This song is from the perspective of the Spiders from Mars, Ziggy’s band. It shows the animosity that arises between Ziggy and the group, as Ziggy grows more and more popular, pushing them to the shadows as he gets the spotlight.
This track may be described as the climax of David Bowie’s astonishing reinvention as a mythical rock & roll messiah, Ziggy Stardust. This song, taken from his still famous 1972 breakthrough album, has been cloned, redone, borrowed from, and revisited so many times, that now trying to describe its impact becomes nearly impossible.
Oh
Oh, yeah
Ziggy played guitar
Jamming good with Weird and Gilly
And the Spiders from Mars
He played it left hand
But made it too far
Became the special man
Then we were Ziggy's band
Ziggy really sang
Screwed-up eyes and screwed-down hairdo
Like some cat from Japan
He could lick 'em by smiling
He could leave 'em to hang
They came on so loaded, man
Well-hung and snow-white tan
So where were the spiders
While the fly tried to break our bones?
With just the beer light to guide us
So we bitched about his fans
And should we crush his sweet hands?
Oh
Mm-hmm
Ziggy played for time
Jiving us that we were voodoo
The kids were just crass
He was the nazz
With God-given ass
He took it all too far
But, boy, could he play guitar
Making love with his ego
Ziggy sucked up into his mind, ah
Like a leper messiah
When the kids had killed the man
I had to break up the band
Oh, yeah
Ooh
Ziggy played guitar