I Can't Read

David Bowie · Sound + Vision [2003]

I can't read and I can't write down

I don't know a book from countdown

I don't care which shadow gets me

All I've got is someone's face



Money goes to money heaven

Bodies go to body hell

I just cough, catch the chase

Switch the channel watch the police car



I can't read shit anymore

I just sit back and ignore

I just can't get it right, can't get it right

I can't read shit I can't read shit



When you see a famous smile

No matter where you run your mile

To be right in that photograph

Andy where's my fifteen minutes



I can't read shit anymore

I just sit back and ignore

I just can't get it right, can't get it right

I can't read shit I can't read shit

I Can't Read

David Bowie's "I Can't Read" stands as a pivotal track from his 2003 album *Sound + Vision*, marking a significant return to his early rock roots. Recorded during a period of intense creative resurgence, the song features a driving rhythm and raw vocal delivery that harkens back to his 1960s work, particularly the energetic style found on albums like *The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars*. It serves as a testament to Bowie's enduring ability to reinvent his sound while maintaining the theatricality and musical complexity that defined his career. The recording captures the essence of his mid-career resurgence, blending classic rock energy with the polished production of the 2000s.