"Joe the Lion" is a song by David Bowie in 1977 for the album "Heroes". It was produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti and features lead guitar by Robert Fripp. "Joe the Lion" has been described by critic Chris O'Leary as "phenomenal" and "one of the high peaks of Bowie's late Seventies". Mojo magazine listed it as Bowie's 94th best track in 2015.

Background

The track is in part a tribute to performance artist Chris Burden, who was famous for having himself crucified to a Volkswagen in 1974 ("Nail me to my car and I'll tell you who you are") and for having an assistant shoot him in the arm at an art gallery in 1971 ("Guess you'll buy a gun / You'll buy it secondhand"). "Joe the Lion" has also been seen as reflecting Bowie's struggle to overcome the emotional numbness that appeared to permeate his previous album Low ("You get up and sleep"). Bowie rehearsed the song for the Isolar II tour of 1978, but it ultimately was not performed live until the first two dates on the 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour and more frequently on the 1995 Outside Tour.

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: Technical

Other releases

Live versions

Sources