"The Man Who Sold the World" is a rock song by David Bowie, serving as the title track of his third studio album released in the United States on November 4, 1970, and in the United Kingdom on April 10, 1971
. The song features a midtempo folk-rock and psychedelic rock style with organ and slightly distorted electric guitar instrumentation
. Bowie later reworked the song with atmospheric synthesizers and techno-like drums for live performances in the mid-1990s, but returned to the original version in the 2000s
. Lyrically, the song reflects Bowie's feelings as a youth, exploring themes of identity and self-discovery. Bowie described it as an expression of searching for a part of himself that was not yet fully understood, influenced partly by the poem "Antigonish" by William Hughes Mearns
. The song has been interpreted as addressing the loss of identity and the fragmentation of self
. The album "The Man Who Sold the World" marked a stylistic shift for Bowie toward hard rock with darker themes including insanity, religion, technology, and war
. Although initially a commercial failure, the album gained underground popularity and laid the groundwork for Bowie's later breakthrough with "Ziggy Stardust"
. The song has also been famously covered by Nirvana and Midge Ure, with the latter's version often mistaken for Bowie's original due to its stylistic similarity
. In popular culture, the song's themes of identity and betrayal have been linked to characters in the Metal Gear Solid video game series, where it symbolizes complex narratives about legacy and self
. In summary, "The Man Who Sold the World" is a significant David Bowie song and album that explores deep themes of identity and transformation, influential both musically and culturally since its release in 1970
