David Bowie & Pat Metheny Group – “This Is Not America” (1985)

The collaboration between David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group on “This Is Not America” represents one of the most introspective and politically restrained moments in Bowie’s 1980s output. Released in 1985, the song was written for the soundtrack of the film The Falcon and the Snowman.

Unlike Bowie’s large-scale public gestures of the same period, this collaboration operates through subtlety, atmosphere, and emotional ambiguity rather than spectacle or provocation.

The Cinematic Context

The Falcon and the Snowman explores themes of betrayal, idealism, and political disillusionment during the Cold War. Bowie’s contribution needed to reflect moral uncertainty rather than patriotic certainty.

The choice of the Pat Metheny Group — known for its lyrical jazz-fusion language — was crucial in shaping the song’s reflective tone.

Why Pat Metheny Group

The Pat Metheny Group occupied a unique position in 1980s music: technically sophisticated, emotionally expressive, and resistant to commercial simplification.

Bowie recognized that Metheny’s compositional sensibility could provide a musical environment that felt open-ended, unresolved, and emotionally complex.

Musical Architecture

The music of “This Is Not America” is built around slow harmonic movement, floating melodic lines, and restrained dynamics. Rather than driving the song forward, the arrangement suspends it in a state of quiet tension.

Metheny’s guitar textures function less as solos and more as atmospheric framing devices, allowing Bowie’s vocal to exist in a reflective, almost detached space.

Bowie’s Vocal Approach

Bowie’s vocal performance is deliberately subdued. There is no theatrical projection, no grand gesture. Instead, he sings with controlled distance, reinforcing the song’s themes of ambiguity and quiet critique.

His phrasing suggests observation rather than declaration — a narrator questioning rather than asserting.

Political Subtext

Despite its title, “This Is Not America” avoids direct political slogans. The lyrics express disillusionment without specifying ideology, allowing listeners to project their own interpretations.

This restraint differentiates the song from many overt protest anthems of the era.

Contrast with Bowie’s 1985 Public Image

Released the same year as Bowie’s highly visible participation in Live Aid and the duet with Mick Jagger, this song reveals a parallel, inward-facing artistic impulse.

While other projects embraced mass visibility, “This Is Not America” withdraws into introspection.

The Role of Film Soundtrack Work

Bowie’s soundtrack contributions often allowed him to explore emotional registers that were less accessible within his mainstream albums.

Working with the Pat Metheny Group reinforced this tendency, aligning Bowie with musicians accustomed to narrative and mood-driven composition.

Reception and Afterlife

While not a chart-dominating hit, “This Is Not America” has endured as a quietly respected work within Bowie’s catalogue.

It is frequently cited as an example of Bowie’s capacity for subtle political commentary.

Pat Metheny Group in Bowie’s Collaborative Network

The Pat Metheny Group occupies a distinctive place among Bowie’s collaborators. Rather than functioning as stylistic foils, they provided a reflective sonic environment that amplified Bowie’s lyrical intent.

Their contribution exemplifies Bowie’s ability to step outside rock conventions when the subject matter demanded nuance.

Cultural Legacy

Today, “This Is Not America” stands as one of Bowie’s most mature political statements — quiet, unresolved, and emotionally complex.

The collaboration with the Pat Metheny Group remains a model of how music, film, and ideology can intersect without reducing meaning to slogans.