Lyrics by David Bowie. Music by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels
I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x3) In the street a man shouts out loud A wallet drops and money flies into the midday sun With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground (x3) Oh I get a little bit afraid Sometimes Earthlings on fire (x2) CHORUS With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground (x3) Sure I get a little bit afraid Sometimes Earthlings on fire (x4) I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2) In a house a man drops dead As he hits the floor he sighs "What a morning" CHORUS (x2) Sometimes Earthlings on fire (repeat to last verse as backing vocals) Oh I get a little bit afraid Sometimes I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2) Oh I get a little bit afraid Sometimes I don't want knowledge, I want certainty (x2) I don't want knowledge
The second verse In a house a man drops dead, As he hits the floor he sighs, 'What a morning' is an obscure reference to author Samuel Beckett's father. According to Beckett, his father got up one morning, put on his dressing gown, then collapsed to the ground with a massive stroke, and died. His final words were 'What a morning'.
In an interview on Israeli radio, Bowie made reference to English philosopher Bertrand Russell who first noted that people don't want knowledge, they want certainty. Bowie said '..was so true when I was young but now I'm quite happy to say I don't accept certainty but I still want the knowledge'.