We passed upon the stair
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise
I spoke into his eyes, "I thought you died alone
A long long time ago"
Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare, at all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long long time ago
Who knows? not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
There were a fair number of folks who didn't know this was a Bowie song, when the MTV Unplugged special came out in 1993. It fit Cobain's persona so well and immediately became part of the Nirvana lexicon. But yes, this was written by dear departed David, pre-Ziggy Stardust, in 1970. Fun facts: Bowie told an interviewer in 1995, "it hadn't ever occurred to me that I was truly a part of the American musical landscape" until this cover came out. Bowie also said (in a 2000 interview) that he was sick of kids coming up to him after a show and telling him it was so cool that he covered Nirvana... Ahhhh, poor tortured Kurt taught us much in his short time (like especially: don't do heroin, or date Courtney Love) but where would we be without Bowie?
Bonus vid of him performing this song on SNL in '75.