| Speed of Life | |
| Cover: | Speed of Life y David Bowie UK vinyl pressing.png |
| Caption: | B-side label of the UK vinyl pressing of the "Be My Wife" single release |
| Type: | instrumental |
| Artist: | David Bowie |
| Album: | Low |
| Released: | 14 January 1977 |
| Recorded: | September–November 1976 |
| Genre: | Art rock |
| Length: | 2:46 |
| Label: | RCA |
| Producer: | David Bowie and Tony Visconti |
"Speed of Life" is the first instrumental by David Bowie. It is the opening track on his album Low from 1977.
"Speed of Life" introduces the Low album, and, coupled with the instrumental "A New Career in a New Town", provides a front bookend for the A-side of the album. The track opens with its heavy use of synthesizers as both effects and instruments, with the presence of Dennis Davis' drums and the overlaid harmonizer creating a distinctly different mix than any previous Bowie album.
The song includes the refrain from Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again.[1]
Lyrics were originally planned for this song, but Bowie abandoned the idea after several attempts, deciding that the piece stood better on its own.