MONA said the lyrics will be displayed in an upcoming library. Source: Shutterstock.
Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has purchased the handwritten lyrics of David Bowie’s song Starman for a cool $339,000.
MONA owner and founder David Walsh said that they “got carried away and paid too much” but it will be a valuable addition to the museum.
“It’ll make an appearance in the expanded library we are currently constructing, along with many other items we got carried away with and paid too much for.”
The lyrics were written on an A4 size paper in a blue pen with Bowie having crossed some words out to correct spelling or make an edit.
According to Omega Auctions, the auction house that sold the lyrics, the piece of paper written by David Bowie had belonged to one person since the 1980s but that interest in the lyrics was high.
“We had almost unprecedented interest from around the world for this historic piece of memorabilia,” said representative Paul Fairweather.
“We had five telephone lines in operation for the sale as well as bidders online and in the room.
“We’re very pleased with the incredible price achieved and are sure the lyrics will be rightly prized and treasured by the winning bidder.”
It was originally thought the lyrics might be sold for about $66,000 but sold for about five times more.
“Starman” was released in 1972 as the lead single of Bowie’s fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
It went to number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and helped bring success to his album which peaked at number five.
The lyrics are about Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to the young people of Earth through the radio and salvation by an alien known as Starman.
David Bowie performed the song on British TV show, Top of the Pops, which helped to catapult him to worldwide fame.
