Westworld Season 4 Episode 7 was a phenomenal penultimate episode for the fourth season. And the ending was absolute perfection, along with the S4E7 ending song. Learn more about “The Man Who Sold the World” and its meaning to the episode.
The Ending Song Was David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold the World’
Most of the outstanding songs we’ve enjoyed in Season 4 were covers by Ramin Djawadi of popular or iconic musical pieces. But the ending song for S4E7 was different. This one, “The Man Who Sold the World,” was the original version.
Here’s the original version by David Bowie:
Here’s an official music video by Nirvana:
We passed upon the stair
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn’t there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone
A long long time ago
Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You’re face to face
With the man who sold the worldI laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare
At all the millions here
I must have died alone
A long, long time agoWho knows?
Not me
We never lost control
You’re face to face
With the man who sold the world
The song was originally released in 1970 by David Bowie. According to Wikipedia, it wasn’t a big hit at first. Nirvana released a cover of it in 1993.
SongFacts says the song is about a man who “no longer recognizes himself and feels awful about it.” A portion of the lyrics are based on “The Psychoed” poem by Hugh Mearns.
SongMeanings says about the piece: it “is about a man who is shocked to meet the other version of himself or his personality he thought had been done away with.”
Considering that the episode ending with Host William fully embracing his previously abandoned sociopathic side, and selling the entire world in the process, the song seems like a perfect fit.
Fans Loved the Song in the Episode
The song was the perfect choice for ending S4E7 of Westworld.
Fans commented on how iconic the song felt, against the backdrop of the world hurtling into chaos as William shot hosts and lit the apocalyptic match.
On Reddit, one fan wrote: “Man, the one-point perspective in that shot is nuts!”
They commented on how unusual it was to hear the original version of a song on Westworld (in this case, David Bowie’s) rather than a cover.
However, some fans do believe some changes were made to this mix.
Several outstanding pieces have already captured fans’ imagination, including the ending song for S4E1. In S4E3, we enjoyed beautiful piano renditions of Bad Guy and Enter Sandman.
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