression - stirred up Bowie’s panic and fear about what was going on in the world. In

addition, the Watergate Scandal, the Yom Kippur War, and an economic crisis in the UK,

stoked a repressive and dystopian atmosphere amongst people. Becoming more and

more intrigued with portraying the negative, Bowie turned to a project which was close to

his heart: he wanted to make a rock musical that re-enacted George Orwell’s Nineteen

Eighty-Four. In his opinion, this novel was the verbal re-creation of an oppressed

communist society. Having already started to work on his Nineteen Eighty-Four musical,

Bowie had difficulties acquiring the permission to work on the novel, as George Orwell’s

widow Sonia refused him the rights. As a result, Bowie had to change his project in the 7

midst of working on it. He found himself having written and collected song lyrics about

the totalitarian and dystopian themes of the novel, but did not know what to do with them

(cf. Perone 2007: 41; Buckley 2015; Dogget 2012: 195-197).

As a way out, Bowie decided to put these songs on his next album, Diamond Dogs. As a

way of matching the songs with the ones that were still to be written, Bowie envisaged

his own dystopian world, around which the album would revolve. Buckley (2015)

describes how Bowie “created his own future urban nightmare environment, Hunger City,

a sort of post-nuclear, technologically primitive hell populated by tribes of proto-punks

looting their way through the streets.” Incidentally, Elms points out that due to the

depiction of so-called “proto-punks” on the album, Diamond Dogs is considered to be the

prophetic vision of punk (cf. 2012: 85). Positioning the contents of the songs in a post-

nuclear, apocalyptic environment perfectly unites the themes of the novel Nineteen

Eighty-Four and the worries about a nuclear war followed by a humanitarian disaster.

Since the album was written and released during the Cold War Era, anxiety about what

might happen after a nuclear war was a daily reality. As mentioned above, Bowie himself

had trouble engaging with the gloomy topic of his dystopian concept album. Carson

(1992: 535) puts this problem as follows: “Bowie had seemingly become a prisoner of his

own momentum [his album]. In its unresolved combination of doom hysteria and frenetic

pandering, Diamond Dogs […] was over the top even for him.”

The album Diamond Dogs shows Bowie at his most creative. It is innovative, using a

theatrical or even cinematic approach to arrange the songs. His effort was rewarded with

34 weeks on the UK charts after its release in May 1974. The lyrics on Diamond Dogs

encapsulate what had been Bowie bothering at the time of writing. Topic-wise, it is

certainly audacious (cf. Buckley 2015). According to Perone, the album has no clear

focus, and many of the themes had already been covered by Bowie’s previous projects.

Perone especially criticizes the fact that Diamond Dogs, as a concept album or a song

In fact, Sonia Orwell turned down anyone who asked for permission to make use of Nineteen Eighty-Four as she 7

was highly protective of her husband’s legacy (cf. Dogget 2011: 197).

cycle, jumps between its themes and subjects excessively. Indeed, the storyline of the

album is a bit incoherent for the reasons noted above. In addition, Bowie also used his

famous cut-up technique, which led to rather illogical cuts and fractured phrases in some

of the song lyrics of this album (cf. Perone 2007: 41-42; Buckley 2015). Analyzing

Bowie’s songs on Diamond Dogs, one has to keep in mind that we have no information

on how thoroughly he had planned out the scenario for his musical Nineteen Eighty-Four

in the first place. Some of the songs - amongst them “1984”, “We Are The Dead”, and

“Big Brother” - contain themes and quotations that are doubtlessly based on the novel.

Others, like “Rebel, Rebel” or “Future Legends”, cannot as easily be fit into the

framework of Orwell’s novel (cf. Dogget 2012: 197). But in fact, in forums on David Bowie

fan pages, people are eager to link almost all songs from Diamond Dogs to the novel.

Some of these interpretative attempts are discussed in the following chapters. In general,

the following subchapters analyze and interpret David Bowie’s songs from Diamond

Dogs, with a close look at the connections and references made to Nineteen Eight-Four.

4.3. “1984”: Bowie’s Introduction to his Dystopian World

Verse 1

Someday they will get you now you must agree

The times they are a telling

And the changing isn't free

You've read it in the tea leaves

and the tracks are on TV

Beware the savage lure of 1984

Verse 2

They'll split your pretty cranium

And fill it full of air

And tell you that you're eighty

But brother you won't care

You'll be shooting up on anything

tomorrow's never there

Come see, come see remember me?

We played an all night movie role

You said it would last

But I guess we enrolled in 1984, 1984

Verse 3

I'm looking for a vehicle I'm looking for a ride

I'm looking for a party I'm looking for a side

I'm looking for the treason that I knew in '65

1984,…

Bowie’s song “1984” would have served as a perfect introduction to a Nineteen Eighty-

Four musical, for which it was probably intended in the first place (cf. Perone 2007: 45).

The song presents the contents of the Diamond Dogs album in a highly theatrical,

musical, and dramatic manner. As Buckley points out, the song “1984” is full of dark

predictions concerning the future of the world and of mankind (cf. 2015). Bowie utters a

warning, telling the audience to beware of what the future might bring, especially the year

1984. Since the album Diamond Dogs was written in 1974, it was then still possible to

wonder whether George Orwell had made correct prophecies concerning what the world

would look like in 1984. This song, and essentially the entire album, plays with the fact

that the year 1984 was still 10 years ahead and - looking at the politically divided world at

that time - any future seemed possible.

The song “1984” consists of three verses, each describing a devastating future scenario.

In order to create narrative and formal coherence, Bowie relies heavily on internal

repetition. Most of the verses consist of partial end-rhyme schemes, like axayaz (verse

1), xayaza (verse 2 lines 1-7), and aaax (verse 3). Additionally, alliterations like, “and the

tracks are on TV” (verse 1 line 5), or, “But brother you won’t care” (verse 2 line 4);

assonance, “You’ve read it in the tea leaves” (verse 1 line 4); internal rhyme as well as

an epanalepsis, “Come see come see remember me?” (verse 2 line 9); and anaphoras

as, for instance, “I’m looking for” (verse 3 lines 1-3), can be found. The song fades out

repeating the year “1984” and the reiteration of the title once more supports the

introductory character of the song. The lyrics to the song “1984” are, in terms of content,

filled with allusions and metaphors referring to Orwell’s novel.

Verse 1 contains a general warning to the listener to beware of the year 1984 and the

changes that it might bring to society. These changes have already been predicted since

“The times they are a telling” (line 2), and someone has “read it in the tea leaves“ (line 4).

Additionally, in verse 3, the speaker refers to a “treason that I knew in ’65”, stating that

since 1965, it has been clear to the protagonist what horrors were bound to happen in

1984. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to determine why Bowie is referring to the exact

year 1965; perhaps to create an assonance to lines 1 and 2, “ride - side - [five].“ On the

other hand, it might refer to the beginning of Bowie’s career in the mid 1960s. In any

case, this line once more underlines the warning aspect of the song, as it suggests that

almost 20 years earlier the treason of the year 1984 had already been known.

Leaving the accuracy of these predictions aside, it is a matter of fact that this “changing

[of society] isn’t free” (line 3), but installed by a higher authority, comparable to the

implementation of rules by Big Brother in Oceania or the mechanisms behind any

totalitarian system. The last line of verse 1, “Beware the savage lure of 1984”, is widely

discussed in literature because the message it conveys is at the core of the song.

Perone believes that this line contains a drastic warning, stating that the “savage lure”

refers to the dangers of totalitarianism (cf. 2007: 45). Similar to Perone, Dogget (2012:

199) wonders whether Bowie is “warning of the ‘savage jaw’ of 1984 - Big Brother’s

harsh words, perhaps, plus the image of a rabid, slobbering hound - or [of] the ‘savage

lure’, which enabled Big Brother to retain power.” Dogget highlights the fact that the term

“savage lure / jaw” is a mondegreen, which means this lyrics tend to be misheard.

Whereas the official booklet of the album says “savage lure”, people argue that “savage

jaw” is the correct term (cf. Misheard Song Lyrics - David Bowie).

In addition to the warning about totalitarianism, Bowie provides listeners of the song with

detailed information about the punishments that are applied to those who act against the

system. In the first line of verse 1, “Someday they will get you“, already indicates the

possible dangers and describes how “they“, the Thought Police, are after the

troublemakers Winston and Julia. Verse 2 describes the act of brainwashing in the

torture rooms beneath the Ministry of Love. The lines, “They’ll split your pretty cranium /

And fill it full of air” (lines 1-2), followed by the implementation of a new memory, “And tell

you that you’re eighty” (line 3), demonstrate that Big Brother aims to break the will of its

subjects. Subsequently, the brainwashed prisoners will “be shooting up on anything” (line

5). The act of “shooting up” refers to drug use and its resulting, sometimes exciting

effects. Bowie references this dependence in relation to the brainwashed prisoners who

have no other memory or perspective they could believe in; this is why they are

ideologically fixated on Big Brother like on a drug. The pessimistic lines, “But brother you

won’t care” (line 4), and, “tomorrow’s never there” (line 6), point out that resistance is

futile, as it is impossible to escape one’s destiny in Oceania. Nevertheless, verse 3

describes the protagonist’s intention to resist the politically controlled system in Oceania.

The speaker states “I’m looking for a vehicle I’m looking for a ride / I’m looking for a party

I’m looking for a side” (lines 1-2), pointing out that he is looking for a way to escape and

for political alternatives to Big Brother that he can turn to.

What is more, Winston’s and Julia’s love affair is briefly mentioned in the song “1984”.

The question “Come see come see remember me?” (line 8) might be raised by either

Winston or Julia after having been released from the Ministry of Love, since the line

questions their ability to remember their romance. The following lines, “We played an all

night movie role / You said it would last” (line 9-10) could also serve as a reflection on

Winston’s and Julia’s relationship. These lines present Winston’s expectations

concerning their relationship, his illusion that their secret love affair would be movie-like,

exciting, and, most importantly, lasting. The last line, “But I guess we enrolled in 1984,”

destroys this illusion. Enrolling in 1984 sounds rather positive and voluntary, and stands

in contradiction to the actual force and political pressure that was put on inhabitants of

Oceania. In addition, these last lines show Bowie’s cynicism and the irony with which he

tackles the topic of the oppressive society of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

In terms of music, “1984” has a fast and funky beat which, according to Pegg, compares

to a precursor of the disco movement of the 1980s (cf. 2011). Besides its happy tune,

Dogget (2012: 199) notes that there is a different key in the final verse of the song and

states that this shift in key is “perhaps meant to symbolize Winston Smith’s separation

from Big Brother’s society.” Not only the changing of key in verse 3, but also the fact that

the lyrics represent active resistance support Dogget’s theory. In addition, Dogget points

out that “1984” has great dramatic potential, referring to the tinkling sirens that can be

heard throughout the song (cf. 2012: 199). The wail of sirens once more highlights the

fact that the main aim of the song “1984” is to point out the horrors of totalitarianism and

the resulting doom of mankind at the same time as it serves as a warning about a

terrifying future seems bound to come about.

4.4. “Big Brother”: Praising the Dictator

Verse 1

Don't talk of dust and roses

Or should we powder our noses?

Don't talk of last years’ capers

Give me steel, give me steel

Give me pulsars unreal

Verse 2

He'll build a glass asylum

With just a hint of mayhem

He'll build a better whirlpool

We'll be living from sin

Then we can really begin

Bridge

Please saviour, saviour show us

Hear me, I'm graphically yours

Chorus

Someone to claim us - someone to follow

Someone to shame us - some brave Apollo

Someone to fool us - someone like you

We want you Big Brother - Big Brother

Pre-Chorus

I know you think you're awful square

But you made everyone and you've been

everywhere

Lord I think you'd overdose if you knew what's

going down

Repetition of Chorus

“Big Brother” is a song full of praise and devotion to the leader of Oceania. In fact, Big

Brother is directly addressed by the people, as the protagonist and singer of the song

identifies himself as a part of society. Perone (2007: 45) nicely sums up the contents of

the song, stating that “Bowie plays the role of a man who has been convinced that the

Big Brother character of 1984 is a saviour. It is a song of praise to the leader,” almost

anthem-like. The music of the song “Big Brother” is densely packed with trumpets,

strings, and drums, and its full sound and its tunefulness supports the ostensibly

optimistic and commending tone of the lyrics (cf. Buckley 2005: 186). Perone (2007: 45)

praises the song, stating that “Bowie’s melodic writing in the pleading and praising

sections goes beyond conventional pop song and moves squarely into the world of

contemporary musical theater.” Dogget (2011: 207) adds that Bowie’s “soaring vocal,

doubled by a voice an octave higher” represents being “on the edge of insanity“ or

Bowie’s attempt present his “emotions within the restraints of Big Brother’s society.”

Indeed, “Big Brother” is outstanding with regard to its theatricality, which here is used in

excess. This exaggeration can be interpreted as a sign of cynicism and irony since the

total devotion to the leader is something that has been forced upon the people of

Oceania and is not a voluntary dependence.

The song “Big Brother” consists of two verses, a bridge, a pre-chorus, and the chorus.

Similar to the previous song, Bowie once again uses various forms of internal repetition.

In this song, the artist makes use of rhyming couplets: the partial end-rhyme schemes

aaxbb and xyzaa are used in the verses, the chorus rhymes aaxy, and the pre-chorus

aax. Additionally, anaphoras can be found throughout the entire song, like “Don’t

talk” (verse 1 lines 1+3), “Give me“ (verse 1 lines 4-5), “He’ll build“ (verse 2 lines 1+3),

and “Someone to“ (chorus lines 1-3). Eventually, it can be said that the anthem-like

nature of the song is shown best in the chorus, because the use of the anaphoras and

comparisons highlights the desperate need for a leader like Big Brother especially well.

In terms of content, verse 1, in a broader sense, focuses on past events, which should

be erased from the collective memory bank in order to be filled with Big Brother’s ideas

and his greatness. Lines 1 and 3 support this assumption since “Don’t talk of dust and

roses” is a metaphor for the past, and the line “Don’t talk of last years capers,” directly

states that anything positive that happened in previous years should be forgotten. Verse

2 goes on by ironically describing how life will change for the ‘better’ under Big Brother.

Firstly, “He’ll build a glass asylum / With just a hint of mayhem” (lines 1-2). The phrase

“glass asylum” stands out, as an asylum usually refers to either a shelter for someone in

danger or a mental institution. In fact, the Ministry of Love could be described as an

asylum since those who are sent there are, in the eyes of Big Brother, mentally deranged

and requiring treatment. Stating that the asylum is made out of glass suggests the

possibility of looking into as well as out of the asylum. This is, of course, not actually the

case but rather a cynical distortion of the facts. The term glass asylum creates the feeling

that there is a visible but unreachable outside, on the one hand, but the same time

provides permanent control from outside. Additionally, the phrase “just a hint of

mayhem” is an extremely ironic understatement, as it actually refers to the instalment of

a reign of terror, supported by massive, inhumane torture. Line 3, “He’ll build a better

whirlpool,” can be read as a metaphor for sucking people into chaos and manipulating

them into following a belief, just like Big Brother does in Oceania. Additionally, the line

“We’ll be living from sin” (line 4) alludes to the sexual restrictions placed upon the people

of Oceania. Since, in Nineteen Eighty-Four, sexuality is eliminated as a factor of

distraction and replaced by love for Big Brother, a proper life “can really begin” (line 5).

According to Buckley (2015) the song “Big Brother” represents the “idea of the ‘strong

man’, the ’homo superior’ as a means of salvation […] a Super God.” Throughout the

song Big Brother is indeed portrayed as a god-like figure as he is positioned at top of the

hierarchy of evolution. Once again, exaggeration is used to ironically contradict the main

themes and topics in this song. In the bridge, Big Brother is directly addressed and

clearly compared to a god-like figure. Using hyperboles and other means of

exaggeration, Bowie presents the following two lines: “Please saviour, saviour show us /

Hear me, I’m graphically yours.” In the Western world, the term saviour usually alludes to

Jesus; thus, Big Brother is put on the same level as a liberating, religious leader. Total

devotion to a higher force is the greater aim in Nineteen Eighty-Four, since loyal

followers are more easily ruled. The second line of the bridge once more highlights the

singer’s devotion to Big Brother. Interestingly, Bowie uses the contradictory terms “hear"

and “graphically" which can be associated with different senses. “Hear me” seems like

the beginning of a prayer in which the protagonist of the song demonstrates his devotion

to Big Brother, since he offers himself as a graphical means of demonstrating how a

perfect citizen of Oceania should look and behave. Big Brother’s superiority over the

ordinary man is also highlighted in the pre-chorus. In contrast to the previous verses,

here Big Brother is portrayed as if he were not aware of his hierarchical dominance, as

line 1, “I know you think you’re awful square,” indicates. But the speaker assures the

leader of his greatness, stating “But you made everyone and you’ve been

everywhere” (line 2), once more comparing Big Brother to a god, an omnipresent and

omnipotent creator. Additionally, this line could allude to brainwashing and the

manipulation of memory since Big Brother “made everyone” to his delight, as well as to

total surveillance since he has “been everywhere.”

