I'll Leave my Love Between the Stars

I learned that David Bowie is gone today, and I’m still in shock.

The movie Labyrinth came out in 1986, four years after The Dark Crystal. In 1986 I was twelve years old and already completely addicted to the Muppets. My mother took me to see it because she loves magical stories too. What I now refer to as 80’s Fantasy Rubber Monster movies were in their heyday then, when artisans created fantastical worlds and creatures out of foam, plastic, and fur rather than computer pixels. When movie sets were big and covered completely in glitter.

Labyrinth was the first (and as far as I know only) 80’s fantasy film with a female protagonist close to my own age. I think it remains the only 80’s fantasy film with a female protagonist at all. Sarah was flawed and relatable and brave and girl-next-door pretty and everything I wanted to be in her blue jeans and puffy pirate shirt.

And then there was David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King...

I can honestly say that before Labyrinth, boys were simply confusing people who hurt me a lot by calling me fat and sometimes hitting me. After Labyrinth boys, or at least Jareth, were much more interesting.

It started a lifelong fascination with blue hair, guy liner, epic quests, fantastical creatures, and loyal friends. Although I could never quite warm up to Hoggle, I still want to hug Ludo and Sir Didymus. In the years that followed I would bond with friends based on the fact that we both understood how completely perfect this movie was.

And then there was the music… I had the soundtrack first on tape (which I wore out). I eventually had to re-purchase it as a CD. To this day some of the songs remain in permanent rotation on my MP3 player.

When I watch it now it’s silly, over-the-top, encapsulates perfectly that feeling of teetering on the verge between childhood and womanhood, and still completely magical. It remains everything I ever wanted it to be.

In later years I would be impressed with Bowie again when he portrayed Nicola Tesla so perfectly in The Prestige; a film about dueling Victorian magicians that remains my favorite all time Steampunk genre film.

I never saw him perform live, I own more of his singles than full albums, and I missed the iconic Ziggy Stardust 70’s phase completely. But I always thought he’d be there, sitting regally in his castle windowsill, peering intently into a crystal that dances like magic in his purple-gloved hand.

David Bowie was a brilliant artist who wrote too many culture-defining pieces of music to count, but my favorite will always be As The World Falls Down, the love song from Labyrinth. I don’t think I could have made the hard choice that Sarah did, I would have stayed with the Goblin King at the ball forever.

"As The World Falls Down"

There's such a sad love

Deep in your eyes.

A kind of pale jewel

Open and closed

Within your eyes.

I'll place the sky

Within your eyes.

There's such a fooled heart

Beatin' so fast

In search of new dreams.

A love that will last

Within your heart.

I'll place the moon

Within your heart.

As the pain sweeps through,

Makes no sense for you.

Every thrill is gone.

Wasn't too much fun at all,

But I'll be there for you-ou-ou

As the world falls down.

Falling.

Falling down.

Falling in love.

I'll paint you mornings of gold.

I'll spin you Valentine evenings.

Though we're strangers 'til now,

We're choosing the path

Between the stars.

I'll leave my love

Between the stars.

As the pain sweeps through,

Makes no sense for you.

Every thrill is gone.

Wasn't too much fun at all,

But I'll be there for you-ou-ou

As the world falls down.

Falling

As the world falls down.

Falling

As the world falls down.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling in love

As the world falls down.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling in love

As the world falls down.

Makes no sense at all.

Makes no sense to fall.

Falling

As the world falls down.

Falling.

Falling in love

As the world falls down.

Falling.

Falling

Falling in love

As the world falls down.