You’re standing in a room full of M.C. Escher staircases. Gravity is a suggestion, not a law. Up is down. Left is nowhere. At the center of it all is David Bowie, sporting a gravity-defying wig and a codpiece that has its own zip code.
He starts to sing.
The song is Within You. It’s the emotional climax of Jim Henson’s 1986 cult masterpiece Labyrinth. Most fans remember the "Magic Dance" or the dreamy sequence of "As the World Falls Down," but Within You is where the mask finally slips off Jareth the Goblin King.
Honestly, the within you lyrics david bowie wrote for this scene are some of the most desperate and raw lines he ever penned for a fictional character. They aren't just fantasy fluff. They're a psychological breakdown set to a 1980s synth beat.
The Lyrics That Broke the Fourth Wall
Let’s look at the opening. "How you've turned my world, you precious thing."
Jareth isn't just talking to Sarah (played by a teenage Jennifer Connelly). He’s talking to his own creator. If you subscribe to the popular fan theory that the entire Labyrinth is a manifestation of Sarah’s subconscious, then Jareth is literally a figment of her imagination.
He knows it.
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When he sings "I can't live within you," it’s not just a romantic rejection. It’s an existential crisis. He’s a dream that wants to be real. He’s starving and exhausted because he’s spent the entire movie trying to live up to her fantasies of what a romantic, dangerous villain should be.
"Everything I've done, I've done for you. I move the stars for no one."
This is the line every Labyrinth fan has tattooed on their brain. It sounds romantic. Kinda. But if you look closer, it’s actually incredibly manipulative. It’s the classic "look what you made me do" defense. Jareth is trying to guilt Sarah into staying in his world by claiming he rearranged the literal heavens just to impress her.
He didn't do it because he's a nice guy. He did it for power.
Why the Music Sounds Like a Panic Attack
The structure of Within You is weird. It’s jagged. It starts with those heavy, plodding drum hits and a synth line that feels like it’s spiraling down a drain.
Bowie recorded five songs for the Labyrinth soundtrack, but this one feels the most "Bowie." It lacks the polished pop sheen of "Underground." Instead, it has this frantic energy.
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- The Tempo: It feels like it’s constantly speeding up and slowing down, mirroring Sarah’s confusion as she runs through the Escher room.
- The Sigh: There’s a specific, heavy exhale Bowie does in the recording. It’s the sound of a man who is absolutely done.
- The Vocals: He moves from a low, threatening growl to that soaring, theatrical belt.
Brian Froud, the conceptual designer for the film, once mentioned that Jareth was designed as a "composite image" of the men Sarah was starting to find attractive as she entered adulthood. He’s a "leather boy," a knight, and a romantic hero all at once. The within you lyrics david bowie delivered are the sound of that composite image shattering.
The "For No One" Connection
Here’s a fun bit of trivia for the music nerds.
The line "I move the stars for no one" might be a subtle nod to the Beatles song "For No One." That song is famously about a girl who no longer needs the person who loves her.
"She no longer needs you."
In the context of Labyrinth, Sarah has outgrown her toys. She has outgrown the need for a Goblin King to kidnap her brother so she can play the hero. She’s becoming an adult. Jareth is the childhood fantasy she is leaving behind, and he’s terrified of being forgotten.
He’s literally begging her. "Live without the sunlight, love without your heartbeat." He’s asking her to exist in a vacuum just so he can keep existing. It’s dark stuff for a "children’s movie."
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What Most People Miss About the Ending
When Sarah finally says the words "You have no power over me," the song doesn't just stop. It evaporates.
The within you lyrics david bowie ends with him essentially disappearing into the background. The powerful King is reduced to a white owl flying away in the night.
A lot of people think Jareth "lost" because he wasn't strong enough. That’s wrong. He lost because he gave Sarah exactly what she wanted at the start of the movie: a world where things made sense and she was the center of attention. By giving her that, he gave her the tools to realize she didn't need him anymore.
He moved the stars for her, and in doing so, he showed her that she was the one who actually held the remote control.
Actionable Insights for Labyrinth Fans
If you want to truly appreciate this track, stop listening to it on tiny phone speakers.
- Listen for the layers: Use high-quality headphones. There are tiny, whispered vocal tracks buried in the mix that make Jareth sound like he's whispering directly into Sarah's (and your) ears.
- Watch the Escher Scene: Pay attention to the choreography. Bowie’s movements are stiff and theatrical, almost like a puppet whose strings are being cut as the song progresses.
- Read the Novelization: If you can find a copy of the A.C.H. Smith novelization, the "Within You" scene is even more explicit about Jareth’s desperation. It paints him as a much more tragic figure.
- Check the Soundtrack Version: The version on the 1986 soundtrack is slightly different from the film edit. The album version lets the instrumental breathe a bit more, emphasizing the isolation of the character.
Ultimately, this isn't just a song about a maze. It’s a song about the moment we realize our idols are just as fragile as we are.