Lazarus (David Bowie song)

"Lazarus"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Blackstar
Released	17 December 2015
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2015 at The Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios (New York, New York)
Genre	Art rock jazz-rock gothic rock[1]
Length	6:22 (album version) 4:05 (Video edit)
Label	ISO Columbia
Writer(s)	David Bowie
Producer(s)	David Bowie Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"Blackstar" (2015) "Lazarus" (2015) "I Can't Give Everything Away" (2016)
Blackstar track listing "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" (2) "Lazarus" (3) "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" (4) Music video "Lazarus" on YouTube

"Lazarus" is a song by English rock musician David Bowie. It was released on 17 December 2015 as a digital download, making it the second single from his twenty-fifth studio album, Blackstar (2016), as well as Bowie's last single released before his death on 10 January 2016. The single received its world premiere on BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq on the day of its release as a single.^[2] In addition to its release on Blackstar, the track is used in Bowie's off-Broadway musical of the same name.^[3] The official music video, directed by Johan Renck, was released on 7 January 2016, three days before Bowie's death.

"Lazarus" was Bowie's first top 40 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 in more than 28 years, landing at number 40 in the week after his death.^[4]

Background

According to Bowie's producer Tony Visconti, the lyrics and video of "Lazarus" and other songs on the album were intended to be a self-epitaph, a commentary on Bowie's own impending death.^[5][6][7]

Music video

Bowie in a deathbed, as depicted in the music video

The official music video for "Lazarus", featuring a shorter edit of the song lasting just over four minutes, was uploaded on 7 January 2016 to Bowie's Vevo channel on YouTube.^[8] The video was directed by Johan Renck, who also directed the music video for Bowie's previous single, "Blackstar". It was shot in November 2015 in a studio in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.^[9] The video is shown in a 1:1 aspect ratio and prominently features Bowie, appearing with a bandage and buttons sewn over his eyes as in the "Blackstar" video, lying on a deathbed.

The video finishes with Bowie retreating into a dark wardrobe. In the scenes featuring the wardrobe, Bowie is wearing a diagonally striped suit referencing the back cover of the 1991 CD reissue of the Station to Station album, where he is pictured sitting on the floor drawing the kabbalistic Tree of Life.^[10][11] The Tree of Life is also referenced in the Station to Station lyrics, a "magical movement from Kether to Malkuth".^[12][13]

The set for the Lazarus video was constructed by Brooklyn master craftsman Joseph D.L. Chugg.

The video was nominated for three awards: Best Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Editing, at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.^[14]

Track listing

Digital download
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Lazarus"	6:22

Personnel

Personnel adapted from Blackstar liner notes.^[15]

Musicians

• David Bowie — vocals, fender guitar, mixing, production
• Tim Lefebvre — bass
• Mark Guiliana — drums
• Donny McCaslin — saxophone
• Ben Monder — guitar
• Jason Lindner — wurlitzer organ, keyboards

Technical personnel

• Tony Visconti — production, engineering, mixing engineer
• Joe LaPorta — mastering engineer
• Kevin Killen — engineering
• Erin Tonkon — assistant engineer
• Joe Visciano — assistant engineer
• Kabir Hermon — assistant engineer
• Tom Elmhirst — mixing engineer

Charts

Chart (2015–16)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[16]	72
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[17]	38
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18]	10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[19]	45
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20]	14
Finland Download (Suomen virallinen latauslista)[21]	22
France (SNEP)[22]	35
Germany (Official German Charts)[23]	77
Hungary (Single Top 40)[24]	8
Ireland (IRMA)[25]	48
Italy (FIMI)[26]	23
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[27]	89
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28]	32
New Zealand Heatseekers (Recorded Music NZ)[29]	9
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[30]	49
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31]	42
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32]	16
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[33]	45
US Billboard Hot 100[34]	40
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[35]	3
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[36]	17

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Worldwide	17 December 2015	Digital download	ISO Columbia
Italy[37]	18 December 2015	Contemporary hit radio	Columbia

See also

• Lazarus of Bethany
• Rich man and Lazarus

References

1. "Jazz Reviews: Review: David Bowie's "Blackstar" - By Michael J. West — Jazz Articles". Jazz Times. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
2. "David Bowie launches trailer of new single Lazarus". The Guardian. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
3. Brandle, Lars (18 December 2015). "David Bowie Shares New Song 'Lazarus': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
4. Gary Trust (January 19, 2016). "David Bowie Scores First Top 40 Hot 100 Single Since 1987 With 'Lazarus'". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
5. Cooper, Leonie (11 January 2016). "How David Bowie told us he was dying in the 'Lazarus' video". NME. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
6. "David Bowie: Was Lazarus Bowie singing his epitaph?". BBC. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
7. "David Bowie's last release, Lazarus, was 'parting gift' for fans in carefully planned finale". the Telegraph. 11 January 2016.
8. "David Bowie – Lazarus". YouTube. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
9. "David Bowie's last days: an 18-month burst of creativity". The Guardian. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
10. "Rykodisc Reissue CD Station to Station 1991"". CDandLP. 3 August 1991.
11. "David Bowie Station to Station publicity photo"". Tumblr. 10 January 1976.
12. "David Bowie Final Music Video Includes Hidden References to Kabbalah Beliefs"". Daily Mail. 27 January 2016.
13. "Never Before Published Photos Reveal Clues Bowie Left Before His Death"". Huffington Post. 11 April 2016.
14. French, Megan (26 July 2016). "David Bowie Receives Four Posthumous 2016 VMA Nominations". US Weekly. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
15. Blackstar (album liner notes). David Bowie. ISO Records. 2016.
16. Ryan, Gavin (16 January 2016). "ARIA Singles: Justin Bieber 'Love Yourself' Spends 6th Week at No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
17. "Austriancharts.at – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
18. "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
19. "Ultratop.be – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
20. "David Bowie – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for David Bowie. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
21. "David Bowie: Lazarus" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
22. "Lescharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
23. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts".
24. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
25. "Chart Track: Week 2, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
26. "Italiancharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
27. "David Bowie – Chart history" Japan Hot 100 for David Bowie. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
28. "Dutchcharts.nl – David Bowie – Lazarus" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
29. "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
30. "Spanishcharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
31. "Sverigetopplistan - Sveriges Officiella Topplista".
32. "Swisscharts.com – David Bowie – Lazarus". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
33. "Archive Chart: 2016-01-21" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
34. "David Bowie Scores First Top 40 Hot 100 Single Since 1987 - Billboard". Billboard.
35. "David Bowie – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for David Bowie. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
36. "David Bowie – Chart history" Billboard Adult Alternative Songs for David Bowie. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
37. "David Bowie – Lazarus Radiodate". radioairplay.fm. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.