The David Bowie Song That Now Sounds Like His Most Vulnerable and Honest Lyrics

Published Feb 22, 2026, 5:52 PM EST

As in the case of any artist, this originality didn’t exist in a vacuum and was often informed by Bowie’s unique personal experiences. In addition to his extensive travels and long, prolific career, he also had a number of romantic relationships before he finally met his second wife, Somali American model Iman. Short or long, fraught or fond, these relationships inevitably made their way into Bowie’s lyrics, and this tendency is no more obvious or prophetic than in his 1977 song, “Be My Wife.”

The Lyrics of "Be My Wife" Express the Deep Loneliness Bowie Felt

“Be My Wife” was the second single on Bowie’s 1977 album, Low. The album, his eleventh, also boasts immortal hits such as “Sound and Vision,” and has been credited as a major influence on the post-punk genre. But while “Be My Wife” still incorporates the heavy percussion and electric guitar elements that characterize the rest of the album, the song leans more toward old school rock and roll with its 1950s-esque lyrical delivery.

The lyrics themselves are simple and concise, opening with, “Sometimes you get so lonely/ Sometimes you go nowhere/ I’ve lived all over the world/ I’ve lived every place.” These words seem to mirror Bowie’s own nomadic life, which was marked by constant travel and changing romantic companions. Indeed, although he had been married to Mary Angela Barnett (better known as “Angie Bowie”) since 1970, the two had an open relationship and, reportedly, little to no genuine affection for one another. In fact, Angie claimed that she’d only married Bowie so she could be eligible for a work permit, adding, “I didn’t think it would last, and David said, before we got married, ‘I’m not really in love with you,’ and I thought that’s probably a good thing." Based on Angie’s testimony, along with statements that Bowie made, the marriage was fraught and filled with resentment. While Bowie never stated that “Be My Wife” was inspired by his marriage, the parallels are uncanny. And its composition reflects the loneliness of a man trapped in a relationship that he knows isn’t right for him.

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In "Be My Wife," Bowie Made a Desperate Plea, but It Took Over a Decade to Come True

Knowing what we do about Bowie’s marriage to Angie, it’s easy to see why he would bookmark a song with the simple yet heartbreaking line, “Sometimes you get so lonely,” as he does in “Be My Wife.” It’s also easy to see how he would come to write a lyric like, “Sometimes you get nowhere,” which appears in the middle of the single. But what of the song’s poignant chorus, in which he pleads, “Please be mine/ Share my life/ Stay with me/ Be my wife”?

While writing the song during the late 1970s, Bowie could have had a number of women in mind. During his marriage to Angie, he had relationships with singer Ava Cherry, actress Susan Sarandon, French screen icon Catherine Deneuve, and other women, both famous and obscure. But based on his art, Bowie’s feelings of isolation persisted, and he wanted a life partner—not a passing flame. Why else would he pen a song that oscillates so poignantly between loneliness and longing?

More than a decade passed between when Bowie wrote “Be My Wife” and when he finally met his longtime wife, Iman. The two were set up on a blind date in 1990, during which Bowie said he fell in love the moment he saw her. They married in 1992 and remained together until 2016, when Bowie tragically passed away from liver cancer. Given the trajectory of Bowie’s life—particularly his romantic life—it appears that the wish he expressed in “Be My Wife” came true after all.