The chorus finally displays the anthem-like and praising character of the song since it

comments on the features of the great leader. In lines 1 to 3, various positive, but also

negative, characteristics of Big Brother are pointed out, including, amongst others,

aspects of surveillance and deceitfulness. The lines say “Someone to claim us -

someone to follow / Someone to shame us - some brave Apollo / Someone to fool us -

someone like you.” The first halves of the lines put the emphasis on negative aspects of

Big Brother, as he claims, shames, and fools his people. On the other hand, the second

halves of each line state that Big Brother should be followed since he is a “brave Apollo,”

another allusion to a god. The Greek god Apollo is the god of light, salvation, and

represents aspects of moral purity, all of which are aspects that are incorporated within

Big Brother. Line 4 “We want you Big Brother - Big Brother” voices the people’s

acceptance and devotion to the leader, summing up the central meaning of the song and

using an epistrophe to once more praise Big Brother.

Despite seeming like it offers words of praise, the song “Big Brother” should be read as

criticism. The third line of the pre-chorus in particular, “Lord I think you’d overdose if you

knew what’s going on,” contradicts the previous lines as it states that not everyone is

devoted to Big Brother or following the rules. In fact, it could be argued that this line

illuminates Winston Smith’s perspective. Both Winston and Julia believe that their love

affair is secret and a form of resistance against Big Brother, which is why they remark, “if

you knew what’s going on.” The assumption that “Big Brother” is partly written out of

Winston and Julia’s perspective might seem far fetched, but Bowie’s wording could

actually support this idea as, in many cases, it can be perceived as highly ironical,

cynical, and ambiguous. Bowie’s words could express how Winston, as an insider of this

totalitarian society, would use these phrases, but attach a second, hidden meaning to

them, which looks like praise but in fact criticizes the social conditions and totalitarianism.

One fact that speaks against this interpretation is that in Oceania every memory of the

supernatural - such as God, the saviour Jesus, and the Greek god Apollo - has been

deleted. Winston, therefore, could not have compared Big Brother to other god-like

figures. In any case, the song defines and characterizes Big Brother at the same time as

it sarcastically points out all the negative aspects of a totalitarian regime. Even though

Bowie is not considered to be a political artist, his ironic handling of the ills of a

dictatorship in a time when the Soviet Union still existed is, in fact, strongly political.

4.5. “We Are The Dead”: Pointing Out Big Brother’s Flaws

Verse 1

Something kind of hit me today

I looked at you and wondered

If you saw things my way

People will hold us to blame

It hit me today, it hit me today

Verse 2

We're taking it hard all the time

Why don't we pass it by

Just reply you've changed your mind

We're fighting with the eyes of the blind

Taking it hard taking it hard yet now

Verse 3

We feel that we are paper choking on you nightly

They tell me, Son, we want you, be elusive

But don't walk far

For we're breaking in the new boys

Deceive your next of kin

For you're dancing

Where the dogs decay defecating ecstasy

You're just an ally of the leecher

Locator for the virgin king

But I love you in your fuck-me pumps

And your nimble dress that trails

Chorus 1

Oh dress yourself my urchin one

For I hear them on the rails

Because of all we've seen, because of all we've

We are the dead

Verse 4

One thing kind of touched me today

I looked at you and counted

All the times we had laid

Pressing our love through the night

Knowing it's right knowing it's right

Now I'm hoping someone will care

Living on the breath of a hope to be shared

Trusting on the sons of our love

That someone will care, someone will care

But now we're today's scrambled creatures

Locked in tomorrow's double feature

Heaven is on the pillow

Its silence competes with hell

It's a twenty-four-hour service

Guaranteed to make you tell

Verse 5

And the streets are full of pressmen

Bent on gettin' hung and buried

And the legendary curtains

Are drawn round baby bankrupt

Who sucks you while you're sleeping

It’s the theater of financiers

Count them fifteen round the table

White and dressed to kill

Chorus 2

Oh caress yourself my juicy

For my hands are all but withered

For I hear them on the stairs

We are the dead (3x)

Content-wise, “We Are The Dead” is certainly the Bowie song that is most closely linked

to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. First of all, the title “We Are The Dead” is a direct

quotation from the novel. Before being captured by the Thought Police, Winston and

Julia realize that their hiding place is a trap: “‘We are the dead,’ [Winston] said. ‘We are

the dead,’ echoed Julia dutifully. ‘You are the dead,’ said an iron voice behind

them” (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 188). The iron voice comes from behind a picture,

the medium through which the lovers have been surveilled the entire time. Perone states

that it seems odd that the protagonists already consider themselves among the dead,

even though they are still alive (cf. 2007: 45). But, in fact, Winston and Julia will be close

to death as soon as they are detained by the Thought Police. According to Buckley, the

song “We Are The Dead” focuses on this fear of being caught and imprisoned in the

Ministry of Love as well as on Winston’s and Julia’s despair, which can only be overcome

by the pleasure of sex (cf. 2015). The content of the song “We Are The Dead” tells the

story of Winston and Julia’s doomed romance, their love as a means of resistance, their

entry into the Brotherhood, the torture at the Ministry of Love and the ills of a totalitarian

society. Since there are various different topics incorporated into this song, the lyrics skip

about the themes and are, as a result, not entirely coherent. This circumstance can

perhaps be attributed to Bowie’s famous cut-up technique and the resulting

rearrangement of the original lyrics.

The speaker in the song “We Are The Dead” is once again Winston Smith. The lyrics

primarily address his lover Julia and, in some lines, his torturer O’Brien. Compared to the

songs analyzed previously, Bowie does not use as many stylistic devices to create

coherence: end-rhymes are hardly present. Assonance, like “Trusting on the sons of our

love” (verse 4 line 8), or alliteration, as in “For you’re dancing / Where the dogs decay

defecating ecstasy“ (verse 3 line 6-7), is also rarely used. Bowie’s use of anaphoras is

exceptional, however: the repetitive characteristic of lines, such as “It hit me today, it hit

me today” (verse 1 line 5), or “Knowing its right knowing its right” (verse 3 line 5),

highlight their message. The song “We Are The Dead” emphasizes the use of rhetorical

devices, mostly metaphors and euphemisms. The alliteration of “baby bankrupt” (verse 5

line 4), for instance, can be interpreted as a metaphor for Big Brother, and the phrase

“twenty-four-hour service / Guaranteed to make you tell” (verse 4 lines 14-15), is a

euphemistic expression for the constant torture that is used to extract a confession.

The issue of Julia and Winston’s love affair is mostly addressed in the song’s first parts

and its choruses. In the first two verses, the speaker Winston utters doubts about their

relationship and wonders “If [Julia] saw things [his] way” (verse 1 line 3), or whether they

have different opinions regarding their relationship, their beliefs, and their resistance

against Big Brother. Winston further expresses his reservations and directly addresses

Julia: “We’re taking it hard all the time / Why don’t we pass it by / Just reply you’ve

changed your mind” (verse 2 lines 1-3), he states. Winston acknowledges the difficulties

of their secret relationship and wants Julia to admit the differences in their opinions.

Winston is hit by these thoughts while he is lying in bed with his lover in their hiding place

above the junk shop. The choruses describe the scene shortly before the two lovers are

captured by the Thought Police. Winston once more addresses Julia and states: “Oh

dress yourself my urchin one / For I hear them on the rails / Because of all we've seen,

because of all we've said / We are the dead” (chorus 1 lines 1-5). The term “urchin one”

might be a reference to Julia’s ‘misbehaviour’ and a special term of endearment. In

general, these lines stress the lovers’ need to hurry and escape the dangerous situation

they are in. Interpreting the situation correctly, Winston realizes that because of the

information they have gotten by reading Goldstein’s book and because of everything they

said whilst being surveilled, they “are the dead.” To be “dead” in Orwell’s novel does not

necessarily mean to be killed, but rather to be tortured and brainwashed until one

becomes a devoted follower of Big Brother.

As pointed out in the novel, Winston falsely believes that he could do damage to the

Party by resisting and committing Sexcrime and Thoughtcrime. Essentially, Winston is of

the opinion that his and Julia’s love cannot be wrong, stating that they are “Pressing

[their] love through the night / Knowing it’s right knowing it’s right” (verse 4 lines 4-5), and

considering it an act of resistance. But as the line “We’re fighting with the eyes of the

blind” (verse 2 line 4) points out, it is impossible to fight against an enemy that is

ubiquitous but intangible at the same time. Winston, apparently desperate after being

captured by the Thought Police, states, “Now I’m hoping someone will care / Living on

the breath of a hope to be shared” (verse 4 lines 6-7). Believing that something

resembling a resistant organization is actually out there is the only thing that keeps

Winston’s hope alive and his conscience clean. He is still “Trusting on the sons of [their]

love” (verse 4 line 8), and convinced that there are more people who believe in love as

an act of resistance, since the phrase “sons of our love” can be read as an allusion to the

Brotherhood.

The concept behind the Brotherhood in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, their first

encounter with O’Brien, and how they are expected to behave as members of the

organization is also incorporated into the content of the song. Mimicking O’Brien’s direct

speech the lines state: “They tell me, Son, we want you, be elusive / But don’t walk far /

For we’re breaking in the new boys / Deceive your next of kin” (verse 3 lines 2-5). To join

the Brotherhood, the two lovers need to be “elusive” but available at the same time,

which are rather contradictory terms. What is more, deceiving and even killing children

and relatives, people’s “next of kin”, are amongst the duties of members of the

Brotherhood, and Winston actually agrees with them (cf. Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four:

151-153). But, in fact, the Brotherhood is a trap for resistant people, like Winston and

Julia, and the “dogs [the metaphorical term for the members of the Brotherhood] decay”

behind the walls of the Ministry of Love, “defecating“ ideas of resistance and confessing

their crimes (verse 3 line 7).

The lyrics of “We Are The Dead” also place a particular emphasis on the topic of torture

at the Ministry of Love. The speaker states that he is one of “today’s scrambled

creatures” (verse 4 line 10), referring to the fact that he and many others are physically

and mentally tortured. When he is in his cell, Winston euphemistically states that it feels

like “Heaven is on the pillow” (verse 4 line 12), because when he is able to sleep and be

left alone without torture, it feels divine. But, on the other hand, this “silence competes

with hell” (verse 4 line 13), means that this state of relief may at any time be interrupted

by Big Brother and, therefore, it is naive to believe that the peacefulness and tranquillity

will last. Waiting for the next torture session is as tormenting as being in “hell”. Since

torture is “a twenty-four-hour service” it is guaranteed “to make you tell“ (verse 4 line

14-15). Using euphemisms to refer to constant and exhausting torture supports Bowie’s

cynical and ironic approach to the general topic of totalitarian regimes once more, but

also shows the artist’s narrative talent. In the Ministry of Love, Winston directly

addresses his torturer O’Brien. He realizes that O’Brien is a traitor, “just an ally of the

leecher [sic!] / Locater for the virgin king“ (verse 3 lines 8-9). In these lines the leader Big

Brother is either compared to a leech, metaphorically sucking the blood out of people, or

to a lecher. But the immoral lecher Big Brother actually stands in contradiction to the term

“virgin king,” which alludes to the sexual abstinence in Oceania.

In terms of content, verse 5 is not as clear as the other verses regarding connections to

Nineteen Eighty-Four are, but, essentially, it describes the ills of society under the rule of

a totalitarian regime. Interestingly, Bowie establishes a connection between fiction and

reality. In lines 1 and 2, “And the streets are full of pressmen / bent on gettin’ hung and

buried,” one can assume that the Thought Police are referred to as the “pressmen,” who

observe the situation and report strange things happening, and who try to have as many

people executed as possible. Additionally, the term “pressmen” could allude to the act of

oppressing somebody and make reference to the suppressed inhabitants of Oceania,

who expect to get hung and buried sooner or later. The “financiers [who are] White and

dressed to kill” (lines 6+8), might be a metaphor for Big Brother’s henchmen while also

referring to real-life financial markets and white-collar workers. Perhaps Bowie wants to

point out the corruptness and greed for power that is found in both fiction and reality. The

term “baby bankrupt” (line 4) refers to Big Brother, “Who sucks you while you’re sleeping“

(line 5), an expression that underlines the horrible nature of Big Brother’s permanent

monitoring, even of a person’s unconscious state of mind.

Indeed, “We Are The Dead” combines numerous different aspects of Nineteen Eighty-

Four into one song. Pegg (2011) points out that like many of Bowie’s songs on Diamond

Dogs, the “song transcends its original source to provoke other, less tangible

resonances” than Orwell’s novel. Buckley thinks that the song is unfortunately underrated

- a circumstance which, besides the highly metaphorically and dark lyrics, might be

attributed to the music. He states that the song has a “creepy electric-piano opening”

which is played at “funeral pace” (2005: 185). Pegg (2011) adds that “the hushed tread of

the electric keyboard, the roaming guitar feedback and the melodramatic multi-track

vocal establish a nightmarish environment.” In general, the dramatic sound and the slow

pace of the music further support and highlight the gloomy contents of the lyrics.

4.6. Further Songs on the Topic of Nineteen Eighty-Four

In the following songs from the album Diamond Dogs, the lyrics are not as easily

connected to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four as those analyzed above. As mentioned

before, fans of David Bowie have used forums to discuss possible connections between

the songs on Diamond Dogs and the dystopia Nineteen Eighty-Four. Scholars of

literature have made similar attempts since Diamond Dogs is considered a song cycle

revolving around Bowie’s own dystopian society, set in Hunger City. This subchapter

presents a brief analysis and interpretation of the songs “Candidate (Demo)”, “Future

Legends”, “Rebel Rebel”, and “Candidate”.

Regarding the song “Candidate (Demo)” , Dogget points out that it was originally a demo 8

recording for the Nineteen Eighty-Four musical, which means that Bowie must have

incorporated ideas of the novel into the song. However, looking at its contents, it is rather

difficult to determine the thematic link between the song and Bowie’s musical project.

Dogget states that various creative interpretations have tried to link the lyrics to the

novel, but there is hardly any confirmation within the song text that would support such a

hypothesis (cf. 2012: 199). The song “Candidate (Demo)” describes a politician, the

candidate, who presents the listeners with various aspects of his corrupt politics.

According to Perone, the song relates closely to Orwell’s idea of government and the

concept behind Big Brother. The song presents a politician’s speech in which he

acknowledges his deceitfulness. But the candidate’s confession does not affect his

career (cf. Perone 2007: 43). Even though dishonesty, manipulation, and corruption are

themes that can be connected to Nineteen Eighty-Four, the fact that the candidate is

giving a speech in order to be re-elected cannot be associated with the novel. Since the

society in Oceania is ruled by a totalitarian regime, there are neither political candidates

nor elections.

Literature on the topic points out that Winston might be the candidate, and, in fact, one of

David Bowie’s fans provides the readers of the Bowie fan page teenagewildlife.com with

an outstanding analysis of “Candidate (Demo)” taking this interpretative approach.

According to the anonymous user, the song presents various aspects of Winston’s

treatment at the Ministry of Love and the deceptive society of Oceania. The user states

that verse 3 displays Winston’s torture at the Ministry of Love, the so-called “correction

rooms” (line 1). The line “Well, I ain’t gonna suck no radar wing” (line 3) in particular

represents Winston’s fight against the radar, the medium which might detect what

thoughts and beliefs are still hidden inside his brain. The speaker of the song states that

“inside this tin is tin” (line 4), and points out that he can deceive the Thought Police and

make them believe that he actually agrees with the Party’s beliefs. Verse 4 talks about

the fraudulent society in Oceania. Surviving is all about “the way you walk” (line 2), and

“the things you talk” (line 4), the way you present yourself in this society. The “brylcream

[sic!] queen“ (line 2), is a direct reference to Julia because she is an expert on acting

discreet and sticking to the rules. In the 1940s and 1950s the hair product Brylcreem was

used to slick back one’s hair. This style was very popular and conformed with the societal

norms of that time. Aspects of totalitarianism are also covered in “Candidate (Demo)”.

The line “You don’t have to scream a lot to keep an age in tune” (verse 5 line 1), states

that it is not verbal orders which rule and control a society, but rather brutality and

violence. Line 5 of the verse, “Do I have to give your money back when I’m the

The song “Candidate (Demo)”was written in 1974, but was actually not a part of the first release of the Diamond 8

Dogs album. It was finally released as a bonus track on the re-release of Diamond Dogs in 1990.

Fuhrerling?” makes a direct reference to the leader of Nazi-Germany. The diminutive

“Fuhrerling” is used to describe a kind of vicious and unprincipled person like Big Brother.

According to the anonymous user, this line displays Winston’s realization that when he

enters the Brotherhood, he has agreed to become a brutal and unprincipled person

himself (cf. Re: Candidate (Demo) 2003).

