David Bowie’s Handwritten Lyrics for Two of His Most Beloved Songs Are Heading to Auction
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The late David Bowie remains one of the greatest songwriters of all time. It makes sense, then, that a handwritten lyric sheet for two of the Brit’s biggest hits could hammer down for more than $100,000 at auction this week.
The prized page, which will go under the gavel at Omega Auctions on November 28, contains corrections, drafts, and notes that the legendary musician made when creating “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” and “Suffragette City.” Both tracks feature on his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.
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“These are two real cult favorites in the wonderful Bowie oeuvre and ‘Suffragette City’ has been described as one of his very best,” auction manager Dan Muscatelli-Hampson said in a statement.
The lyric sheet is accompanied by a letter of provenance from the vendor that states it was given to the original owner by Bowie at Trident Studio. The letter also states that the sheet dates back to the final recording sessions of the album.
The page was reportedly purchased by the present owner in the early 1980s and loaned to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013. It remained with the V&A for five years and was displayed in London, Toronto, São Paulo, Berlin, Chicago, Paris, Melbourne, Groningen, Bologna, Tokyo, Barcelona, and New York.
Interestingly, Bowie left a note on the sheet for the publisher to inform them of two more songs he was considering for the album. The first track (“It Ain’t Easy”) was included on the ‘72 album, while the second (“Round And Round”) was used in ‘73 as a B-side for the U.K. issue of Drive In-Saturday.
Since Bowie died of liver cancer at age 69 on January 10, 2016, the musician’s memorabilia has skyrocketed in price and demand. This particular lyric sheet is expected to fetch between $63,000 and $126,000 (£50,000 and £100,000), but could well sell for more. In fact, a page of Bowie’s handwritten lyrics for his hit “Starman” hammered down for $208,000 (£165,000) at Omega Auctions in 2022.
“It’s an incredible artifact to have and to hold and it is sure to excite the many millions of Bowie fans around the world—just as the ‘Starman’ lyrics did,” adds Muscatelli-Hampson. “We are excited to see what it might achieve on the day.”
The auction wraps up at 10 a.m. tomorrow (November 28). So far, there have been five bids on the lyrics sheet, with the price currently sitting at $68,000 (£54,000).
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