Day 189 | Rock and Roll With Me

This is a song I always listen to in the context of the album, never on its own. As such I interpret it through the lens of the 1984-inspired theme, kind of as a companion to “We Are The Dead.” The latter song is clearly inspired by the illicit affair between the Orwell characters of Winston and Julia. I always took “Rock and Roll with Me” to be about the momentary escapism that Winston would achieve while with Julia. To me, it has a kind of ominous quality to it, foreshadowing what will come. The better know, “Rebel Rebel” can be heard in a similar way (Winston, after all was rebellious). That said, I’m pretty sure I’m making all that up and it really has little or nothing to do with the rest of the album. Although Bowie often smiled upon fans who found meaning in his music that he himself didn’t originally intend. That was kind of the point of the “cut up technique” he used, even on this album, with the song, “Diamond Dogs.” While this song doesn’t use that technique, perhaps its inclusion on the album makes it a random addition meant to stimulate subjective interpretation. Album: Diamond Dogs