“TVC 15” is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on his 1976 album Station to Station. RCA Records later released it as the second single from the album on 30 April 1976. The upbeat song is mostly art rock performed in a style reminiscent of the 1950s. Lyrically, the song concerns a character’s girlfriend being eaten by a television set. It was inspired by a dream of Iggy Pop’s and Bowie’s role in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). Some lyrics are also influenced by the Yardbirds and Kraftwerk.

“TVC 15” received very positive reviews from music critics on release, including from Ian MacDonald, who called it an “objective masterpiece” in Street Life magazine. Reviewing the record for The Village Voice, Christgau expressed some reservations about the length of the songs and the detached quality of Bowie’s vocals, but deemed “TVC 15” his “favourite piece of rock and roll in a very long time” and wrote, “spaceyness has always been his shtick, and anybody who can merge Lou Reed, disco, and Dr. John … deserves to keep doing it for five minutes and 29 seconds.”

Meanwhile, John Ingham of Sounds magazine gave immense praise to Station to Station, naming “Golden Years”, “TVC 15” and “Stay” some of Bowie’s best songs up to that point. Ingham found the lyrics difficult to comprehend, including on “TVC 15”, but felt that adds to the track’s overall charm. Station to Station was Bowie’s first album not to include a lyric sheet in its packaging!

Source: Wikipedia

For those of us of a certain age, we remember exactly where we were for Live Aid 1995. I was at a BBQ party put on by a fellow MG Owners Club member. Bowie opened his set with TVC 15. Et voila!

Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oooh

Up every evening ’bout
Half eight or nine
I give my complete attention
To a very good friend of mine
He’s quadraphonic, he’s a
He’s got more channels
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five
I brought my baby home, she, she sat around forlorn
She saw my TVC one five, baby’s gone, she
She crawled right in, oh my, she crawled right in my
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five
Oh, so demonic, oh my TVC one five

Maybe if I pray every, each night I sit there pleading
Send back my dream test baby, she’s my main feature
My TVC one five, he, he just stares back unblinking
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five
One of these nights I may just jump down that rainbow way
Be with my baby, then we’ll spend some time together
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five
My baby’s in there someplace, love’s rating in the sky
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five

Transition
Transmission
Transition
Transmission
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five

Maybe if I pray every, each night I sit there pleading
“Send back my dream test baby, she’s my main feature”
My TVC one five, he, he just stares back unblinking
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five
One of these nights I may just jump down that rainbow way
Be with my baby, then we’ll spend some time together
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five
My baby’s in there someplace, love’s rating in the sky
So hologramic, oh my TVC one five

Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Transition
Transmission
Transition
Transmission
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five

Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five
Oh my TVC one five, oh oh, TVC one five

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Bowie

TVC15 lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management

Post inspired by Jim’s Song Lyric Sunday – This week’s theme is songs that feature nonsensical lyrics. Click through for the rules if you too would like to join in …

Published by TheHiddenEdge

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