The song “Future Legends” tells the story of Bowie’s invention, Hunger City, a modern,

urban metropolis, which is the setting for the artist’s nightmarish visions of a future

society. Being the first song of the album, “Future Legends” sets the tone of the entire

Diamond Dogs album and serves as a narrative introduction to Bowie’s personal

dystopia (cf. Perone 2007: 42; Buckley 2015). In this rather short song - it consists of

only 7 lines - Bowie lays out the background story of Hunger City. Its characteristics very

much resemble city life in Nineteen Eighty-Four. In fact, it seems as if Bowie did not try

too hard to hide the similarities between these two settings. Similar to the neologisms

Orwell used in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Bowie creates the “Temperance Building” (line 2),

which might allude to the Ministry of Love; the “sterile skyscrapers” (line 4) could also

refer to this cold ministerial building. What is more, Bowie talks about “peoploids” (line 3),

who are presumably the inhabitants who live in “small tribes” (line 4) in Hunger City, and

who bear resemblance to the proles in Oceania. The song describes the dystopian living

conditions in Hunger City, stating that “corpses lay rotting” in the streets and that “death”

is a daily companion (line 1). The city is frumpish: It lacks modern technology as “no

more big wheels” (line 3) of cars are in the streets. The sanitary situation is horrific, since

“fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats” (line 3). In addition, society lacks

any kind of luxury goods and those resources that are available are turned into

something useful, a circumstance that is described in line 5: “ripping and re-wrapping

mink and shiny silver fox - now leg warmers.” This line points to the fact that in

totalitarian regimes the economy is controlled as well as planned in advance, and goods

are, therefore, not produced according to the needs of the people. One final allusion to

the novel can be found in line 6, where it says that “the year of the Diamond Dogs” is

about to come. Interestingly, Bowie also uses a specific year, as Orwell does in Nineteen

Eighty-Four, to point out when society will change. The last line “This ain’t Rock’n Roll -

this is Genocide” points out the main message of this song and the entire Diamond Dogs

album: in a future resembling this dystopian scenario, people are about to die in the

thousands.

The song “Rebel Rebel” can be read as a description of Julia’s rebellious attitude. The

chorus, “Rebel Rebel you’ve torn your dress / Rebel Rebel your face is a mess / Rebel

Rebel how could they know” (line 1-3), refers to Julia’s looks after she and Winston have

intercourse in their hiding place. Her messed up appearance might serve as an indication

that she has committed Sexcrime. Furthermore, the question “how could they know”

refers to the fact that Winston and Julia believed that their romance was secret, but,

according to this song, Julia’s looks may have given them away (cf. 1984 2003). In

literature on the topic, the song is considered to be about androgynous rebellion and the

new youth culture that was triggered by Bowie in the 1970s (cf. Perone 2007: 44). This

assumption is especially supported by the first two lines of verse 1 - “You’ve got your

mother in a whirl / She’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl” - which make an explicit

statement about the characteristic androgynous look.

Another example of Nineteen Eighty-Four-based lyrics is the song “Candidate,” which is

thematically based on the aforementioned song “Candidate (Demo).” The second verse

of this song in particular references the political mechanisms behind Big Bother: the

Ministry of Truth is run by “Poisonous people / Spreading rumours and lies and stories

they made up” (lines 3-4). Lines 5 to 8 - “Some make you sing / And some make you

scream / One makes you wish / That you’d never been seen” - refer to Winston’s

encounter with his torturer O’Brien at the Ministry of Love and the protagonist’s wish that

his love affair had never been detected by the authorities.

4.7. Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four in Bowie’s Songs: Concluding Thoughts

David Bowie’s album Diamond Dogs is bursting with both dramatic and lyric

sophistication as well as a personal, political agenda. Bowie seems to have been eager

to test his musical limits by incorporating various different aspects of Orwell’s dystopia

into the songs. The lyrics are rich in remarkable wordings, for instance, Bowie’s

neologisms, in metaphors as well as in references to Nineteen Eighty-Four. The manner

in which the artist describes the ills of Hunger City is highly theatrical and might awaken

vivid images in the listeners’ minds. What is more, the combination of the lyrics and the

accompanying music generates a foreboding atmosphere as the sound supports the

apocalyptic scenario. In terms of content, the album Diamond Dogs is proof of Bowie’s

creativity and imagination, which is perhaps owed to the fact that it was first intended to

be a musical and then had to be adapted to a concept album.

It has been pointed out that Bowie has always been fascinated with societies and the

events that eventually bring their systems to a downfall. Since he was taken with Orwell’s

novelistic treatment of an oppressed society, it seems natural that Bowie used Nineteen

Eighty-Four as a source of ideas, and adapted Hunger City in accordance with its

inspiring model Oceania. Just like their literary role model, the songs on Diamond Dogs

cover all possible negative aspects of totalitarian regimes and of life under the rule of an

oppressing government. Given the political and social situation of his time, Bowie used

the references and comparisons to the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four to stress the

similarities between fiction and reality. Contemporary political issues, such as fear of

Communism, the Cold War, and the generally tense atmosphere, have been proven to

have shaped the content of the album. Bowie’s songs aimed at criticizing totalitarian

regimes and oppressing societies, and he did so in a highly cynical, sarcastic, and

excessive - one could even say over-theatrical - manner.

5. “LOVE IS OUR RESISTANCE”:

NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR IN SONGS BY MUSE

On the first pages of his band-biography about Muse, Myers (2007: 9) defines the term

‘muse’ and, at the same time, provides a proper characterization of the band. ‘Muse’,

among other things, means “to consider or say thoughtfully,” it refers to “a guiding spirit,

a source of inspiration [and] a poet.” Careful consideration and thoughtfulness can,

without doubt, be found in most of the songs by Muse because their lyrics are highly

thought-provoking. They often criticize politics, societal ills, and (religious) fanaticism (cf.

Myers 2007: 169-170). Essentially, the band’s songs display highly pessimistic images of

the world, mostly because of the band members’ dark perception of global political

events. Regarding the guiding spirit of the band, Myers describes Muse concerts as a

source of inspiration and “a place of worship“ for their fans: “[The band members] have

things to say - more than most - and they say them at full volume, but music is their

medium,” he notes and points toward the band’s stimulating song texts (2007: 11). The

following subchapters will provide some insight into the band’s history, the negative world

view of the singer and songwriter of the band, Matt Bellamy, and, furthermore, discuss

the incorporation of the elements of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four into the band’s song

lyrics.

5.1. Muse: A Short Historical Overview of the Band

The British rock band Muse is one of the most successful bands of the 21st century.

There are three band members: Matt Bellamy is the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and

spokesperson of Muse; Chris Wolstenholme is the bassist; and Dominic Howard the

drummer. The three have shared the same career path for more than 20 years. In 1989

they met at Teignmouth Community College in Devon and the three of them became

close friends soon after their enrolment. They decided to form a punk band, calling

themselves the Rocket Baby Dolls. In 1994, when the band members were about 16

years old, they participated in the Teignmouth Battle of the Bands, a local band contest,

and won a record deal. After acquiring their first recording contract and changing their

name to Muse, the band’s highly successful music career was about to start. At the turn

of the millennium, Muse finally found their distinctive sound, which has been the band’s

trademark ever since (cf. Beaumont 2014: 1-25). Regarding their general musical style,

band-biographer Myers points out that Muse “boldly go where other bands are too cool“

to go and have always been eager to try out new things (2007: 202). He addresses the

fact that the band’s “prog[ressive rock] tendencies have always been tempered by an

understanding of contemporary concepts,” giving the songs - its sounds, its lyrics, and its

themes - topicality and relevance.

The sound of Muse has been shaped by various musical influences and sources. With

regard to their musical style, the British band Radiohead has had a major impact on 9

Muse, as well as on an entire generation of songwriters in the early 21st century. In

literature on the band, they have, in fact, been referred to as “Radiohead-lite” (Culshaw

2009), and “baby Radiohead“ (Myers 2007: 71). The band members themselves state

that their music is similar to and influenced by other, rather eccentric, English bands,

including Genesis, Depeche Mode, and, especially, Queen (cf. Culshaw 2009; Beaumont

2014: 2; Myers 2007: 71). In addition, the American band Nirvana has affected the

band’s approach to their music and lyrics. Beaumont (2014: 15) notes that the highly

successful Nirvana album Nevermind “showed [Bellamy] that music could be violent,

intense and devastating, but at the same time tuneful, immediate, life-affirming and

meaningful. It showed him that music could be an outlet for the more disturbing and

troublesome emotions.” Indeed, one significant characteristic of Muse’s songs is that

their content is disturbing, devastating, and full of violent images. Myers (2007: 19) adds

that “everyone knows that rock’n’roll is nothing if not an aural manifestation of the dark

side,” and he establishes a connection between the band’s cynical world view and the

musical genre in which they perform.

5.2. Bellamy’s Dystopian Ideas and their Manifestation in the Song Lyrics

The mastermind behind the song lyrics of Muse is, without doubt, singer and songwriter

Matt Bellamy. Bellamy had a troublesome, difficult childhood due to the fact that he was a

hyperactive, curious, and sceptical child. As he grew older, Bellamy became interested in

rather irrational things, like predicting the future with techniques that are associated with

black magic or examining the forces and spirits that he thought existed in other spheres.

These interests would become apparent in his later behaviour. By the time the band

became famous, the frontman was behaving mischievously during interviews: for

instance, he was talking about spiders that came from Mars and stating that David

Bowie’s alien alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, was real. Even though it seemed as if Bellamy

was revealing his apparently weird mind, he was, in fact, just creating his public persona.

This new personality has helped him to protect his youth and his privacy ever since, as it

has been difficult for him to cope with his sudden fame and success. Apart from his

fooling around, Bellamy has always been immensely concerned with and worried about

the social wrongs of the world. He strongly believes that the music and the songs that he

and his colleagues create need to reflect the global mood and that they should document

the desperate contemporary state of humanity. After he terrorist attacks in 2001 and the

The band Radiohead is briefly discussed in chapter 6.1 because the lyrics to their song “2+2=5“ are as well 9

based on a particular aspect of the content of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

so-called War on Terror, the band felt an increasing desire to address global politics and

various theories about the world in their song lyrics (cf. Beaumont 2014: 10, 109,

192-197; Myers 2007: 19, 149).

The attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 and the beginning of the War in Iraq in

2002 deeply concerned the band members. As a supporter of conspiracy theories,

Bellamy considered the then US-President George W. Bush to be a warmonger, who

was capable of convincing his people that the Iraqi government possessed weapons of

mass destruction and that the Iraq, therefore, posed an immediate threat to the western

world. Bellamy regarded Bush to be the puppet of a higher and ominous authority, a

group of people who had been making most of the decisions of global impact. The band

became exceedingly disturbed by the fact that - at least from their point of view - the War

in Iraq had been neither widely nor critically discussed in the USA. At the time,

governments all over the world were challenging this display of US power, and many

people took to the streets to emphatically protest against the war. When Muse finally

began to include politics in their song lyrics, they did so by reacting not only critically, but

also emotionally to current events. Beaumont (2014: 191) explains that “Bellamy

watched the war unfold on the news every day with a growing sense of dread, panic and

powerlessness”: a feeling that he wanted to incorporate into his song lyrics (cf.

Beaumont 2014: 191-197; Myers 2007: 169).

In the songs on the albums that have followed since the events of 9/11, Muse have put

their focus on presenting nightmarish visions and portraying apocalyptic and dystopian

images. Myers (2007: 202-203) elaborates on the band’s new-found sources of

inspiration and notes that “as [the band] spent many hours discussing the planet, the

ever-worsening situation in Iraq and the disillusionment with the mechanics of humanity,

their sense of detachment and unease was heightened to new levels - and would provide

plenty of input for the new material.” Additionally, Bellamy’s opinion that mankind was

ruining the planet and looting its natural resources, which would eventually result in the

decay of modern civilization itself, has influenced the content of his song lyrics (cf.

Beaumont 2014: 217). Bellamy has always believed that the band’s songs have to

convey an important message: they should make people aware of the ills of the world,

enlighten them, and enable them to think critically. Beaumont (2014: 198) claims that “[t]o

Matt, music was replacing faith in people, and listening to it was the only thing that made

him feel that there was an underlying force for good in humanity.”

The first album that Muse recorded as a response to world politics is their 3rd studio

album, Absolution, which was released in September 2003. The band’s intention behind

producing it was, primarily, to initiate public discussion about the war in Iraq and to make

US as well as UK citizens aware of the problems their governments had been causing in

the (eastern) world. The song titles of the album have foreboding and telling names;

including, for instance, “Apocalypse Please,” “Time Is Running Out,” and “Hysteria.”

Absolution is critically acclaimed for its political and social topicality (cf. Beaumont 2014:

198-200; Myers 2007: 175). In 2009, Muse released their 5th album The Resistance. Just

before the production of this album, Bellamy moved to Italy and “[t]he distance gave him

an objectivity as the scandals of 2008 and 2009 unfolded - the banking crisis [and] the

continuing war in Iraq,” which made it easier for him to cope with this situation

(Beaumont 2014: 314). Bellamy left his native country because he felt powerless and,

being away, “it was ever more clear to him that the UK needed a change, that its

democracy was laughable, its media twisted, its Parliamentary systems

outdated” (Beaumont 2014: 314). Beaumont (2014: 318) defines The Resistance as an

album that deals with “romance, rebellion and righteousness,” and it is closely connected

to the topics that were catching Bellamy’s attention at that time - the call for a revolution

against the status quo. In order to make the album’s content as persuasive as possible,

the songwriter refrained from including any conspiracy theories in his songs, and backed

up The Resistance with what he considered to be political facts.

In order to make their fans especially curious, the release of The Resistance turned out

to be an online treasure hunt: as a part of the ‘Project Eurasia’ their fans had to solve

various codes, anagrams, and similar riddles to be able to download the first song “The

United States of Eurasia.” The individual puzzles of this treasure hunt showed similarities

to military encoding and put the album in context with regard to the topic of current war

politics. The name ‘Project Eurasia’ already points to the thematic link between the album

The Resistance and Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four since Eurasia is one of the three

powerful nations in the novel. In fact, Bellamy re-read Nineteen Eighty-Four before

working on this album and it served as a major source of inspiration for him, which is why

various aspects of the novel were eventually incorporated into the songs of The

Resistance. On the album, Bellamy draws many parallels between the society and

politics in Oceania and the contemporary events that were shaking up the world. In

addition, Bellamy is taken with the rebellious romance between Winston and Julia. The

songwriter believes that using love and sexuality as a kind of rebellious act against a

totalitarian regime might also work in a modern society. Beaumont (2014: 315) states

that “the idea of love as a method of resisting or escaping the oppression and corruption

of the 21st Century Western world” took hold in Bellamy’s mind and deeply fascinated

him (cf. Beaumont 2014: 310-322).

The album The Resistance is the definitely most challenging and uncompromising record

the band has produced as it is a direct call for opposition and rebellion. With regard to

the music on The Resistance, Culshaw (2009) states that “[t]he soundtrack to the

revolution [is] part-metal, part-prog rock, part-classical,” and, therefore, provides the

listeners with various musical influences in addition to the distinct Muse sound. As

mentioned before, Muse dedicates the entire contents of many of the song lyrics to the

themes of Orwell’s novel. Aspects of social uprising, mind control, governmental

surveillance, the distortion of truth and collective memory, and what is considered to be

right and wrong in society are the issues that are dealt within the lyrics apart from the

obvious call for resistance. The song lyrics bring together various themes from Nineteen

Eighty-Four and aspects of daily politics and society, since Muse use references to the

novel to talk about the present global situation. The majority of the allusions to Orwell’s

novel can be found in the songs “Resistance”, “United States of Eurasia”, and “Unnatural

Selection”, which is why a full analysis and interpretation of these three songs is provided

below. Other Muse lyrics that are based on Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four can be found

in subchapter 5.6.

5.3. “Resistance”: Bellamy’s Central Statement

Verse 1

Is our secret safe tonight

and are we out of sight

or will our world come tumbling down?

Will they find our hiding place

is this our last embrace

or will the walls start caving in?

Pre-Chorus

It could be wrong, could be wrong, but it should

have been right

It could be wrong, could be wrong, to let our

hearts ignite

It could be wrong, could be wrong, are we

digging a hole?

It could be wrong, could be wrong, this is out of

control

It could be wrong, could be wrong, it can never

It could be wrong, could be wrong, must erase it

have been right

It could be wrong could be….

