Nadsat has had a curiously rich afterlife beyond Anthony Burgess’s novella and Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation. Its penetration of popular music culture in particular has been profound. Numerous bands have named themselves after phrases from the text, and many more have cited Nadsat phrases in their songs and lyrics.
Read moreSavvying the Palaver: Nadsat and Polari
Two days before his death, David Bowie’s final album, Black Star, was released. It features a sparse, and to many listeners baffling, song entitled Girl Loves Me. Even fans who were used to Bowie’s allusive lyrics found Girl Loves Me difficult to comprehend. However, it was soon revealed that the unusual language of the song was derived in part from Nadsat, and from the gay community slang Polari.
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