Within You

Written by: David Bowie
Recorded: April-June; October-November 1985
Producers: David Bowie, Arif Mardin

Released: 23 June 1986

Available on:
Labyrinth

Personnel

David Bowie: vocals
Robbie Buchanan: guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, programming
Brian Gascoigne, David Lawson, Simon Lloyd: keyboards
Will Lee: bass guitar
Steve Ferrone: drums

‘Within You’ was written by David Bowie for the 1986 film Labyrinth.

The song appears during the climactic scene in which Sarah Williams, played by Jennifer Connelly, enters the castle for a showdown with Bowie’s character, Jareth the Goblin King.

‘Within You’ is my favourite track. I had to write something that sounded like stone walls and crumbling power. The overall effect, with Jim’s visuals, is, I think, very tragic and slightly disturbing.

The scene, set in a bewildering room based on MC Escher’s Reality, was also Bowie’s favourite in the film.

It’s so sad, I think, because Sarah really likes Jareth, but she must get her baby brother Toby back safely. So she has to reject all Jareth’s pleas for companionship in his lonely world. Jennifer Connelly’s performance in this sequence is particularly good.

The ‘Within You’ phrase “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you” was reversed by Bowie on the Reality song ‘Days’, which contained the line “All I’ve done, I’ve done for me”.

The release

‘Within You’ was the ninth track on the Labyrinth soundtrack, released on 23 June 1986.

‘Magic Dance’ was issued in January 1987 as a 12″ single in selected countries including the USA. It featured the 7:06 ‘Magic Dance’ (A Dance Mix); 5:22 ‘Magic Dance’ (Dub); and the album track ‘Within You’.