“Life on Mars?” is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released on his 1971 album Hunky Dory. Bowie wrote the song as a parody of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. “Life on Mars?” was recorded in August 1971 at Trident Studios in London, and was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott. Bowie’s backing band consisted of guitarist and string arranger Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, drummer Mick Woodmansey and Strawbs member Rick Wakeman on piano.
“Life on Mars?” is primarily a glam rock ballad, with elements of cabaret and art rock; it has a complex structure that includes chord changes throughout. The lyrics are about a girl who goes to a cinema to escape reality, and include surreal images that reflect optimism and the effects of Hollywood. In 1997, he said; “I think she finds herself disappointed with reality… that although she’s living in the doldrums of reality, she’s being told that there’s a far greater life somewhere, and she’s bitterly disappointed that she doesn’t have access to it.
At the height of Bowie’s fame as Ziggy Stardust, RCA Records issued “Life on Mars?” as a single in June 1973 in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three. To promote the single, photographer Mick Rock filmed a video that shows Bowie in make-up and a turquoise suit singing the song against a white backdrop. Bowie frequently performed “Life on Mars?” during his concerts and the song has appeared on numerous compilation albums. Scott remixed the song in 2003 and 2016, the latter being a “stripped down” mix.
“Life on Mars?” is considered by commentators as one of Bowie’s greatest songs, and one of the best songs of all time. Critics have praised Bowie’s vocal performance and growth as a songwriter. In 2007, Q magazine ranked “Life on Mars?” third in a list compiling the “10 most perfect songs ever” behind Jeff Buckley’s version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever”.
The song’s title was given to the British television series Life on Mars? A multitude of artists have covered “Life on Mars?” A version by Belgian singer Jasper Steverlinck reached number one in the Belgian charts in 2003. In 2019, Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross covered the song on their soundtrack to the HBO television series Watchmen. Lorde performed “Life on Mars?” with Bowie’s final touring band at the 2016 Brit Awards in February 2016. Her cover was widely acknowledged as one of the finest performances in tribute to Bowie. A cover version by English singer Yungblud was used at the end of NASA TV’s live coverage of the landing of the Mars 2020 rover.