Chorus

Love is our resistance

They'll keep us apart and they won’t stop

breaking us down

Hold me

our lips must always be sealed

Verse 2

If we live a life in fear

I'll wait a thousand years

just to see you smile again

Kill your prayers for love and peace

You'll wake the thought police

we can't hide the truth inside

Repetition of Pre-Chorus

Verse 3

The night has reached it's end

We can't pretend

We must run

Its time to run

Take us away from here

Protect us from further harm

Resistance

The track “Resistance”, the title song of the album, sets the general insurrectionary tone

of the entire song circle revolving around Nineteen Eighty-Four. As the title suggests, the

lyrics to “Resistance” represent Bellamy’s idea of rebellion: in this song the main act of

resistance is (physical) love. According to Beaumont (2014: 319), “the lyrics make a plea

for the love within to always stand in defiance of oppression.” In terms of content, the

song recounts the romance between the protagonist Winston and his lover Julia. The

lyrics present the scene just before the two of them are discovered by the Thought Police

in their hiding place above the junk shop. In very general terms, Winston voices his

doubts about whether their love affair is still secret and safe, but he (self-)assuringly

states that “Love is our resistance“ (chorus line1), and it can therefore never be wrong.

The lyrics follow the form of a monologue in which Winston directly addresses Julia.

Interestingly, over the course of the song the speaker asks various rhetorical questions

which address and highlight his doubts and fears regarding their relationship. The

songwriter of “Resistance” relies heavily on the use of end-rhymes and rhyming couplets,

for example, verse 1 and verse 2 rhyme aaxbby, and the pre-chorus follows the rhyme

scheme aabbcca. Additionally, all of the lines of the pre-chorus start with an anaphora, as

with “It could be wrong, could be wrong”, again to emphasize the speaker’s concern and

inner conflict. Other repetitive devices can be found in verse 3, where lines 2 to 4 begin

with the anaphora, “We“, and lines 3 to 5 end with the epistrophe “run“. Furthermore, in

some cases, alliteration is used, like “Is our secret safe tonight“ (verse 1 line 1), or “If we

live a life in fear“ (verse 2 line1). The different forms of repetition used in the lyrics give

the song a coherent, self-contained character; this important feature also becomes

apparent in the coherent story line of “Resistance“.

In terms of content, verses 1 and 2 focus on the speaker’s doubts and worries about his

’illegal’ love affair. Verse 1 solely consists of rhetorical questions stating, “Is our secret

safe tonight / and are we out of sight / or will our world come tumbling down?” (lines 1-3),

and “Will they find our hiding place / is this our last embrace / or will the walls start caving

in?” (lines 4-6). The first parts of these rhetorical questions present the speaker’s worries

that the Thought Police might detect his and Julia’s secret romance and their hideout.

The last parts of these questions, on the other hand, consider what will happen when the

two lovers are eventually discovered; their romance will be brutally ended as the walls of

their hiding place cave in and they are trapped inside. The first lines of verse 2 pick up on

Winston’s dread of living in constant fear of being discovered. To make sure that their

love remains secret, the protagonist is willing to postpone their rendezvous to a time

when things have changed for the better, stating that he will “wait a thousand years / just

to see you [Julia] smile again” (lines 2-3). But as the verse continues, “Kill your prayers

for love and peace / You’ll wake the thought police / we can’t hide the truth inside” (lines

4-6), Winston points out that their act of resistance might soon reach an impasse

because their crimes have caught the Inner Party’s attention. The phrase “kill your

prayers” in particular stresses the hopelessness of the situation they are in.

The pre-chorus presents Winston’s inner struggle concerning his love for Julia, his new-

found enjoyment of rebellion, and the question of what is right and wrong within a

society. The first two lines say “It could be wrong, could be wrong, but it should have

been right / […] to let our hearts ignite,” and point out that falling in and making love

should never be outlawed as in Oceania. In addition, the pre-chorus emphasizes the

deadlocked situation in which the two lovers are trapped, stating “[…] this is out of control

/ […] it can never last / […] must erase it fast” (lines 4-6). The lines put forward the idea

that Winston and Julia’s only way to escape their misery is to erase any tracks and proof

of their relationship. But, since they are never actually in control of their situation - the

Party watches the lovers’ every step - covering up their crimes is futile. The phrase

“erase it fast” alludes to Winston’s diary entries, which should be destroyed as they are

evidence of the protagonist’s Thoughtcrime. The contents of the pre-chorus, at first,

highlight that the two lovers are not doing anything that might be considered a crime in a

normal society. Yet, because Thoughtcrime and Sexcrime are reviled in Big Brother’s

world, they have to deny themselves this ordinary human behaviour.

The chorus contains the core message of the song “Resistance“, which can also be seen

to represent the essence of the entire album: “Love is our resistance“ (line 1). Bellamy’s

enthusiasm for Winston and Julia’s love affair as the metaphorical act for a more greater

rebellion is clearly emphasized in this line. To him, love that can make even the

dystopian world of Nineteen Eighty-Four collapse can be used in opposition to real

corrupt societies currently as well. From the speaker’s point of view, the uttering “Love is

our resistance” can be read as a personal entreaty to be strong no matter what the future

might bring. The protagonist points out that as soon as the two lovers are captured

“They’ll keep [them] apart and [the Thought Police] won’t stop breaking [them]

down” (line 2). In this statement, Winston is laying out the worst case scenario - which

includes the lovers’ separation and torture. In order to avoid their fate, their “lips must

always be sealed” (line 4), and their secret must be protected with the help of their

shared love. What is more, line 4 might as well be an appeal to neither confess to the

Inner Party at the Ministry of Love nor to verbally agree with the Party line, even under

the most dire circumstances.

Verse 3 depicts the eventual demise of Winston and Julia’s romance. Just as “The night

has reached its end“ (line1), and the darkness that concealed their illegal deeds fades

out, the lovers can no longer hide the truth. Since a discussion with the Thought Police is

pointless, the speaker realizes “We can’t pretend / We must run” (lines 2-3), because a

quick getaway might be their only chance to escape. The last lines of this verse are

especially interesting because the speaker directly addresses a somehow greater force,

pleading: “Take us away from here / Protect us from further harm” (lines 6-7). Love, in

Bellamy’s opinion, is an overwhelming power; it can therefore be assumed that, as a last

resort, the protagonist of the song is asking for help that might exist in a personalized

form of love. Due to the (physical) experience of love that he receives from Julia over the

course of their relationship, Winston has learned to cope with all the negative things that

made his life miserable. Therefore, it seems comprehensible that Winston’s final

desperate request for help is specifically addressed to the power of love. What is more,

in the last line of this verse, Bellamy shouts and claims “Resistance” so that a direct

connection between love and the act of resistance is established once again.

The dark predictions concerning the lovers’ fates and their eventual doom are supported

by the dramatic sounds that accompany the lyrics. According to Beaumont (2014: 319),

the music of the song “Resistance” contains “ghostly hums“ and an “ethereal sound,”

especially at the beginning of the song, which highlight the foreboding nature of the

lyrics. When the contents of the song shift to the lines in which love is presented as an

act of resistance, the sound of the drums and guitars becomes increasingly more violent

and aggressive. In fact, Bellamy widened the range of his sound effects by using a midi-

guitar that allowed him to sample and modulate unique sounds to his personal

requirements (cf. Korg Kaoss Pad KP2). The use of an aggressive sound can be

explained by the fact that the song’s main aim is to incite uprising and resistance: this

topic is introduced and backed up in the lyrics about the downfall of Winston and Julia’s

love. It could be argued that the depiction of their brutally-ended relationship demands

retaliation for the acts of these oppressive systems. Of course, the songwriter feels that

insurrection against politics is necessary not only in Nineteen Eighty-Four, but also in the

real-life society of the 21st century, which is highlighted by establishing a contextual

connection to Orwell’s dystopia.

5.4. “United States of Eurasia”: Resistance to US Politics

Verse 1

You and me are the same

We don't know or care who's to blame

But we know that whoever holds the reigns

Nothing will change

Our cause has gone insane

And these wars they can't be won

Do you want them to go on and on and on?

Why split these states

When there can be only one

And must we do as we're told?

Must still do as we're told?

Verse 2

You and me fall in line

To be punished for unproven crimes

And we know that there's no one we can trust

Our ancient heroes

They are turning to dust

Does anyone know or care how they begun?

They just promise to go on and on and on

But soon we will see

There can be only one

United States, United States of Eurasia,

Eurasia,…

At the first glance, the title of the song “United States of Eurasia” seems to unite the

names of the most powerful territories of the world: the USA, Europe, and Asia. As a

matter of fact, songwriter Matt Bellamy took some inspiration for this song from the so-

called Trilateral Commission, which was a rather dubious association of some of the

most influential and powerful people in Europe, the US, and Eastern Asia - among them

politicians, bankers, and CEOs of media, pharmaceutical, and oil companies. Even

though this commission was set up decades ago, Bellamy strongly believed that a small

group of people like them pull the political strings in the background of our world, and

that they are responsible for all the negative in the world (cf. Beaumont 2014: 192). Apart

from the connection between the song and the Trilateral Commission, Beaumont (2014:

313-314) associates the term “Eurasia” with Orwell’s novel. He states that

[l]inked to the references to Eurasia in George Orwell’s vision of the ultimate oppressive

society in Nineteen Eighty-Four, the song’s lyrics seem to tell the story of this huge land

mass united, of a Eurasia vs. USA stand-off, of megalomania gone mad. It hinted at a

belief that humanity will forever be at war until all concept of ’country’ is destroyed and we

realize we’re stuck in the same sinking boat.

The structure of the song “United States of Eurasia” resembles a monologue. The

speaker, again the protagonist of the novel, Winston Smith, uses rhetorical questions to

reflect on the topics presented in the lyrics. What is more, the song “United States of

Eurasia” relies on various forms of internal repetition: end-rhymes - which are imperfect

rhymes to a large extent - are used to establish coherence among the lyrics. In verse 1,

the rhyme scheme aabbbcccxcdd can be identified, while verse 2 - rhyming aabxbcccycz

- is also built of rather imperfect vowel rhymes, like “line - crimes“ (lines 1-2).

Furthermore, the line, “And these wars they can’t be won,” is repeatedly uttered in lines 6

and 7 of verse 1 and in the sixth line of verse 2. Both verses begin with the anaphora

“You and me,” referring to the speaker, Winston, and his addressee, Julia. The lyrics

would also support the assumption that the speaker, as in a political speech, is

addressing his concerns to a much larger audience, like, for instance, the inhabitants of

Oceania.

In terms of content, the lyrics can be divided by the two main topics they address: Firstly,

some of the lines make reference to the notorious ills and political mechanisms that are

found in the society described in Nineteen Eighty-Four. A contextual connection to

Orwell’s dystopia is therefore easily established. Secondly, parts of the lyrics focus on

wars that are permanently, but uselessly, fought because they can never be won. This

circumstance alludes to the wars in Oceania as well as to the early 21st century war

politics of the USA, which always deeply concerned and irritated Bellamy. The songwriter

deliberately refers to Nineteen Eighty-Four and its eternal wars that can’t be won in order

to criticize the US-American War on Terror, which in Bellamy’s eyes is preposterous and

pointless.

In reference to the political mechanisms behind the scenes in Oceania, the speaker

indicates various issues concerning the Inner Party’s reign that are worthy of criticism, in

his opinion. Firstly, the protagonist emphasizes the permanent misuse of political power

and states that “we know that whoever holds the reigns / Nothing will change” (verse 1

lines 3-4). The speaker is aware of the fact that it does not matter whether it is Big

Brother, or any other made-up leader figure, on top of the hierarchy because the politics

and rules have and will always govern society will never change. Secondly, the lyrics

target a number of societal evils: that the people of Oceania are not allowed to live

autonomously is highlighted by the rhetorical question “And must we do as we’re told? /

Must still do as we’re told?” (verse 1 lines 11-12). The lines “You and me fall in [sic!] line /

To be punished for unproven crimes” (verse 2 lines 1-2), stress the fact that the large

majority of Oceania has to defer to an opaque and unfair political system. These lines

critically point out that any attempt to overcome the Party rules is considered to be a

criminal act, though unproven in the eyes of the inhabitants of Oceania, and hence

severely punished. The statement “And we know that there’s no one we can trust“ (verse

2 line 3), gives the impression that as a citizen of Oceania one can never distinguish

between friend or foe, as was the case, for instance, when O’Brien and the owner of the

junk shop seemed to be Winston’s allies, but in the end revealed themselves to be

members of the Thought Police. What is more, the extinction of common history and

collective memory is addressed in the song “United States of Eurasia”. The lyrics say

that “Our ancient heroes / They are turning into dust” (verse 2 lines 4-5), and allude to

the circumstances that, on the one hand, the heroes of the old times as well as any other

vestiges of the past are being eliminated for political reasons, and, on the other hand,

that in the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four there is no room for new heroes.

The remaining lyrics of “United States of Eurasia” elaborate on the permanent state of

war in Oceania and in the real world, respectively. The lyrics emphasize the fact that

“these wars they can’t be won” (e.g. verse 1 line 6), as they “go on and on and on” (e.g.

verse 1 line 8). Furthermore, it is stressed that the reasons and the purposes of these

wars are not known. The speaker asks “Does anyone know or care how they

begun?” (verse 2 line 7), and notes that people are rather indifferent about these issues.

The cause for this lack of interest is the fact that war is not only waged with constantly

changing enemies but also deliberately installed by the Inner Party to control the

inhabitants by implementing permanent dread. Creating fear through warfare and biased

war reporting are concepts commonly used in the non-fictional world as well, as seen in

the US-American War on Terror. The aforementioned lines, “And these wars they can’t

be won / Does anyone know or care how they begun?” could just as easily refer to the

constant and pointless conflicts in the Middle East, which Bellamy strongly condemns. In

the last lines, the song’s message becomes very explicit: “But soon we will see / There

can be only one” (verse 2 lines 9-10). The central statement of this song is that these

wars might go on forever, but in the end only one nation will remain - a concept which

can, in fact, not be applied to Nineteen Eight-Four but only to Bellamy’s dystopian

perception of actual 21st century politics. In Bellamy’s opinion, the nation bound to remain

and to oppress all the other states will be the USA. In order, to counteract this US-

American takeover of the world Bellamy’s intention is to metaphorically unite Europe and

Asia, which is why, in the last lines of the song, he vehemently exclaims: “United States

[…] / of Eurasia” (verse 2 lines 11-12). Without these lines the content of the song would

only point out the evils of the US politics and warfare. But, in fact, these last two lines

and the title “United States of Eurasia” seem to provide a possible solution to the

problem by appealing for a union against the greater enemy USA.

Indeed, among scholars, this interpretative approach to the song is prevalent. According

to Beaumont, the lyrics to “United States of Eurasia” describe the relations between the

three imperial superpowers: USA, Europe, and East Asia. But in his opinion they are not

equal because the USA tries to oppress the two other Great Powers. Putting the song in

relation with the rest of the album, Beaumont (2014: 320) points out that if someone

“wondered what shadowy oppressor [the listeners] were being told to resist in the

previous songs, it was all here: the land mass of Eurasia being urged to unite against the

war-mongering USA. And this was its National Anthem.” Not only the lyrics give the song

it anthemic quality, in fact, it is mainly the epic, musical style of the song that, “United

States of Eurasia” makes people feel like they are listening to an anthem: the sound is a

bombastic mixture of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let

Die”, and the Lawrence of Arabia Soundtrack. The employment of an extremely big

orchestra makes the song sound even more vibrant. With regard to the song’s music,

“United States of Eurasia” ends with a special “musical outro” called “Collateral

Damage”: Chopin’s piano piece “Nocturne in E-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 2.” is combined with

the programmatic sound of detonating bombs, leaving the listeners with dreadful mental

images as it fades out (cf. Beaumont 2014: 313-320).

5.5. “Uprising”: An Appeal for Revolution Verse 1

Paranoia is in bloom,

The PR transmissions will resume

They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed

And hope that we will never see the truth around

Verse 2

Another promise, another seed

Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed

And all the green belts wrapped around our

And endless red tape to keep the truth confined

Chorus 1

They will not force us

They will stop degrading us

They will not control us

We will be victorious

Verse 3

Interchanging mind control

Come let the, revolution takes its toll

If you could flick the switch and open your third

You'd see that

We should never be afraid to die

Verse 4

Rise up and take the power back

It's time the fat cats had a heart attack

They know that their time's coming to an end

We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

Chorus 2

They will not enslave us

Chorus 3

They can not control us

As the first track on The Resistance, the song “Uprising” introduces the general mood of

the album. According to Beaumont, the song represents the built-up pressure and

emotions that can be found at an actual uprising: it depicts a crowd of people who are

protesting and shouting in the streets because they have been deceived by their

government. The serious tone of the song portrays issues regarding governmental

conspiracies, the ever-present potential apocalypse, and a union that might lead to a

victory against the oppressors (cf. Beaumont 2014: 318-319; The Resistance Mini-

Review). The core message of the song is that only if the protesters stand united, might

they be victorious in the end. The speaker of the song presents himself as a part of the

revolting crowd and directly proclaims an uprising. As it is influenced by Nineteen Eighty-

Four, the speaker might again be Winston Smith, since he is one of the few people in

Oceania who actually tries to challenge the system.

