Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family

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“Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family”
Song by David Bowie
Album Diamond Dogs
Released April 24, 1974
Recorded Olympic and Island Studios, London
Ludolf Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands
October 1973 - February 1974
Genre Glam rock
Length 2:00
Label RCA Records
Writer David Bowie
Producer David Bowie
Diamond Dogs track listing
"Big Brother"
(10)		 “Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family”
(11)


"Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family" is a song written by David Bowie in 1974 ending his Diamond Dogs album.

The song ends with the endlessly repeating sound of "bruh-bruh-bruh...", the first syllable of the word 'Brother' from "(Big) Brother" (the title and refrain of the preceding track) as though the record had broken. Bowie's initial intention had been for the machine to repeat the whole of the word 'Brother', but accidentally discovered that just the first syllable sounded much better.

The Goth-band Skeletal Family took their name from this song.

[edit] Origin

This song is David Bowie's interpretation of George Orwell's "two minute hate" from his classic novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four". Its mesmerizing chanting represents the mind-numbing influence that the two minutes has over the brainwashed citizens of Oceania, 1984's totalitarian government.

[edit] Live versions

  • A live version from the 1974 tour was released on David Live, although on the same track as "Big Brother". Another live recording from the 1974 tour was released on the semi-legal album A Portrait in Flesh.

[edit] Cover versions