How David Bowie used 'cut ups' to create lyrics - BBC News

In the BBC documentary 'Cracked Actor' David Bowie describes the importance of using cut-ups to create some of his lyrics.

[sofiaalfaro]

"I'm an alligator, I'm a mama-papa coming for you
I'm the space invader, I'll be a rock 'n' rollin' bitch for you "
Literally Bowie using cut-ups

[rexmundi]

A variation on this technique is stream-of-consciousness: simply play the music and write down anything that comes into your head. Some parts will be rubbish, other bits surprisingly good. Repeat process several times, then cherry pick all the best bits from the various versions and mix them together into a final draft which you're happy with. I know Bowie used this for atleast one album but I forget the title.

[the_emmo]

I find inspiration in everything Bowie does. I remember programming a simple "game" back in highschool that would spit out semi random sentences and it was animated in Unity 3D. My literature professor had gave us an assignment to do something creative with this cut up method we had just seen in class. Later I realized Bowie used it to write many of his songs. I wish I could recover that project, I barely remember it, but my old hard drive got messed up and with it all trace of my highschool years disappeared...

[loishenderson]

Thank you, David Bowie - I've just learned how to create my haiku for the year.

[francesprendergast]

I love this, it's the complete opposite of pretentiousness. So many artists would be too smug to admit they use little tools and techniques to generate ideas.

[Gisburne]

The earlier interview (where Bowie is physically cutting the paper) was the single biggest influence on my writing, period. I don't use cut ups as such, but if I'm ever stuck for an idea I simply generate 12 random words (there are web sites for anything), and keep doing it until they 'give' me something, the spark of an idea. Because they are random, they often find words you would never normally put together, so it forces you to move in new directions. I recently tried to convince someone that this idea was useful, but he said it was 'cheating' and wanted the ideas to come out of his own mind. Maybe one day I will explain to him that David Bowie told me about this technique!

[Dyslexic-Artist-Theory-on-Time]

Interesting technique, it could be used for more than just songs!

[sauceynugget]

Very inspirational for somebody going through a writers block leave it to bowie to help get those creative juices flowing again literally will never be another like him

[RebelThoughts]

He got it from William Burroughs the author.

[derpy]

I like how he metaphorically describes a computer

[The_Return_of_JoyBoy]

I’ve recently started to doing this for lyrics and poems using YouTube comments.

[AAUK]

Outside is one of David's most accessible lyrical albums as long as you understand the actual subject he's singing about.
If you unsure, he's singing about spirituality and it's not at all complex.

[rubbersoul]

I feel like listening to music from other countries that use your language can create a similar effect because you understand what they're saying but they say it in a new way. I'm American so listening to reggae music from the early 80's just use all these phrases that sound really unique and cool. Bob Marley's Jailhouse is a good example of this, one of the best songs ever written.

[danielkelley]

So cool to across this. I actually do a similar thing. I'll oftentimes overhear a conversation and mishear a word or sentence, and it will give me lyrical ideas.

[patrosa]

A great artist for sure .... indescribable loss !!!! listen Lazarus

[sofiafrancis]

Very helpful thankyou David for me this will help with song writing I love you Bowie xx

[lucajohnson]

I want to know what this site is so I can use a bit of his genius and continue his legacy and ideas in my mind

[rexmundi]

Would love to lay hands on some modern software that can randomise raw data.

[selcouth]

Guessing that friend was Eno of all people, considering they worked together on three albums. There's another video on YT entilted "Brian Eno shows his Markov Chain Generator to Jarvis Cocker" which performs more or less the same as the program described here.

[Randomstuffs]

David Bowie is my favorite musician, hope he gets well soon