Like in his other songs, Bellamy makes use of various repetitive devices in the lyrics.

Almost all of the verses contain rhyming couplets aabb, except for verse 3 which rhymes

aabxb. The choruses share an end assonance - “us/ous“ - and most of the lines of the

chorus start with the anaphora, “They will“ (lines 1-3). Furthermore, Bellamy uses of

assonance in only one, outstanding case, which is the line “It’s time the fat cats had a

heart attack” (verse 3 line 2), in order to hammer the message into the listeners’ heads.

In general, it can be said that the song’s salient qualities are the constant repetition of the

same sentence structures, its catchy, march-like rhythm, and the fact that the choruses

sound similar to the protest slogans of chanting football hooligans. Although, its structure

may be simple, the sound of the song is compact, heavy, and additionally backed up by

synthesizers (cf. Beaumont 2014: 319; The Resistance Mini-Review).

As pointed out, the main aim of this song is to create an uprising against the government

or another higher authority, a purpose that is especially supported by the choruses, as

the lyrics clamour: “They will not force us / They will stop degrading us / They will not

control us” (chorus 1 lines 1-3), and “They will not enslave us / We will be

victorious” (chorus 2 lines 3-4). The speaker denounces all the social injustices that

people encounter daily. Apart from the obvious connections to constraint, degradation,

and surveillance - the ills in Oceania - these lines also address the current problems of

people all around the world who live under oppressive political regimes. The lyrics

highlight the fact that bad conditions like these can only be overcome by forming a union

and by joint insurrection against the oppressors. Comparing this form of uprising to the

intended acts of rebellion in Nineteen Eighty-Four, it can be said that Bellamy no longer

puts forward the idea that love between two people can serve as an act of resistance. In

fact, this riot is carried by a violent and outraged union of protestors. In Oceania, a

scenario like this would not have been possible at all.

Although the lyrics of the song “Uprising” do not directly refer to Orwell’s novel, many of

the themes can be connected to Nineteen Eighty-Four. Verse 1 presents how the

speaker perceives the world he lives in. It focuses on the distortion of reality and the

spreading of fear as means of control. “Paranoia is in bloom” (line 1), and kept alive by

resuming “PR transmissions” (line 2). In order to “keep [them] all dumbed down” (line 3),

and to make sure that people “will never see the truth around” (line 4), the regime

manipulates their inhabitants with telescreens and other media. Verse 2 further

elaborates on the characteristics of a controlled society and once more stresses the

issue of manipulation. The first two lines, “Another promise, another seed / Another

packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed,” refer to the deliberate implantation of false

information to grow hate and greed - like seeds - in people’s minds. Manipulated seeds

might also refer to a next generation who can be brought up unreflecting in a society that

is packed with lies. This reality can be compared to Nineteen Eighty-Four, where hatred

and fear are aroused by the images released during the Two Minutes Hate. Lines 3 and

4, “And all the green belts wrapped around our minds / And endless red tape to keep the

truth confined,” again display the forceful and manipulative devices of the authorities.

Apart from that, these lines demonstrate that it is difficult to escape any kind of mind

control, because people are metaphorically trapped in a web of lies made of belts and

tapes. Using the specific term “red tape” Bellamy obviously criticizes the strict

bureaucracy of a state, which often complicates official channels and hides actual

politics. In Nineteen Eighty-Four this stern bureaucracy is manifested in the three

Ministries.

In verses 3 and 4 Bellamy once more expresses his urgent appeal for a revolution. It is

stated that instead of letting their minds be controlled by a higher authority, like Big

Brother, everyone should “flick the switch and open [their] third eye” (verse 3 line 3), in

order to clear their thoughts, to start thinking for themselves, and to see the truth more

plainly. It is possible that in this line Bellamy is making reference to Winston, who has

woken up from a trance-like state of mind and has finally started to live, no longer

accepting the lies that the Ministry of Truth is telling him and his fellow citizens. The

remaining lines all proclaim the need for a revolution in which the protestors “should

never be afraid to die” (verse 3 line 5). The people should “take the power back” (verse 4

line 1), since power should be in the safe hands of a majority and not in those of an

oppressive minority. The speaker demands the removal of the government, stating that

“It’s time the fat cats had a heart attack” (verse 4 line 2), and the members of the

authorities have to realize that their regime and their selfish actions have come to an

end. The people in charge - the “fat cats” - have gorged themselves, have lived in

abundance and at the expense of those inferior to them - a fact which is now thwarting

their evil plans and giving them a “heart attack”. The last line of verse 4 once more

stresses that the oppressed people “have to unify” in order to be victorious against their

tormentors and eventually watch their “flags ascend”.

Comparing the song “Uprising” to the general content of the album The Resistance, it is

very straightforward and urgent in its message. Bellamy plainly points out that, in his

opinion, the only chance to better the world is to overthrow the current governments.

Additionally, he confirms his disgust for the US and UK governments and their war

policies. According to Beaumont (2014: 319) however, the song “Uprising” only

represents a “cuddly subversion“ and not a great revolution. He supports his opinion with

the fact that the song allegedly has a “two-sided nature,” which means that Bellamy’s call

for rebellion should, in Beaumont’s eye’s, not be taken entirely seriously, but also with

humour. Apparently, the music video to the song features teddy bears and other toys

which rise up and march against their parliament (cf. 2014: 319). But, apart from the fact

that these images might seem funny, playful, and “cuddly”, they nonetheless display and

visually support the call for the revolution the speaker demands in the lyrics.

5.6. Further Muse Songs Based on Nineteen Eighty-Four

Based on the fact that the entire album The Resistance thematically revolves around

concepts and ideas behind Orwell’s dystopia, some of the other songs of the album have

to be briefly analyzed and put into context with the novel as well. This subchapter

elaborates on the Muse songs “Guiding Light”, “MK Ultra”, and “Unnatural Selection”, as

well as on the song “Citizen Erased”, which is from their earlier album Origin of

Symmetry (2001) but which also has lyrics partly inspired by Nineteen Eighty-Four.

In very general terms, the song “Guiding Lights” is a love song in which a lover

expresses his affection by pointing out how lost he would be without his partner. In

Beaumont’s opinion, the song portrays the love story between Winston and Julia.

According to Beaumont, the scene depicts the time after the lovers’ downfall: their love

affair has already been discovered by the Thought Police and they have been tortured by

the henchmen of the Ministry of Love (cf. 2014: 320). The tone of the song is desperate

since the speaker, who probably is once again Winston Smith, does not know when or if

he will ever see Julia again. The first two verses focus on the lovers’ violent separation.

Verse 3 makes a slight allusion to love as an act of resistance: in the lines “The sunshine

trapped in our hearts / it could rise again” (lines 1-2), the rising sun might represent a

metaphor for the lovers’ uprising against the system. The speaker finishes this thought by

stating that he is “lost, crushed, cold and confused / with no guiding light left inside” (lines

3-4). These lines express the speaker’s hopelessness and desperation since he was

separated from his inspirational, guiding light Julia. What is more, since the sun - the

rising of which represents the figurative act of resistance - has disappeared, the speaker

feels cold and left alone with his rebellious attitude. But “When comfort and warmth can’t

be found / I still reach for you” (verse 4 lines 1-2), because even if the rebellion fails, their

love still prevails. The lyrics of the chorus support this assumption as they say “You’re my

guiding light / when there’s no guiding light left inside / when there’s no guiding light in

our lives” (lines 2-4). His love for Julia has brought at least some light into Winston’s life,

which otherwise would have been entirely pointless and trivial. Love is valued as the

highest power and, therefore, is more important than any successful revolution.

In the song “MK Ultra,” Bellamy selects certain ideas from Nineteen Eighty-Four and

plainly incorporates them into the lyrics. Beaumont points out that the song is filled with

political paranoia and manipulation. The song title is derived from the secret CIA

research program, ’Project MK Ultra’, that was concerned with interrogation drugs and

other means of mind control. The song depicts a protagonist whose mind seems to have

been hacked by the authorities and who, as a result, starts to lose control of his own

thoughts (cf. Beaumont 2014: 320). The verses focus on the dilemma of thought control

and manipulation, which is forced upon the speaker and his fellow human beings by their

suppressors. The lines, “The wavelength gently grows,” and the “Coercive notions re-

evolve” (verse 1 line 1-2), stress this wilful manipulation of one’s brain activity.

Furthermore, some characteristics of a restricted world view are highlighted, stating that

the “universe is trapped inside a tear” (verse 1 line 3). This single tear might be shed for

all the violence, pain, and sorrow found in an oppressed world. In this small, self-

contained universe an ideology, which “resonates the core” (verse 1 line 4), and the

restrictive rules of the government are predominant. This ideology contains and “creates

unnatural laws” (verse 1 line 5), limiting the inhabitants’ freedom. The eventual aim of the

authorities is to replace “love and happiness with fear” (verse 1 line 6), in order to

consolidate the police state. Apart from this manipulation, “All of history [is] deleted with

one stroke” (verse 2 line 3), and collective memory is erased. Without doubt, one can

find parallels between this scenario - which may or may not have actually been caused

by the CIA’s ’Project MK Ultra’ - and the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Additionally, the

song’s choruses display the protagonist’s critical reaction to the aforementioned living

conditions by using rhetorical questions: the speaker asks “how much deception can you

take / how many lies will you create / how much longer until you break” (chorus 1 lines

1-3), and highlights the fact that soon everyone will inevitably lose control of their lives.

The line “they are breaking through” (e.g. chorus 1 line 5), which is reiterated throughout

the song, alludes to the fact that an authoritative power, like the CIA or the Thought

Police, is breaking into people’s lives and attempting to take over their consciousness.

Once more, aspects of Orwell’s dystopia, especially issues regarding manipulation and

the forced implementation of an ideology, are alluded to. The song ”MK Ultra” serves as

a perfect example of criticizing current and actual political aspects by making direct

reference to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

According to Beaumont, the song “Unnatural Selection” is the most extreme on this Muse

album. The song - similar to “Uprising” - calls for actual physical protest which is shown

in the lines “I am hungry for an unrest / Let’s push this beyond a peaceful protest” (e.g.

verse 1 line 1-2). This rebellion aims at being told the truth concerning the roots of the

prevailing social injustices (cf. Beaumont 2014: 320). The song basically criticizes the

two-class society, in which some people are part of the good life of the higher class,

while lower-class people have to fight for their survival. The fact that this class affiliation

is determined by an “unnatural selection” (e.g. chorus 1 line 4), or a “random chance

selection” (chorus 2 line 4), is especially wrong. There is no conceivable explanation for

why some people have to live in a society in which “Injustice is the norm” (verse 3 line 4)

and in which “They’ll laugh as they watch [the lower class] fall“ (e.g. chorus 1 line 1). In

Nineteen Eighty-Four, the question of why certain rules have to be the way they are is

raised as well. Winston, also “want[s] the truth” (e.g. verse 1 line 5) that lies behind the

political mechanisms of Big Brother and his reign. But it is questionable whether “there

[is] a hope that the facts will ever find us” (verse 2 line 2), because these secrets are

guarded by the authorities, the higher class, or the Inner Party, in order to maintain their

power. What is more, the line “Just make sure that you are looking out for number

1” (verse 1 line 3), is particularly interesting because it refers to a distinct leader figure,

like Big Brother. Presumably, this leader is, above all others, responsible for the ills of

society and, on the one hand, might be able to answers all the questions regarding the

unknown facts. On the other hand, “number 1” can be seen as the person that is

especially blameworthy and should, therefore, be overthrown in the first place. But, as is

pointed out in Orwell’s novel and demonstrated by various historical examples, political

ideologies are usually not maintained by any one individual, but rather have to be

supported by the entire party and a system in the background.

The song “Citizen Erased” is featured on an earlier Muse album called Origin of

Symmetry, which was released in 2001. Nevertheless, the title and some of the song’s

lyrics can, without doubt, be connected to Nineteen Eighty-Four. The song describes

how citizens who don’t conform to government rules are erased, which means being

‘vaporized’. This scenario can obviously be linked to Orwell’s novel (cf. Myers 2007:

141). Especially the following lines explain the mechanisms behind the Ministries in

Oceania: “cover up / What shouldn’t be shared / All the truth’s unwinding / Scraping away

at my mind” (verse 1 line 2-5). The objective truth is covered up and any form of a

subjective truth which is not in line with the Party’s ideology is simply not shared and,

therefore, does not exist. Furthermore, the statement “Erase all the memories / They will

only bring us pain” (verse 3 lines 3-4), seems to be directly addressed at the Thought

Police, demanding that they erase any recollection of a happier past. In a time of

hopelessness, memories are painful to think about. According to Beaumont (2014: 125),

the actual inspiration for this song, was Bellamy’s experience of the “agonies of being

interviewed all the time while simultaneously trying not to give too much away or

contradict himself.” Bellamy’s problems with the media could, to some extent, be

compared to Winston’s situation in Nineteen Eighty-Four, as he also tried to cover up his

crimes and not reveal too much in the torture rooms at the Ministry of Love. However, the

most obvious connection between the song and Orwell’s dystopia is the title.

5.7. Dystopia Then and Now: Concluding Thoughts on the Songs by Muse

By incorporating Nineteen Eighty-Four in their song lyrics Muse pursue an agenda

similar to Bowie's: they too mainly use references to Orwell’s dystopia to stress the

problems of contemporary politics. More than 30 years after the release of Bowie’s

Diamond Dogs and 60 years after the first publication of the novel, the political landscape

has changed, the political relations between countries have improved and deteriorated,

but in their essence the problems have remained the same. In many countries, a

powerful minority is in charge over a large majority and makes biased decisions

according to their own needs without thinking about the larger consequences. The

general well-being of the society is thus often compromised. On their album The

Resistance, Muse primarily criticizes such a problematic political situation, denouncing

the war in Iraq at the beginning of the 21st century and those authorities who initiated it

and profited from the pervasive conflict. The entire album The Resistance revolves

around Bellamy’s political agenda and should serve as a wake-up call to every single

listener.

In contrast to Bowie’s rather narrative approach to the events and problems of his own

dystopian world, Bellamy’s wording plainly points out the flaws in contemporary society

and calls for resistance against the current system. In order to highlight the urgency of

his message, Bellamy uses references to the contents and concepts of Nineteen Eighty-

Four and bluntly incorporates them into the song lyrics. One could argue that Bellamy

regards the former US President George W. Bush being the Big Brother of the real world,

because, in his opinion, Bush is mainly responsible for the War on Terror. In fact, similar

to Big Brother, the politics of the then-US President were based on spreading fear among

the people by presenting horrible images of the war in the media. What is more, it is

maintained by some that the US government - probably backed up by the strong lobby of

the US-weapons industry - ‘created’ an arch enemy, the Axis of Evil, and various

conspiracy theories to justify a pointless demonstration of US power (cf. Axis of evil).

These facts led to a war which could never be won. Tired of this dishonesty and

manipulation in politics, the album The Resistance represents the band’s personal,

musical acts of defiance.

6. FURTHER EXAMPLES FOR NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR IN SONG LYRICS

This diploma thesis has shown that Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has inspired a range

of artist from varying genres to make use of the author’s ideas. Not only David Bowie and

Muse, but also a variety of other contemporary musicians have built upon the dystopian

and pessimistic themes of the novel. The following three subchapters present further

examples of song lyrics that make reference to or are based on the contents of Nineteen

Eighty-Four. Essentially, one can distinguish between two types of Nineteen Eighty-Four

based lyrics: on the one hand, like Bowie and Muse, other musicians have produced

song lyrics that refer to actual concepts, themes, and ideas from Nineteen Eighty-Four,

and used these allusions to criticize contemporary politics. These lyrics are described in

subchapter 6.1. On the other hand, some musicians have written song lyrics which

incorporate catchphrases and certain topics of the novel into their song lyrics but do not

otherwise allude to the political aspects of Nineteen Eighty-Four. These song texts are

examined more closely in subchapter 6.2. Subchapter 6.3 presents the song lyrics of the

Eurhythmics’ soundtrack to the movie 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother), which was

released in the year 1984. These songs can be considered as a special case of Nineteen

Eighty-Four based lyrics. Most of the songs that are examined below were taken from

an online list of song lyrics that are based on, retell, or make reference to a work of

literature (cf. List of songs that retell a work of literature).

