Lazarus, David Bowie, and That Bluebird

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Some critics believe David Bowie referenced a famous Charles Bukowski poem in the song “Lazarus,” from his final album Blackstar.

In it, Bowie sings:

“This way or no way, you know I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird now, ain’t that just like me?
Oh, I’ll be free, just like that bluebird
Oh, I’ll be free, ain’t that just like me?”

And here is Bukowski’s poem “Bluebird”:

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?

——

What do you think, was Bowie making a Bukowski reference there or is it just a coincidence?

—- Mercy.
SOURCE: FB’s “Charles Bukowski’s Quotes”