The Width of a Circle Lyrics
In the corner of the morning in the past
I would sit and blame the master first and last
All the roads were straight and narrow
And the prayers were small and yellow
And the rumour spread that I was aging fast
Then I ran across a monster who was sleeping by a tree
And I looked and frowned and the monster was me
[Verse 2]
Well, I said hello and I said hello
And I asked "Why not?" and I replied "I don't know"
So we asked a simple black bird, who was happy as can be
Well he laughed insane and quipped Khalil Gibran
And I cried for all the others until the day was nearly through
For I realized that God's a young man too
[Verse 3]
So I said "So long" and I waved bye-bye
And I smashed my soul and traded my mind
Got laid by a young bordello
Who was vaguely half asleep
For which my reputation swept back home in drag
And the morals of this magic spell
Negotiate my hide
When God did take my logic for a ride
(Riding along)
[Verse 4]
He swallowed his pride and puckered his lips
And showed me the leather belt round his hips
My knees were shaking, my cheeks aflame
He said, you'll never go down to the Gods again
(Turn around, go back!)
He struck the ground, a cavern appeared
And I smelt the burning pit of fear
We crashed a thousand yards below
I said, do it again, do it again
(Turn around, go back!)
His nebulous body swayed above
His tongue swollen with devil's love
The snake and I, a venom high
I said, do it again, do it again
(Turn around, go back!)
Breathe, breathe, breathe deeply
And I was seething, breathing deeply
Spitting sentry, horned and tailed
Waiting for you
[Instrumental]
About
“The Width Of A Circle” is the opening track of Bowie’s third studio album, The Man Who Sold the World.
At eight minutes' length, it is the longest track on the album and one of the longest studio tracks in Bowie’s discography. The song is divided into three different sections: the first is built around a heavy riff from Mick Ronson; the second is a slower, instrumental section; the third is another hard rock part, finishing with a callback to the second section.
The most widely recognised interpretation of the lyrics is that they describe a sexual affair between Bowie and a male divinity, which takes place in Hell, although it is unknown whether he is referring to God, the Devil or some other powerful being. Some lyrics are also suggestive of his wild changes of image and persona and the redefining of his sexuality and masculinity.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
This song was very personal to Bowie, as he explained in a 1972 interview:
I used to have periods, weeks on end, when I just couldn’t cope anymore. I’d slump into myself…I felt so depressed, and I really felt so aimless, and this torrential feeling of ‘what’s it all for anyway?’"
A lot of it (the album) went through that period, ‘Width of the Circle’ was definitely that I went to the depths of myself in that. I tried to analogize the period of my life from when I left school to that time to the making of that LP. Just for my own benefit, not really for any listener’s benefit. I very much doubt whether anyone could decipher that song correctly on my level. But a lot of people have deciphered it on their own levels. That’s fine that’s what a song does."
- 1.The Width of a Circle
- 4.After All
- 9.The Supermen