6.1. Nineteen Eighty-Four Based Lyrics that Criticize Contemporary Issues

Similar to the songs by David Bowie and Muse, the songs discussed below make

reference the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and its concepts, themes, and ideas. It can be

said that these connections to the novel are essentially established in order to point

toward the ills of a society: the topics described in the lyrics can be linked to political

issues - like governmental oppression, the abuse of power, and public surveillance - and

the affiliated decay of humanity as we know it. Connecting them to the well-known

dystopian novel, highlights these issues and creates a sense of urgency. The songwriters

utter a warning to their listeners to take care that Nineteen Eighty-Four does not become

reality. What is more, these references serve the effect of pointing out the similarities

between real life and fiction that might already exist. It can be said that the aim of these

artists is, in its essence, similar to Bowie and Bellamy’s political agendas, as most of

them criticize politics by comparing contemporary events to the world of Nineteen Eighty-

The song “Welcome to 1984” by the American punk band Anti-Flag criticizes the political

landscape at the time of its release in 2007. The band has always been dedicated to

political activism and to using their lyrics to voice their discontent (cf. Anti-Flag).

Essentially the lyrics of “Welcome to 1984” stress and criticize the ills resulting from any

act of war as well as the consequent decline of democracy and freedom. These

problems are highlighted by alluding to Nineteen Eighty-Four. The lines of the chorus

point out that what the speaker “thought was the New Millennium is 1984 / Mr. Orwell

from the grave, adding fresh ink to the page” (lines 2-3). The lyrics establish a connection

to the novel and its author and, in fact, even highlight the circumstance that Nineteen

Eighty-Four is a piece a literature that will probably never be finished. Additionally, by

comparing the new millennium to the content of the novel, Anti-Flag points out the

parallels between the two. Because the new millennium has brought no changes and the

current situation is like that of Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell’s novel mirrors reality.

According to the negative lyrics by Anti-Flag, if Orwell lived today, he perhaps would

have to add new facts to his novel according to the political developments of the 21st

century. The chorus furthermore stresses that “the unpresident declares an endless

war” (line 3), like the war Big Brother implements in Oceania in order to keep the

totalitarian system alive. In addition, the lyrics declare that “War is peace, and freedom is

the police state” (verse 1 line 4), a statement that resembles the Inner Party’s ideology:

“War is peace, Freedom is slavery” (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 27). The line “The

word of god is now the word of hate” (verse 1 line 3), on the one hand, makes reference

to the Two Minutes Hate in Oceania. On the other hand, it compares the leader of the

society to a god, whose manipulative words spread hate and fear among the people and

obviously alludes to the fact that religious and political principles merge and culminate in

pointless acts of war. In general, this song by Anti-Flag obviously includes various

aspects of the world of Big Brother and links them to the present. But since the made-up

term “unpresident” is used, it seems reasonable to believe that the song also revolves

around former US President George W. Bush’s reign and his War on Terror. Apart from

the examples above, the “unpresident,” who “spews his homophobic speech” (verse 2

line 2), is compared to “Hitler on TV” (verse 2 line 1). It can be said that the speaker, in

addition to the text of Nineteen Eighty-Four, compares contemporary political events to

those of “Nazi Germany” (verse 2 line 1), and makes links to other aspects of this fascist

regime. The speaker declares that “the Allies fought a war to end an extremist fascist

law” (verse 2 line 3), but in his opinion this ideology is prevalent in some societies that

are believed to be democracies. Anti-Flag challenge the reasons for the War on Terror

and ask “what all the fuck we fighted [sic!] for” (verse 2 line 4), if totalitarian systems, like

Bush’s administration, still exist. By comparing contemporary politics to Nineteen Eighty-

Four as well as to Nazi Germany, the lyrics are supposed to stir the listeners’ desire to

challenge the prevailing political system.

The British band Radiohead makes allusions to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four by using

direct quotations from the novel in their lyrics. As one of the most innovative, progressive,

and provocative bands of recent decades, Radiohead has never refrained from being

political in their songs. Reacting to the US War on Terror in the Iraq and the

powerlessness felt by many within American society, Radiohead released their album

Hail to the Thief in 2003 (cf. Kreps). According to a review by Ott (2003), the album is

“Orwellian”; a statement which seems to be mainly based on the first two verses of the

song “2+2=5”. The crucial part of Nineteen Eighty-Four, to which the title of this song

alludes to, is, first of all, Winston’s diary entry: “Freedom is the freedom to say that two

plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows” (Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 73).

Towards the end the novel, O’Brien responds to Winston’s declaration by torturing him in

the Ministry of Love and by ramming the Party’s truth into him: Winston has to

acknowledge that two plus two makes five because in Oceania reality is constructed by

the Inner Party’s truths and claims (cf. Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four: 215). In the lyrics of

“2+2=5“ the protagonist states that “I’ll stay home forever / Where two and two always

makes up five“ (verse 1 lines 3-4), and, “January has April’s showers / And two and two

always makes up five” (verse 2 lines 3-4). These few lines of the song describe a

desperate situation, in which the protagonist of the song is aware of the mendacity of

society and politics. The phrase “January has April’s showers” supports the assumption

that any kind of truth is possible, that truth can be manipulated, and that there is nothing -

neither the seasons of the year nor the logic of mathematics - that one can rely on. But -

just like Winston in Nineteen Eighty-Four - the protagonist of the song is not in a position

to bring about any real change, as two plus two always equals five and not four. Because

Radiohead is critical concerning US politics and their War on Terror, “2+2=5” should be

read as a political rather than a Nineteen Eighty-Four based song. Of course, a

connection to the novel is made in the title of the song and in the quotations that are

used in the verses but, otherwise, the song contains criticism of George W. Bush’s

administration. Lines like, “It’s the devil’s way now” (verse 3 line 1), or “Oh hail to the

thief” (verse 4 line 8) could be references either Bush’s or Big Brother’s ideology and

politics. George W. Bush’s time in office was shaped by corrupt politics which is why, on

the one hand, he can be described as the “devil” because he demonized, for instance,

those who were against him in his War on Terror, referring to these countries as an ‘axis

of evil’. On the other hand, Bush’s major aim during his war in Iraq was to ensure future

oil supplies for the US, which they thievishly and violently acquired (cf. Rajwade 2006:

4863-4864).

In 1970, the American rock band Spirit released their song “1984” (cf. Spirit (band)). The

title of the song, which is repeated in the first line of the choruses, establishes a first,

direct connection to the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In addition, the verses talk about a

“brother” (verse 2 line 3), an allusion to Big Brother, and the “classic plastic

coppers” (verse 4 line 1), probably a reference to the Thought Police. Essentially, the

song displays the brother - the manifestation of the political system in Nineteen Eighty-

Four - knocking on people’s doors in order to be let into their houses or their lives,

respectively. The following questions are asked: “Will you let [the year 1984] come? / Will

you let it run your life?” (chorus lines 3-4). According to these lines, it the speaker of this

song worries that the events and scenarios portrayed in the novel will soon inevitably

become reality. The brother tries to persuade people that the “darkness gives you much

more / Than you get from the light” (verse 1 lines 3-4), and thus wishes to ruin society by

spreading his horrible ideology. As in many of the aforementioned song lyrics, the fact

that the brother and the coppers “see you every night“ (verse 4 line 2) is emphasized, an

allusion to the constant surveillance in a controlled society. As soon as the year 1984

arrives, one’s “freedom is dead” (verse 3 line 3). This future scenario is “no game” (e.g.

verse 2 line 3), but rather a serious prediction. That is why people “should stand up and

fight” (verse 3 line 2), in order to maintain their standard of living. Since the lyrics to this

song were written during the Cold War, like Bowie’s album Diamond Dogs, it seems

natural that the band Spirit was anxious about the future. The song “1984” can be

interpreted as a warning not to let totalitarianism take over, as it did in the world of

Nineteen Eighty-Four.

6.2. Nineteen Eighty-Four in other Song Lyrics

In contrast to the songs that use Nineteen Eighty-Four to criticize contemporary political

and social issues, the following lyrics make reference to various other themes of the

novel without any clear connection to contemporary politics. In terms of content, some of

the songs partly seize on certain aspects of the novel and elaborate on them in more

detail within the lyrics. Essentially, allusions to Orwell’s novel are mainly used to

underline the general pessimistic tone of the songs.

The song “Winston Smith Takes It on the Jaw,” by the US band Utopia, retells the story of

Nineteen Eighty-Four to such an extent that it can actually be considered a perfect

summary of the novel. Utopia, a progressive rock band of the 1970s and 1980s, released

their song in the actual year of 1984 (cf. Utopia (American band)). The title of the song -

“Winston Smith Takes It on the Jaw” - in fact, already highlights the contextual link

between the lyrics and Orwell’s piece of literature and, furthermore, points toward the

main theme of the song: Winston’s resistance against Big Brother, the so-called “jaw.” 10

To make the connections between the song and the novel even more obvious, the band

uses various terms, like “memory hole” or “101”, that directly quote and refer to the

content of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Essentially, the song text makes use of the

chronological, narrative style of the novel: in the first verse, the speaker, Winston Smith,

refers to the bad condition of the controlled society and economy he lives in and points

out that he has “got no razor blades, […] no victory gin / […] no tiny alcove to hide myself

in” (lines 1-2). But, despite his hopeless situation, he meets Julia, the “girl from the anti-

sex youth” (line 4), and establishes a fulfilling, physical relationship with her. In order to

keep their romance a secret, he finds them “a place where there’s no telescreen / And

there’s no hidden mikes and it’s not too unclean” (verse 2 lines 1-2). The novel describes

how Winston and Julia feel almost sure that their crimes will not be discovered, but the

song text points out that “The low” - probably an allusion to either the proles or even to

Winston and Julia - “don’t want to know they tell all with their faces” (verse 2 line 5). The

lyrics by Utopia stress that “the low” do not accept the fact that their secrets are not safe

from the Thought Police but, unfortunately, their ‘guilt’ is written in their faces.

Furthermore, Winston begins to realize the dangers of his romance and wonders if he’ll

be able to see Julia again or if the two lovers will be captured soon. Foreseeing the

future, Winston states that “they will take the book [his diary] away from me / So let them

catch me talking in my sleep” (verse 2 lines 8-9), and he seems to be rather indifferent

about his fate. Winston’s insight that he apparently “never really understood the

law” (verse 2 line 10), makes him challenge Big Brother, “So Winston Smith takes it on

the jaw” (verse 2 line 11). Then, Winston addresses Julia, stating, “let’s do what we want,

it makes no difference now / […] we’re dead anyhow” (verse 3 lines 1-2). If Winston and

Julia are captured, they will be severely punished, kicked “out of the party” as well as

“bust […] to parole” and finally hauled “off to 101” (verse 3 lines 3+5). The two lovers are

brainwashed and their memories are erased, as the Thought Police stuff “both into a

memory hole” (verse 3 line 4). This torture goes on until they finally surrender. But,

despite these risks “Winston Smith takes it on the jaw” (verse 3 line 8), and rises against

Big Brother and the Inner Party. By retelling these events from and facts about the novel,

the band Utopia stresses Winston’s resistant attitude against the higher power. Once

more, the act of love is used as the primary means of resistance and to “take it on the

jaw”.

As mentioned in the chapters on David Bowie’s songs, Dogget referred to Big Brother and his “savage lure” as 10

his “savage jaw“ because many people tend to mishear this particular line in Bowie’s “1984”. It is reasonable to assume that the band Utopia also misheard Bowie’s original lyrics and based their song on this mondegreen “savage jaw.”

A further lyrical example that has taken its inspiration from the themes of Orwell’s

Nineteen Eighty-Four is the song “The Future Is Now” by the US rock band The

Offspring. The song was released in 2012 on their album As Days Go By, which puts its

general focus on the transience of life. The song “The Future Is Now” examines the

theme of death, but examined more closely, it becomes clear that the song makes many

references to Nineteen Eighty-Four (cf. Stanciu 2012; Weber 2012). The most obvious

connection is the line “Flashback 1984” (verse 1 line 5) which points to the fact that the

contents of “The Future Is Now” retell events of the novel in retrospect and thus transfer

Orwell’s dystopia to the present. In fact, the line, “Running down a spiral” (verse 2 line 1),

as well as the title of the song stress the general, recurring nature of history. The first

verse describes a rebellion which is initiated by a “thought that starts a riot” (line 7). A

thought that has this effect can be compared to committing Thoughtcrime in Nineteen

Eighty-Four. Additionally, aspects of surveillance and the protection of one’s privacy are

addressed in the lines, “Now you see me, now you don’t” (verse 2 line 9), and, “Turn off

the lights / They’ll get inside of you” (verse 4 lines 1-2). The fact that in a world full of

darkness the “skies are blue inside” him (verse 4 line 3), an allusion to the speaker’s

illegitimate thoughts and deeds, is problematic because those who do not stick to the

rules of a society always stand out of the crowd, as does Winston in Oceania. The line

“They’re coming after me now” (verse 1 line 8), points out the consequences of this

Thoughtcrime since it describes the protagonist’s prosecution by the Thought Police.

Elaborating on this topic, chorus 1 describes what is bound to happen after one is

eventually captured and taken to the Ministry of Love. Addressing a Party member,

perhaps O’Brien or even Big Brother himself, the speaker asks: “Will you take what’s in

my head? / And erase me when I’m dead?” (lines 1-2), alluding again to brainwashing

and the erasure of one’s memory. Being dead can, in this case, also refer to the death

and elimination of the protagonist’s former rebellious spirit, comparable to how Winston’s

spirit died after he was tortured at the Ministry of Love. Another interesting phrase can be

found in pre-chorus 2, where it says “Life is just god’s game” (line 1). From the novel’s

point of view, “god” can be read as an allusion to a god-like Big Brother, the highest

authority of Oceania, who plays with and controls the lives of his inhabitants. The line

essentially stresses the hopelessness of escaping one’s fate in a totalitarian society like

In 2009, the band Thrice, a US rock band, released a song called “Doublespeak”. In an

interview about their album Beggars, the singer and songwriter of the band, Dustin

Kensrue, stated that he generally takes his ideas from literary influences and sources,

which, in the case of the song “Doublespeak” is without doubt Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-

Four (cf. Khan 2010; Thrice). The title of the song “Doublespeak” is a Newspeak word

and thus establishes the first connection to Orwell’s novel. Though this expression is not

actually used in the novel, it is similar to the concept of Doublethink, which refers to the

government’s control of reality in Oceania. Content-wise, the song “Doublespeak”

focuses on a protagonist who adapts himself to the prevalent living conditions by keeping

his “toes on the party line” (verse 2 line 4). A direct connection to Nineteen Eighty-Four is

established by describing aspects of Doublethink, or Doublespeak, respectively:

surveillance, and betrayal. In verse 1, the speaker states: “I drug my heart with

doublespeak / All my misgivings disappear / It helps to keep my conscience clean” (lines

1-3). These lines point out how the protagonist is dependent on the reality controlling

mechanisms of Doublespeak, like a drug, in order to be able to cope with his doubts

about the world he lives in. Even though he is distracted by Doublespeak, he is alert to

his surroundings, stating, “I’m always careful what I hear” (line 5). The protagonist

pretends to be taken with Doublespeak, but essentially he is desperately trying to find out

the truth behind this concept. The protagonist of this song shows obvious similarities to

Winston Smith, who is also eager to find out the secret behind the system of Big Brother.

In fact, the line, “The ends will justify the means” (verse 1 line 4), can be compared to Big

Brother’s ideology that “[t]he Party seeks power entirely for its own sake” (Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four: 227). In both cases, the lines do not give away the truth that lies

behind the political system of Oceania. The first line of the pre-chorus, “I don’t wanna

know who really pulls the strings,” refers to the controlling forces behind society. The

protagonist would like to ignore or deny the fact that someone like Big Brother in

Nineteen Eighty-Four is in charge of leading his world. Nevertheless, he keeps his “toes

on the party line,” trying not to cross it and to keep to its rules, perhaps ironically stating

“There is nothing wrong dear, don’t think twice” (lines 4-5). In terms of content, the lyrics

mainly focus on the psychological problems, like mind-control, paranoia, and deceit that

the protagonist encounters on a daily basis. The song does not necessarily narrate the

life of Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, but it is conceivable that the people of

Oceania would express doubts and attitudes like those mentioned above. As the song

alludes to life in a society in which the inhabitants’ minds are controlled by Doublespeak,

and which is ruled by a Party whose “ends will justify the means,” there is a clear

connection to the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and the ideas it represents.

Another example of lyrics based on Nineteen Eighty-Four is the song “Talk Shows on

Mute” by the American band Incubus. This song was released on the band’s album A

Crow Left of the Murder in 2004 (cf. Talk Shows on Mute). As indicated by the title of the

song, its general contents allude to, amongst others, being on and watching television.

