Joe the Lion


"Joe the Lion" is a song written by David Bowie in 1977 for the album "Heroes". It was produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti and features lead guitar by Robert Fripp. Like the album as a whole, the song demonstrates the influence of German Krautrock.
The track is in part a tribute to performance artist Chris Burden, who was famous for having himself crucified to a Volkswagen in 1974 and for having an assistant shoot him in the arm at an art gallery in 1971. "Joe the Lion" has also been seen as reflecting Bowie's struggle to overcome the emotional numbness that appeared to permeate his previous album Low.
Bowie rehearsed the song for the Isolar II tour of 1978, but it ultimately wasn’t performed live until the 1983 Serious Moonlight and 1995 Outside tours, and it was considered for his 1987 Glass Spider Tour.
"Joe the Lion" has been described by critic Chris O'Leary as "phenomenal" and "one of the high peaks of Bowie's late Seventies".

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