“Street Life”, the electrifying opener to Roxy Music’s 1973 album Stranded, bursts forth with the kind of glamour, wit, and sonic audacity that defines the band’s early work. It’s a track that immediately throws the listener into Bryan Ferry’s surreal, decadent world - a place where pop meets art, and sophistication flirts shamelessly with sleaze.
From the first shriek of Andy Mackay’s saxophone and the angular, glam-inflected guitar riffs courtesy of Phil Manzanera, “Street Life” commands attention. The track is a whirlwind of textures - raucous but refined, wild yet meticulously arranged. Ferry’s vocal delivery, arch and theatrical, dances on the edge of parody and sincerity. He’s less a singer here than a character actor, smirking his way through lyrics that feel like both a satire and celebration of nightlife and modern excess.
Lyrically, “Street Life” blends social commentary with absurdity - "Education is an important key / But the good life’s never won by degrees / Pointless passing through Harvard or Yale / Only window shopping and strictly no sale". There's a constant sense of motion, danger, and thrill, like a night out that could veer into either ecstasy or chaos.
What makes the song compelling isn't just its immediate energy, but its place as a statement of intent. With Brian Eno having departed the band prior to Stranded, “Street Life” proves Roxy Music could maintain their art-rock credibility and experimental edge while streamlining their sound. The band sounds tighter, more focused, but no less adventurous.
“Street Life” is Roxy Music at their swaggering, stylish best - a vivid blast of glam rock with an art-school soul. As the curtain-raiser to Stranded, it announces a new chapter with confidence and campy brilliance. Beneath the surface glitz lies a smart, biting commentary on fame, fashion, and the fleeting nature of youth. It’s theatrical, infectious, and unmistakably Roxy.
From the first shriek of Andy Mackay’s saxophone and the angular, glam-inflected guitar riffs courtesy of Phil Manzanera, “Street Life” commands attention. The track is a whirlwind of textures - raucous but refined, wild yet meticulously arranged. Ferry’s vocal delivery, arch and theatrical, dances on the edge of parody and sincerity. He’s less a singer here than a character actor, smirking his way through lyrics that feel like both a satire and celebration of nightlife and modern excess.
Lyrically, “Street Life” blends social commentary with absurdity - "Education is an important key / But the good life’s never won by degrees / Pointless passing through Harvard or Yale / Only window shopping and strictly no sale". There's a constant sense of motion, danger, and thrill, like a night out that could veer into either ecstasy or chaos.
What makes the song compelling isn't just its immediate energy, but its place as a statement of intent. With Brian Eno having departed the band prior to Stranded, “Street Life” proves Roxy Music could maintain their art-rock credibility and experimental edge while streamlining their sound. The band sounds tighter, more focused, but no less adventurous.
“Street Life” is Roxy Music at their swaggering, stylish best - a vivid blast of glam rock with an art-school soul. As the curtain-raiser to Stranded, it announces a new chapter with confidence and campy brilliance. Beneath the surface glitz lies a smart, biting commentary on fame, fashion, and the fleeting nature of youth. It’s theatrical, infectious, and unmistakably Roxy.