Interestingly, some lines of “Talk Shows on Mute” establish a connection between the

narration of the song in the present and the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four. The chorus,

“Come one, come all / Into 1984” (lines 1-2), invites the audience to follow the

protagonist to the year 1984. Similar to the aforementioned lyrics by The Offspring, this

song’s text stresses the fact that its content resemble a flashback to the events of the

novel. However, besides the direct reference to the title, the song hardly alludes to

Orwell’s dystopia. Essentially, the verses provide the listeners with an image of a fake

society, consisting of people with an “‘Impress me’ personality” (verse 1 line 5), who live

in the “Comfort of America” (e.g. verse 2 line 4). Verse 5, “You’re so much more /

Endearing with the sound turned off” (lines 5-6), might refer to the telescreens in

Nineteen Eighty-Four, which are a nuisance since they cannot be turned off at all. But it

seems more natural to view these lines as criticism of television in general, since the title

of the song is “Talk Shows on Mute”. Because the lyrics of the song can be examined

from various points of view, one interpretation could indeed establish a thematic

connection to Nineteen Eighty-Four. Apart from the direct reference to “1984” in the

chorus, and the above-mentioned criticism of television, there is hardly any lyrical

evidence that would support this assertion. Interestingly, while the key words in the lyrics

partly allude to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, the music video to the song “Talk

Shows on Mute” depicts a world in which animals, behaving like humans, dominate the

world. Thus, the band Incubus can also be seen as making reference to one of Orwell’s

former novels, Animal Farm , written in 1945 (cf. Talk Shows on Mute). 11

6.3. The Nineteen Eighty-Four Movie Soundtrack

In 1984, the band Eurythmics released their album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother),

the film soundtrack to a film adaption of Nineteen Eighty-Four. In general, just few of the

song lyrics relate to the contents of the novel: most of the tracks are instrumental only or

solely repeat the same phrase throughout the entire song. Only the three songs

examined in this section actually deal with the content of the novel. In order to

emphasize the close relationship between their lyrics and Nineteen Eighty-Four,

Eurythmics use direct quotations from the novel, as can be seen, for instance, in the

lyrics of “Doubleplusgood”. What is more, all of the song titles make reference to the

novel, as they are the musical themes to certain scenes, like the songs “Room 101” and

“Ministry of Love”. As one of the most successful musical duos of the 1980s, singer Annie

Lennox and musician Dave Stewart were famous for their rhythmic, electronic beats, but

not really for the lyrics of their songs (cf. Erlewine; 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother).

Because of the fact that the main aim of these lyrics is to support the different scenes of

the movie adaption with music, the poetic qualities and the interpretative opportunities for

Orwell’s animal fable retells the history of the Russian Revolution 1917 that eventually led to the emergence of 11

the Soviet Union. It has been argued that Nineteen Eighty-Four might, in fact, be the thematic and historical continuation of Animal Farm (cf. Lea 2001: 7-9).

the album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) are scarce. For this reason, the Eurythmics’

contribution to Nineteen Eighty-Four based lyrics is not as remarkable as those of David

Bowie or Muse.

The song “Doubleplusgood” is a musical representation of a news sequence, which is

directly and entirely quoted from the novel, read by a female announcer (Orwell Nineteen

Eighty-Four: 26). In verse 1, the announcer describes the course of the war, how the

“forces in South India have won glorious victory” (line 3), and that these events might

“bring the war within measurable distance of its end” (line 5). Verse 2 consists of memos

written in Newspeak, telling the person who receives them - in this case perhaps Winston

himself - how to rewrite newspaper articles in order to erase and distort memories of the

past. The different choruses of the songs are repetitions of the terms “Doubleplusgood”

and “Doubleunplusgood”, which are the Newspeak words for ‘very good’ and ‘very bad’.

The song itself does not provide the listener with much information about the novel as

such, but it gives a general impression of Newspeak and how news is spread and used

as a means of manipulation in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

The song “Julia” describes Winston and Julia’s romance, and basically focuses on the

question of what the future might bring for the two lovers. They ask themselves “Will we

still be there?” (e.g. verse 4 line 1), in autumn, “When the leaves turn from green to

brown” (verse 1 line1), in winter when “icy breezes chill the air” (verse 2 line 2), and in

spring when “everything is new again” (verse 3 line 3). The speaker describes the

steadily deteriorating conditions but, nevertheless, a slight hope for change in the future

is voiced since one day the world will be “new again.” The song lyrics continue by

pointing out the two doomed lovers’ fear that their dangerous living conditions in Oceania

will not change, but “everything [will] be just the same” (verse 3 line 3). Regarding the

lyrics’ communicative situation, it can be said that Winston forcefully and repeatedly asks

the crucial question of whether a suitable future is possible or not, but there is no answer.

Winston can only overcome the fear of what the answer to this question may be with the

help of Julia; either Julia herself is the answer or she may know it. This assumption can

be based on the fact that throughout the song Julia’s name is repeated by the backing

vocals.

Another song from the album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) is called “Sexcrime.”

Despite the title, the lyrics hardly cover any aspect of Sexcrime. The chorus mentions the

term, but the underlying concept is not explained. Verse 1 makes reference to Julia and

Winston’s hiding place in the woods, their “wintery home,” in which they feel safe and

unnoticed (line 4). But in Oceania “there’s always someone in” (verse 1 line 5), meaning

it is impossible to avoid being watched by Big Brother and the Thought Police. In verse 3,

the speaker, probably Winston, states “I’ll pull the bricks down / One by one / Leave a big

hole in the wall / Just where you are looking in” (lines 1-4), and surrenders to the

omnipresent observers. These lines highlight the pointlessness of hiding oneself and

ironically proclaim that by leaving “a big hole in the wall” the protagonist is so desperate

that he will even cooperate with the enemy. Since surveillance is a key aspect of the

politics in Oceania one could also simply “face the wall” (verse 2 line 1), and face Big

Brother, who is always looking in. In a highly forlorn state of mind, the protagonist damns

his existence and wishes that he could “[be] unborn” (verse 2 line 3), and “unliving

here” (verse 2 line 4). These lyrics reflect the fact that living conditions in Oceania are

obviously too much to bear.

7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This thesis has aimed to demonstrate why and how contemporary singers, songwriters,

and musicians make use of Nineteen Eighty-Four based lyrics in their songs. In general,

it can be said that due to the timelessness and the relevance of Orwell’s novel, especially

with regard to political and social issues, it is hardly surprising that for the past 45 years

various musicians have drawn on Orwell’s dystopian ideas and incorporated them into

their song lyrics. Incidentally, the first group to make use of the contents of Orwell’s novel

was the US band Spirit in 1970. The themes of Nineteen Eighty-Four which have been

most frequently quoted or referred to in song lyrics are aspects of totalitarianism and

dictatorships, of life under surveillance in a police state, of the generation of fear via

permanent wars and images shown in media, as well as of the protagonists’ love affair as

an act of resistance. At their roots, many of the artists share a similar agenda, which is

why resembling metaphors and allusions to Nineteen Eighty-Four can be found in their

song lyrics.

This thesis has endeavoured to show that most of the song lyrics it analyzes serve to

highlight and criticize the contemporary political and societal ills. In fact, Orwell’s

Nineteen Eighty-Four has a similar aim since the author himself was eager to stress and

denounce the cruel living conditions during and briefly after WWII. It can thus be said that

the songwriters who have based their lyrics on this novel, and thereby have pointed out

the resemblance between the fictional world and reality, are following in Orwell’s

footsteps and, in a way, are continuing his legacy. In general, it is interesting to see how

the use of Orwell’s dystopia has shifted from being a means of political propaganda

briefly after its publication to an effective means of criticism against unjust politics today.

The song lyrics that originated at the time of the Cold War, like those on Bowie’s album

Diamond Dogs, mostly aim at criticizing totalitarianism and dictatorship, since the fear of

Communism and the threat of a nuclear disaster was foremost in people’s minds.

Bowie’s songs foretell a doomed mankind, whose downfall resulted from totalitarianism,

supported by metaphors alluding to Nineteen Eighty-Four. In a way, these Nineteen

Eighty-Four based lyrics utter a warning not to let the content of the novel become reality.

In the present, Nineteen Eighty-Four based song lyrics of the 21st century no longer

criticize the communist system, as it no longer exists in the same form, but rather

denounce the measures taken to fight terrorism during the reign of former US President

George W. Bush. Apart from Muse, the bands Radiohead and Anti-Flag also use their

songs to point out how the War on Terror and its depiction in the media both spread fear

and manipulated US citizens. By comparing these contemporary events to Orwell’s novel

Nineteen Eighty-Four, these musicians aim to enlighten people and provoke critical

thinking. On their album The Resistance, Muse has taken these ideas a step further as

they call for resistance against the prevailing political system.

In conclusion, it can be stated that, while it might at first seem surprising that so many

different artists from the pop, rock, and punk scenes have used Orwell’s novel as the

basis for their song lyrics, their reasons for doing so are by all means understandable.

Once more, it becomes clear that the themes of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four are

timeless and always relevant. In their song, the band Anti-Flag highlights that “Mr. Orwell

from the grave” might have to add “fresh ink to the page,” since the themes and incidents

of his dystopian vision of the world have not yet been exhausted, nor will they ever be.

For this reason, it is reasonable to expect, or even predict, that in the future Orwell’s

novel might serve as an inspiration for generations of musicians and songwriters to

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY

8.1. Primary Sources

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Bowie, David (1974). “Future Legends.“ In: Diamond Dogs. RCA. [Online] http://

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[2016, Feb 14th].

Eurythmics (1984). “Julia.“ In: 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother). Virgin Records.

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Thrice (2009). “Doublespeak.“ In: Beggars. Vagrant Records. [Online] http://

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Utopia (1984). “Winston Smith Takes it on the Jaw.“ In: Oblivion. Passport Records.

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[2016, Feb. 23rd].

Printed Literature

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8.2. Secondary Sources

Printed Literature

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Interplay of Lyrics, Vocals and Performance.“ In: Eoin Devereux, Aileen Dillane and

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Music 6. New York: Routledge. 263-279.

Avishai, Bernard (1983). “Orwell and the English Language.“ In: Irving Howe, ed. 1984

Revisited. Totalitarianism in our Century. New York: Harper & Row Publishers Inc. 57-71.

Beaumont, Mark (2014). Out of this World. The Story of Muse [2008]. London: Omnibus

Press.

Booth, Mark W. (1981). The Experience of Songs. New Haven and London: Yale

University Press.

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+ B o w i e : + T h e + M u s i c + a n d + T h e

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Buckley, David (2005). Strange Fascination - David Bowie. The Definitive Story. London:

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Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. The Definitive History of the Most

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Crick, Bernard (1982). George Orwell. A life. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

Deutscher, Isaac (1954). “1984. The Mysticism of Cruelty.“ Rpt. in Raymond Williams

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Hall Inc. 119-132.

Doggett, Peter (2011). The Man Who Sold the World. David Bowie and the 1970s.

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Eckstein, Lars (2010). Reading Song Lyrics. Internationale Forschungen zur Allgemeinen

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Elms, Robert (2012). “Einführung. Jeder war Bowie.“ In: Paolo Hewitt. Bowie.

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George Orwell. A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc.

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Lee, Robert A. (1969). Orwell’s Fiction. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.

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McGrath, John E. (2004). Loving Big Brother. Performance, privacy and surveillance

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Myers, Ben (2007). Muse. Inside the Muscle Museum. Church Stretton: Independent

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Pegg, Nicholas (2011). The Complete David Bowie. Updated and Expanded 2011

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Perone, James E. (2007) The Words and Music of David Bowie. Westport: Praeger

Publishers.

Pattison, Pat (2012). “Similarities and Difference between Song Lyrics and Poetry.“ In:

Charlotte Pence, ed. The Poetics of American Song Lyrics. Jackson: University Press of

Mississippi. 122-133.

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4863-4865.

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of Michigan Press.

Online Sources

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28th].

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1984_(For_the_Love_of_Big_Brother) [2016, Mar 7th].

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[2016, Mar 1st].

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blaremagazine.com/2010/06/16/q-and-a-dustin-kensrue/ [2016, Feb 3rd].

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resistance-mini-review-1247177460/ [2016, Mar 9th].

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[Online] http://www.spin.com/2012/07/offspring-days-go-columbia/ [2016, Feb 19th].

8.3. Appendix: Lyrics

The lyrics are taken from the pages as cited in the bibliography and, in some cases, misspellings have

been slightly adapted by me.

Anti-Flag (2007). “Welcome to 1984.“

Verse 1

Who would Jesus bomb? Yeah, who would Jesus

The double talk is past surreal

The word of god is now the word of hate

War is peace, and freedom is the police state

Can't you see the writing on the wall?

Democracy lays trampled on the floor

You better believe that

Chorus

Hell yeah, I'm confused for sure

What I thought was the New Millennium is 1984

Mr. Orwell from the grave, adding fresh ink to the

As the unpresident declares an endless war

Welcome to 1984

Verse 2

Feels like Nazi Germany and Hitler on TV

As the unpresident spews his homophobic

speech

Didn't the allies fight a war to end extremist

fascist law

So tell me now what are the fuck we fighting for?

Verse 3

I just can not take it anymore

Democracy lays trampled on the floor

Man, isn't freedom great

Verse 4

Now we've got armies of peace, armed to the

Delivering death to make the world a better place

So celebrate the weapons spending, say a toast

to Armageddon

Raise some hell, we're all headed straight to hell

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2001). “Citizen Erased.“

Verse 1

Break me in, teach us to cheat

And to lie, cover up

What shouldn't be shared

All the truth's unwinding

Scraping away at my mind

Please stop asking me to describe

Chorus

For one moment

I wish you'd hold your stage

With no feelings at all

Open minded

I'm sure I used to be so free

Verse 2

Self expressed, exhausting for all

To see and to be

What you want and what you need

The truth's unwinding

Scraping away at my mind

Please stop asking me to describe

Repetition of Chorus (2x)

Verse 3

Wash me away

Clean your body of me

Erase all the memories

They will only bring us pain

And I've seen, all I'll ever need

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2009). “Guiding Lights.“

Verse 1

Pure hearts stumble

in my hands, they crumble

Fragile and stripped to the core

I can't hurt you anymore

Verse 2

Loved by numbers

you're losing life's wonder

touch like strangers; detached

I can't feel you anymore

Verse 3

The sunshine trapped in our hearts

it could rise again

but I'm lost, crushed, cold and confused

with no guiding light left inside

You were my guiding light

Verse 4

When comfort and warmth can't be found

I still reach for you

but I'm lost, crushed, cold and confused

with no guiding light left inside

Chorus

You're my guiding light

when there's no guiding light left inside

when there's no guiding light in our lives

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2009). “MK Ultra.“

Verse 1

The wavelength gently grows

Coercive notions re-evolve

A universe is trapped inside a tear

it resonates the core

creates unnatural laws

replaces love and happiness with fear

Chorus 1

how much deception can you take

how many lies will you create

how much longer until you break

your mind's about to fall

and they are breaking through

they are breaking through

we are losing control

now we are falling

Verse 2

Invisible to all

The mind becomes a wall

All of history deleted with one stroke

Chorus 2

how much deception can you take

how many lies will you create

how much longer until you break

your mind's about to fall

and they are breaking through

now we are falling

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2009). “Resistance.“

Verse 1

Is our secret safe tonight

and are we out of sight

Or will our world come tumbling down?

Will they find our hiding place

is this our last embrace

or will the walls start caving in?

Pre-Chorus

have been right

It could be wrong, could be wrong, to let our

hearts ignite

It could be wrong, could be wrong, are we

digging a hole?

It could be wrong, could be wrong, this is out of

control

It could be wrong, could be wrong, it can never

It could be wrong, could be wrong, must erase it

have been right

It could be wrong could be….

Chorus

Love is our resistance

They'll keep us apart and they won’t stop

breaking us down

Hold me

our lips must always be sealed

Verse 2

If we live a life in fear

I'll wait a thousand years

just to see you smile again

Kill your prayers for love and peace

You'll wake the thought police

we can't hide the truth inside

Verse 3

The night has reached it's end

We can't pretend

We must run

Its time to run

Take us away from here

Protect us from further harm

Resistance

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2009). “Uprising.“

Verse 1

Paranoia is in bloom,

The PR transmissions will resume

They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed

And hope that we will never see the truth around

Verse 2

Another promise, another seed

Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in

And all the green belts wrapped around our

And endless red tape to keep the truth confined

Chorus 1

They will not control us

Verse 3

Interchanging mind control

Come let the, revolution takes its toll

If you could flick the switch and open your third

You'd see that

We should never be afraid to die

Verse 4

Rise up and take the power back

It's time the fat cats had a heart attack

They know that their time's coming to an end

We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

Chorus 2

They will not enslave us

Chorus 3

They can not control us

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2009). "United States Of Eurasia“

Verse 1

You and me are the same

We don't know or care who's to blame

But we know that whoever holds the reigns

Nothing will change

Our cause has gone insane

Do you want them to go on and on and on?

Why split these states

When there can be only one

And must we do as we're told?

Must still do as we're told?

Verse 2

You and me fall in line

To be punished for unproven crimes

And we know that there's no one we can trust

Our ancient heroes

They are turning to dust

Does anyone know or care how they begun?

They just promise to go on and on and on

But soon we will see

There can be only one

United States United States of Eurasia, Eurasia,

Bellamy, Matthew / Muse (2009). “Unnatural Selection“.

