Aussie Buys David Bowie's Handwritten 'Starman' Lyrics

The original handwritten lyrics for David Bowie's Starman have been sold to an unidentified Aussie bidder at auction for an eye-watering £203,500 (approx $400, 000 AUD).

The handwritten lyrics to the beloved 1972 single lifted from Bowie's groundbreaking The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars full-length were auctioned off in the UK by Omega Auctions.

Omega Auctions had set the projected sale amount at £40,000 (approx $66,650 AUD). The value of the lyrics skyrocketed throughout a hotly contested auction, with the winning bidder, Olivier Varenne, MONA director of acquisitions and alliances and collections, securing the prized lyrics on behalf of the museum's renowned curio collector David Walsh.

The A4 page of lyrics features Bowie's amendments and edits, including corrected spelling mistakes and additions. 

The handwritten lyrics were one of many prized items sold as part of a David Bowie and glam rock sale on Tuesday. They had previously been on display as part of the V&A Museum’s David Bowie Is collection and had been owned privately by the same collector, since the 1980s.

David Walsh told the ABC: "We got carried away and paid too much. It'll make an appearance in the expanded library we are currently constructing, along with many other items we got carried away with and paid too much for."

Paul Fairweather, of Omega Auctions (via The Guardian) said: "We had almost unprecedented interest from around the world for this historic piece of memorabilia. We had five telephone lines in operation for the sale as well as bidders online and in the room." “We’re very pleased with the incredible price achieved and are sure the lyrics will be rightly prized and treasured by the winning bidder.”

In other recent Bowie news, a collection of rare and previously unreleased David Bowie material has been released digitally to celebrate the new Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream.

Also titled Moonage Daydream, the collection was released digitally on September 16. Physical copies of the release will follow in two different formats, beginning with a two-CD offering on November 18, with a three-LP version to follow in 2023.

The announcement of the Moonage Daydream collection arrived with a freshly mixed version of Modern Love. The new mix brings the piano to the forefront of the song and adds some acapella backing vocals. 

Some of the rarities included are an alternate version of Quicksand, live takes of Rock n Roll With Me and a previously unreleased live medley of The Jean Genie and The Beatles Love Me Do, which features legendary guitarist Jeff Beck. 

The Tony Visconti-produced release also includes some of Bowie’s dialogue from the documentary, creating an immersive listening experience. The first film officially sanctioned by the Bowie estate, Moonage Daydream explores the creative journey of David Bowie and is out now in cinemas and at IMAX.