David Bowie lyric sheet expected to fetch £100k at auction

The item is a handwritten lyric sheet that covers two of Bowie’s songs in ‘Rock N Roll Suicide’ and ‘Suffragette City’.

It features drafts, notes and corrections of those songs which featured on the album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’.

The lyric sheet will be accompanied by a letter of provenance from the seller, stating that the page was created during the album’s final recording sessions.

The lyric note for ‘Rock N Roll Suicide’ (Image: Omega Auctions/PA Wire)

Additionally, the side of the sheet showing the Suffragette City lyrics includes a note at the bottom left to inform the publisher of two more songs Bowie was considering for the album.

This is related to ‘It Ain’t Easy’ and ‘Round And Round’ with the former making it onto Bowie‘s 1972 album.

The lyric sheet was purchased by the current owner in the early 1980s and went on loan in 2013 to the V&A Museum for its David Bowie exhibition.

It visited locations such as Sao Paolo, Chicago, Paris, Melbourne, Tokyo and New York during its international tour.

When is the auction taking place?

The handwritten lyric sheet will be going under the hammer on Tuesday (November 28) alongside other music memorabilia.

Other lots include a book previously owned by Oasis guitarist, Noel Gallagher, featuring lyrics for fan favourites including Champagne Supernova, She’s Electric, Rockin’ Chair, Step Out Tonight and Going Nowhere.

Bowie‘s lyric sheet has been described as “an incredible artefact” by auction manager, Dan Muscatelli-Hampson.

He went on: “There are two real cult favourites in the wonderful David Bowie oeuvre and Suffragette City has been described as one of his very best.

“It is an incredible artefact to have and to hold and it is sure to excite the many millions of Bowie fans around the world, just as the Starman lyrics did.

“We are excited to see what it might achieve on the day.”