Singing the Alien: Velvet Goldmine and David Bowie’s Glam Semiotics

Abstract

David Bowie’s legacy is one of self-determination and freedom for his fans. That legacy is clearest in Bowie’s subversive reuse of popular culture signs in his music, lyrics, and appearance. This article examines the legacy of Bowie’s glam semiotics through the film Velvet Goldmine. The film, in its newly composed songs and its visual references, uses Bowie’s mode of composition to reshape history and create a community around that legacy. Through semiotic analysis of Bowie’s songs, Velvet Goldmine, and fan responses to the film, this article argues that Bowie’s glam semiotics lives on in the self-defining work of fans.

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