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About

Genius Annotation

The song tells the story of a hypothetical scenario, where mankind finds a miracle cure (in this case the “Saviour Machine”) to all its problems. This solution is in the form of what we’d now call AI—Artificial Intelligence that makes all our decisions for us.

However in Bowie’s vision, the supposed utopia actually proves to be dystopian, and our “saviour machine”, which solves all problems for humanity realizes that it itself has become the problem. In Bowie's–and, by extension, the Saviour Machine's–eyes, humanity (or at least the machine itself) needs adversity and problems to progress, because in an idyllic/perfect world, what is there to strive for?

The machine, trying to solve the problem of its own perfection, recognizes that it is mentally imploding and going insane, trying to cause itself and humanity problems to fight against.

Musically Mick Ronson’s powerfully ominous guitar riffs, the crashing cymbals and maniacal crescendo-ing drum rolls, combined with some beautifully unusual sound effects (such as a fade in and Bowie’s metallically ethereal vocals) all come together to provide an excellent soundtrack for such a dystopian Sci-fi-esque lyrical adventure, showcasing the very best of both Bowie’s lyrical abilities and Ronson’s guitar skills.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Credits
Produced By
Written By
Lead Vocals
Acoustic Guitar
Lead guitar
Rhythm Guitar
Moog synthesizer
Engineering
Recorded At
Trident Studios, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London, England; Advision Studios, Fitzrovia, Greater London, England
Release Date
November 4, 1970
Saviour Machine Covers
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