 Described by Pegg as Bowie's own "A Day in the Life" and by O'Leary as "a gushy Fifties pop ballad", the song is a theatrical number that begins quietly on acoustic guitar before building into a lush arrangement, backed by an orchestra.Perone writes that it builds intensity as Ziggy's desperate message struggles to enlighten his earthling audience.According to Bowie, the opening lyrics about lighting a cigarette are a metaphor