After All
Encyclopedia
"After All" is a song written by David Bowie
in 1970 for the album The Man Who Sold the World, released later that year in the United States and in April 1971 in the UK. One of a number of Bowie songs from the early 1970s reflecting the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche
and Aleister Crowley
, it has been described by biographer David Buckley as "the album's hidden gem", and by Nicholas Pegg
as "one of Bowie's most underrated recordings".
. Like much of The Man Who Sold the World, its lyrics are imbued with a Nietzschian Übermensch
philosophy ("Man is an obstacle, sad as the clown"). The line "Live til your rebirth and do what you will", is often cited as homage to occult
ist Aleister Crowley and his dictum, "Do what thou wilt". "Rebirth" alludes to eternal return
, a concept of the antiquity resurrected by Nietzsche.
The track is unusual in a rock context for being in waltz
time, most obviously in the surreal circus-like instrumental break. Its style was inspired by the "slightly sinister, measured melancholy" of songs Bowie recalled from childhood such as Danny Kaye
's "Inchworm
". Regarding the music's arrangement, producer Tony Visconti
said, "The basic song and the 'oh by jingo
' line were David's ideas. The rest was Ronno
and me vying for the next overdub."
" from the same album, the gothic
atmosphere of "After All" has been cited as a significant influence on such bands as Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure
and Bauhaus
.
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
in 1970 for the album The Man Who Sold the World, released later that year in the United States and in April 1971 in the UK. One of a number of Bowie songs from the early 1970s reflecting the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
and Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
, it has been described by biographer David Buckley as "the album's hidden gem", and by Nicholas Pegg
Nicholas Pegg
Nicholas Pegg is a British actor, director and writer.A graduate of the University of Exeter, Pegg trained at the Guildford School of Acting. His acting work in the theatre includes productions for Nottingham Playhouse, Scottish Opera, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Plymouth...
as "one of Bowie's most underrated recordings".
Music and lyrics
The song has been interpreted as taking to nightmarish conclusions the children's world of Bowie's early song "There Is a Happy Land", from his 1967 debut David BowieDavid Bowie (album)
-Bonus tracks :# "Rubber Band" – Mono Single A-side # "The London Boys" – Mono Single B-side # "The Laughing Gnome" – Mono Single A-side # "The Gospel According To Tony Day" – Mono Single B-side...
. Like much of The Man Who Sold the World, its lyrics are imbued with a Nietzschian Übermensch
Übermensch
The Übermensch is a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche posited the Übermensch as a goal for humanity to set for itself in his 1883 book Thus Spoke Zarathustra ....
philosophy ("Man is an obstacle, sad as the clown"). The line "Live til your rebirth and do what you will", is often cited as homage to occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
ist Aleister Crowley and his dictum, "Do what thou wilt". "Rebirth" alludes to eternal return
Eternal return
Eternal return is a concept which posits that the universe has been recurring, and will continue to recur, in a self-similar form an infinite number of times across infinite time or space. The concept initially inherent in Indian philosophy was later found in ancient Egypt, and was subsequently...
, a concept of the antiquity resurrected by Nietzsche.
The track is unusual in a rock context for being in waltz
Waltz (music)
A waltz, or valse from the French term, is a piece of music in triple meter, most often written in time signature but sometimes in 3/8 or 3/2...
time, most obviously in the surreal circus-like instrumental break. Its style was inspired by the "slightly sinister, measured melancholy" of songs Bowie recalled from childhood such as Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
's "Inchworm
Inchworm (song)
"Inchworm", also known as "The Inch Worm", is a song originally performed by Danny Kaye in the 1952 film Hans Christian Andersen. It was written by Frank Loesser....
". Regarding the music's arrangement, producer Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
said, "The basic song and the 'oh by jingo
By Jingo
The expression "by Jingo" is apparently a minced oath that appeared rarely in print, but which may be traced as far back as to at least the 17th century in a transparent euphemism for "by Jesus"...
' line were David's ideas. The rest was Ronno
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
and me vying for the next overdub."
Legacy
As with "All the MadmenAll the Madmen (song)
"All the Madmen" is a song written by David Bowie in 1970 for the album The Man Who Sold the World, released later that year in the U.S. and in April 1971 in the UK...
" from the same album, the gothic
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
atmosphere of "After All" has been cited as a significant influence on such bands as Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
.
Cover versions
- Human DramaHuman DramaHuman Drama was a gothic rock/dark wave band led by singer/songwriter Johnny Indovina. They are primarily known for playing a mixture of sad acoustic and gothic atmospheric melodies. Although they don't count themselves as being only a gothic band, they are often named so by music critics.-Human...
– Pinups (1993) - The MissionThe Mission (band)The Mission are a gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy.The band was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams , soon adding...
– Goth Oddity - A Tribute to David Bowie (1996) - Ventilator – Crash Course for the Ravers - A Tribute to the Songs of David Bowie (1996)
- Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
– Strange Little GirlsStrange Little GirlsStrange Little Girls is a concept album released by singer-songwriter Tori Amos in 2001. The album's 12 tracks are covers of songs written and originally performed by men, reinterpreted by Amos from a female's point of view. Amos created female personae for each track and was photographed as...
(2001) (b-side from "Strange Little GirlStrange Little Girl"Strange Little Girl" by The Stranglers was released in the UK in 1982 as their last single while signed to Liberty Records . By the time of release, the band had already decided to leave the label for Epic Records, and this last single was part of the severance deal, along with the compilation...
" single)