Chorus 1

They'll laugh as they watch us fall

The lucky don't care at all

No chance for fate

It's unnatural selection

I want the truth

Verse 1

I am hungry for some unrest

I want to push this beyond a peaceful protest

I wanna speak in a language that they'll

understand

Dedication, to a new age

Is this the end of destruction and rampage?

Another chance to erase then repeat it again

Pre-Chorus

Counter balance this commotion

We're not droplets in the ocean

Repetition of Chorus 1

Verse 2

No religion or mind virus'

Is there a hope that the facts will ever find us

Just make sure that your are looking out for

number 1

I am hungry for an unrest

Lets push this beyond a peaceful protestI wanna

speak in a language that you will understand

Chorus 2

They'll laugh as they watch us crawl

The lucky don't share at all

No hope for fate, its a random chance selection

I want the truth

Verse 3

Try to ride out the storm

Whilst they'll make you believe,

That they are the special ones, (we have not

been chosen)

Injustice is the norm

You won't be the first and you know you won't be

the last

Chorus 4

They'll laugh as they watch us fall

The lucky don't care at all

No chance for fate

It's unnatural selection

I want the truth, I want the truth

Bowie, David (1974). “1984“

Verse 1

Someday they will get you now you must agree

The times they are a telling

And the changing isn't free

You've read it in the tea leaves

and the tracks are on TV

Verse 2

They'll split your pretty cranium

And fill it full of air

And tell you that you're eighty

But brother you won't care

You'll be shooting up on anything

tomorrow's never there

Come see, come see remember me?

We played an all night movie role

You said it would last

But I guess we enrolled in 1984, 1984

Verse 3

I'm looking for a vehicle I'm looking for a ride

I'm looking for a party I'm looking for a side

I'm looking for the treason that I knew in '65

1984,…

Bowie, David (1974). "Big Brother"

Verse 1

Don't talk of dust and roses

Or should we powder our noses?

Don't talk of last years capers

Give me steel, give me steel

Give me pulsars unreal

Verse 2

He'll build a glass asylum

With just a hint of mayhem

He'll build a better whirlpool

We'll be living from sin

Then we can really begin

Bridge

Please saviour, saviour show us

Hear me, I'm graphically yours

Chorus

Someone to claim us - someone to follow

Someone to shame us - some brave Apollo

Someone to fool us - someone like you

We want you Big Brother - Big Brother

Pre-Chorus

I know you think you're awful square

But you made everyone and you've been

everywhere

Lord I think you'd overdose if you knew what's

going down

David Bowie (1974). “Candidate.“

Verse 1

I’ll make you a deal

Like any other candidate

We’ll pretend we’re walking home

‘Cause your future’s at stake

My set is amazing

It even smells like a street

There’s a bar at the end

Where I can meet you and your friend

Someone scrawled on the wall

I smell the blood

Of les tricoteuses

Who wrote up scandals

In other bars

Verse 2

I’m having so much fun

With the

Poisonous people

Spreading rumours and lies and stories

they made up

Some make you sing

And some make you scream

One makes you wish

That you’d never been seen

But there’s a shop on the corner

That’s selling papier mache

Making bullet proof faces

Charles Manson Cassius Clay

If you want it boys

Get it here thing

So you scream out of line

I want you I need you

Anyone out there any time

A tres butch little number whines

Hey dirty I want you

When it’s good

It’s really good and when it’s

Bad I go to pieces

If you want it boys

Get it here thing

Verse 3

Well on the street where you live

I could not hold up my head

For I put all I have in another bed

On another floor in the back of a car

In a cellar like a church with the door ajar

Well I guess we must be looking for a different

But we can’t stop trying till we break up our

Till the sun drip blood on the seedy young

knights

Who press you on the ground while shaking in

fright

I guess we could cruise down one more time

With you by my side it should be fine

We’ll buy some drugs and watch a band

Then jump in a river holding hands

Bowie, David (1974). “Candidate (Demo).“

Verse 1

Inside every teenage girl there's a fountain

Inside every young pair of pants there's a

mountain

Inside every mother's eyes is Tommy Tinkrem's

Inside every candidate waits a grateful dead

Verse 2

I make it a thing, when I'm on my own to relieve

myself

I make it a thing, when I gazelle on stage to

believe in myself

I make it a thing, to glance in window panes and

look pleased with myself

Yeah, and pretend I'm walking home

Verse 3

I took it so bad, I sat in the correction room

Took me a fag, and a kick in the moon

Well, I ain't gonna suck no radar wing

Because inside this tin is tin

Would you like to techno-plate cause I'm your

candidate

Oh yeah

Verse 4

It's a matter of life

And the way you walk, you've got a brylcream

It's a matter of tact

In the things you talk, that keeps his passport

A matter of fact

That a cock ain't a cock on a twelve inch screen

So i'll pretend i'm walking home

Verse 5

You don't have to scream a lot to keep an age in

You don't have to scream a lot to predict

monsoons

You don't have to paint my contact black

Now i've hustled a pair of jeans

Do I have to give your money back when I'm the

Fuhrerling?

Verse 6

I'll make you a deal

I'll say I came from earth and my tongue is taped

You can get your kicks on the candidate

For your future's sake, I'm the candidate

Let's pretend we're walking home

Chorus

Uh-huh, uh-huh

I'm the candidate

Vote now for the candidate

Bowie, David (1974). “Future Legends.“

And ... in the death - as the last few corpses lay rotting on the slimy thoroughfare - the shutters lifted in

inches in Temperance Building - high on Poachers Hill and red mutant eyes gazed down on Hunger City -

no more big wheels - fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats and ten thousand peoploids split

into small tribes coveting the highest of the sterile skyscrapers - like packs of dogs assaulting the glass

fronts of Love Me Avenue - ripping and re-wrapping mink and shiny silver fox - now leg warmers - family

badge of sapphire and cracked emeralds - any day now - the year of the Diamond Dogs

"This ain’t Rock ‘n Roll -this is Genocide“.

Bowie, David (1974). “Rebel Rebel.“

Verse 1

You've got your mother in a whirl

She’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl

Hey Babe, your hair’s alright

Hey Babe, let’s go out tonight

You like me and I like it all

We like dancing and we look divine

You love bands when they're playing hard

You want more and you want it fast

They put you down, they say I’m wrong

You tacky thing

You put them on

Chorus

Rebel Rebel you’ve torn your dress

Rebel Rebel your face is a mess

Rebel Rebel how could they know

Hot tramp, I love you so

Verse 2

You’ve torn your dress

Your face is a mess

You can’t get enough but enough ain't the test

You’ve got your transmission and a live wire

You’ve got your cue lines and a handful of ludes

You wanna be there when they count up the

And I love your dress

You’re a juvenile success

Because your face is a mess

So how could they know?

I said, how could they know?

Verse 3

So what you wanna know

Calamity's child, chi-chile, chi-chile

Where'd you wanna go?

What can I do for you?

Looks like you've been there too

'Cause you've torn your dress

And your face is a mess

Ooo, your face is a mess

Ooo, ooo, so how could they know?

Eh, eh how could they know?

Eh, eh

Bowie, David (1974). "We Are The Dead.“

Verse 1

Something kind of hit me today

I looked at you and wondered

If you saw things my way

People will hold us to blame

It hit me today, it hit me today

Verse 2

We're taking it hard all the time

Why don't we pass it by

Just reply you've changed your mind

We're fighting with the eyes of the blind

Taking it hard taking it hard yet now

Verse 3

We feel that we are paper choking on you nightly

They tell me, Son, we want you be elusive

But don't walk far

For we're breaking in the new boys

Deceive your next of kin

For you're dancing

Where the dogs decay defecating ecstasy

You're just an ally of the leecher

Locator for the virgin king

But I love you in your fuck-me pumps

And your nimble dress that trails

Chorus 1

For I hear them on the rails

We are the dead

Verse 4

One thing kind of touched me today

I looked at you and counted

All the times we had laid

Pressing our love through the night

Knowing it's right knowing it's right

Now I'm hoping someone will care

Living on the breath of a hope to be shared

Trusting on the sons of our love

That someone will care, someone will care

But now we're today's scrambled creatures

Locked in tomorrow's double feature

Heaven is on the pillow

Its silence competes with hell

It's a twenty-four-hour service

Guaranteed to make you tell

Verse 5

And the streets are full of pressmen

Bent on gettin' hung and buried

And the legendary curtains

Are drawn round baby bankrupt

Who sucks you while you're sleeping

It’s the theater of financiers

Count them fifteen round the table

White and dressed to kill

Chorus 2

Oh caress yourself my juicy

For my hands are all but withered

For I hear them on the stairs

We are the dead

Eurythmics (1984). “Doubleplusgood.“

Verse 1

Attention, your attention, please

A newsflash has this moment arrived from the

Malabar front

Our forces in South India have won a glorious

victory

I am authorized to say that the action we are now

reporting

May, well bring the war within measurable

distance of its end

Here is the newsflash

Chorus 1 (4x)

Plusgood

Doubleplusgood

Plusgood

Doubleplusgood

Verse 2

Doubleplusgood

Times 17.3.84 bb speech mal reported Africa

rectify

Times 19.12.83 forecasts 3 YP 4th quarter

83 misprints, verify current issue

Times 14.12.84 mini plenty mal quoted,

chocolate rectify

Times 3.12.83 reporting bb day order

doubleplusungood

Repetition of Chorus 1 (4x)

Chorus 2

Doubleplusgood

Doubleplusungood

Doubleplusgood

Doubleplusungood

D-d-double, d-d-double, d-d-double

Repetition of Chorus 1 (4x)

Chorus 3

Doubleplusungood

D-d-doubleplus, d-d-doubleplus, d-d-doubleplus

D-d-doubleplus, d-d-double, d-d-double, d-d-

double

Doubleplusungood

D-d-double, d-d-double, d-d-double

D-d-doubleplusungood

Bridge

Your attention, please

Repetition of Chorus 1 (fade out)

Eurythmics (1984). “Julia.“

Verse 1

(Julia) When the leaves turn from green to brown

And autumn shades come tumbling down

(Julia) To leave a carpet on the ground

Where we have laid

Verse 2

(Julia) When winter leaves her branches bare

And icy breezes chill the air

(Oh Julia) The freezing snow lies everywhere

My darling, will we still be there?

(Oh Julia)

Verse 3

(Julia) When spring rejoices down the lane

And everything is new again

Will everything be just the same

Will we be there?

(Oh Julia)

Repetition of Verse 1

Verse 4

(Julia) Will we still be there?

Will we still be there?

(Oh Julia) Will we still be there?

Will we, will we, will we?

Will we, will we?

(Julia) Will we, will we?

(Julia) Will we, will we

Will we, will we

(Julia) Will we

Will we be there?

Will we, will we

Will we

Eurythmics (1984). "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four).“

Verse 1

Sex crime, crime

Can I take this for granted

With your eyes over me?

In this place, this wintery home

I know there's always someone in

Chorus 1

Sex crime, sex crime

Nineteen eighty four

Verse 2

And so I face the wall

Turn my back against it all

How I wish I'd been unborn

Wish I was unliving here

Chorus 2

Verse 3

I'll pull the bricks down

One by one

Leave a big hole in the wall

Just where you are looking in

Chorus 3

Incubus (2004). "Talk Shows On Mute.“

Verse 1

Take a bow

Pack on powder

Wash 'em out with buzzing lights

Pay an audience to care

"Impress me" personality

Verse 2

Still and transfixed

The electric sheep are dreaming of your face

Enjoy you from the chemical

Comfort of America

Chorus

Come one, come all

Into 1984

Yeah, three, two, one

Lights, camera, transaction

Verse 3

Quick, your time is almost up

Make all forget that they're the moth

Edging in towards the flame

Burn into obscurity

Verse 4

Still and transfixed

The electric sheep are dreaming up your fate

And judge you from the card castle

Comfort of America

Chorus

Come one, come all

Into 1984

Yeah, three, two, one

Lights, camera, transaction

Verse 5

Your foundation is canyoning

Fault lines should be worn with pride

I hate to say it but

You're so much more

Endearing with the sound turned off

Radiohead (2003). "2 + 2 = 5.“

Verse 1

Are you such a dreamer

To put the world to rights?

I'll stay home forever

Where two and two always makes up five

Verse 2

I'll lay down the tracks

Sandbag and hide

January has April's showers

And two and two always makes up five

Verse 3

It's the devil's way now

There is no way out

You can scream and you can shout

It is too late now

Bridge (4x)

Because you have not been

Payin' attention

Payin’ attention

Payin' attention

Payin’ attention

Verse 4

I try to sing along

I get it all wrong

'Cause I'm not

I swat em like flies

But like flies the buggers keep coming back

But I'm not

Oh hail to the thief

But I'm not

Verse 5

Don't question my authority or put me in the dock

'Cause I'm not

Oh, go and tell the king that the sky is falling in

When it's not

Maybe not

Spirit (1970). “1984.“

Chorus 1 (2x)

Knockin' on your door

Will you let it come?

Will you let it run your life?

Verse 1

Someone will be waiting for you at your door

When you get home tonight

Ah yes, he's gonna tell you darkness gives you

much more

Than you get from the light

Verse 2

Classic plastic guards well they're your special

friend

He sees you every night

Well he calls himself the brother but you know it's

no game

You're never out of his sight

Verse 3

It's time you started thinking inside your head

That you should stand up and fight

Oh just where will you be when your freedom is

Won't you listen tonight?

Verse 4

Those classic plastic coppers, they are your

special friends

They see you every night

Well they call themselves protection but they

know it's no game

You're never out of their sight

Chorus 2 (2x)

Knockin' on your door

Will you let it come?

Will you let it run?

The Offspring (2012). "The Future Is Now.“

Verse 1

This city’s made of diamonds

And tomorrow glass will grow

On the freedoms that divide us

They’re coming after me

Flashback 1984

Now who’s knock-knocking at your door?

A thought that starts a riot

They’re coming after me now

Pre-Chorus 1

Life is not the same

I am one

But sparks turn into flames

Chorus 1

Will you take what’s in my head?

And erase me when I’m dead?

Cause the future is now

And now I’m disappearing

The day has turned to night

Can you save me from the light?

Cause the future is here

And this is how I disappear

Verse 2

Running down a spiral

With the light of better men

Shouting progress is survival

Take one last look and see me

Now you see me, now you don’t

No vow to break

No string of hope

My hero, your pariah

They’re coming after me now

Pre-Chorus 2

Life is just god’s game

I am one

But sparks turn into flames

Chorus 2

And you get what you deserve

When revenge is what you serve

Cause the future is now

And now I’m disappearing

I’ll sink into the night

And I’m turning off the lights

Cause the future is here

And this is how I disappear

Verse 3

So the end’s what you make it

And that’s what you’re looking for

This is the future

The future is now

Bridge

Disappear, I disappear

I disappear, I disappear

Verse 4

Now turn off the lights

The skies are blue inside you

Turn off the lights

They’ll get inside of you

Thrice (2009). “Doublespeak.“

Verse 1

I drug my heart with doublespeak,

All my misgivings disappear.

It helps to keep my conscience clean.

(The ends will justify the means,)

But still I’m always careful what I hear.

Pre-Chorus

I don’t wanna know who really pulls the strings,

Just as long as it’s not you or me.

Chorus

There’s a jackboot toe tap keeping time,

while the children dance and play.

Honey, if you think you’ve seen a crime,

you just look the other way.

Verse 2

I slowly carve my soul away.

Piece by piece I sacrifice.

To comfort and peace of mind

(I keep my toes on the party line.)

There’s nothing wrong dear, don’t think twice.

Pre-Chorus

I don’t wanna know who really pulls the strings,

Just as long as it’s not you or me.

Repetition of Chorus (4x)

There’s a jackboot toe tap keeping time,

while the children dance and play.

Honey, if you think you’ve seen a crime,

won't you look the other way.

Utopia (1984). “Winston Smith Takes it on the Jaw.“

Verse 1

We got no razor blades, we got no victory gin

I got no tiny alcove to hide myself in

To say things weren't good would not be an

untruth

But I just met a girl from the anti-sex youth

We get up in the morning for physical jerks

We might pass in the hall as we're going to work

Verse 2

I have found us a place where there's no

telescreen

And there's no hidden mikes and it's not too

unclean

While the high remain high

And the middle change places

The low don't want to know they tell all with their

She might sit afront of me for the two minutes

I might see her again if it's not already too late

So they will take the book away from me

So let them catch me talking in my sleep

I guess I never really understood the law

So Winston Smith takes it on the jaw

Verse 3

So let's do what we want, it makes no difference

When the thought police find us, we're dead

anyhow

Kick us out of the party and bust us to parole

Then they'll stuff us both into a memory hole

So let them haul me off to 101

Public confessions of everything we've done

Of everything I heard and everything I saw

When Winston Smith takes it on the jaw

Adapting George Orwell's Novel Nineteen Eighty-Four to ... - unipub

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