Photograph of David Bowie receiving an autograph from Michael Strunge (1978)
ENGLISH VERSION
Ziggy in Suburbia
Ziggy Stardust opens his eyes.
Looks at the sky for light,
goes down in the street, mid-morning,
buys cigarettes.
An Earthly habit.
“The self-destruction planet,” thinks Ziggy
and sees the cars rush by
while an old alcoholic
throws up in the gutter.
Shudder in Ziggy’s eyes.
Turns away. Thinks of the clear, pure…
The Earth people live in space.
On Ziggy’s planet they lived in time
and Ziggy finds it hard to
to get used to the walls constancy
and these things that never
move.
Ziggy’s eyes fill with tears.
He has gotten used to it.
Ziggy sits himself by the window
and lives with his mirror-image.
Naturally he loves himself.
As do all the clear, pure…
They just have a copy of themselves
in 3D.
But Ziggy is alone
with his own self.
Ziggy looks at the glass’s beautiful youth.
Shudder of longing.
For Ziggy time goes fast.
“On this strange worthless planet.”
It is dark.
and the eye’s mirrors become like two stars
that see the city from the dark.
Light and madness.
“Wonder if they know what they do.
Who manipulates them?”
Ziggy never sleeps.
Doesn’t eat either.
Ziggy senses himself
through the images of the sick planet.
(From time-to-time
Ziggy tips a little ash from the ashtray
out into the air
and sees it defeated
by gravity. But not too often: “Not too often.
Who could fly
after being burnt.”
One day something will happen.)
DANSK VERSION
Ziggy i forstad
Ziggy Stardust åbner sine øjne.
Ser på himlen efter lys,
går ned på gaden, formiddag,
køber cigaretter.
En jordisk vane.
"Selvdestruktionens planet," tænker Ziggy “
og ser bilerne fare forbi
mens en gammel alkoholiker
kaster op i rendestenen.
Ziggy gyser i øjnene.
Vender sig væk. Tænker på de klare, rene ...
Jordmenneskene bor i rum.
På Ziggys planet levede de i tid
og Ziggy har svært ved at
at vende sig til murenes ustandselighed
og disse ting der aldrig
flytter sig.
Ziggys øjne fyldes med tårer.
Det har han vænnet sig til.
Ziggy sætter sig ved vinduet
og lever sig ind i sit spejlbillede.
Selvfølgelig elsker han sig selv.
Det gør alle de klare, rene ...
De har bare en kopi af sig selv
i 3D.
Men Ziggy er alene
med sit eget selv.
Ziggy ser på glassets smukke yngling.
Længselsgys.
For Ziggy går tiden hurtigt.
"On this strange, worthless planet."
Det er mørkt
og spejløjnene bliver til to stjerner
der ser byen fra mørket.
Lys og vanvid.
"Wonder if they know what they do.
who manipulates them?"
Ziggy sover aldrig.
Spiser heller ikke.
Ziggy sanser sig
gennem billederne af den syge planet.
(Engang imellem
hælder Ziggy lidt aske fra askebægret
ud i luften
og ser den besejres
af tyngdekraften. Men ikke for ofte: "Not too often.
Who could fly
after being burnt."
En dag vil noget ske.)