| "Up the Hill Backwards" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by David Bowie | ||||
| from the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) | ||||
| B-side | "Crystal Japan" | |||
| Released | March 1981 | |||
| Recorded | February–April 1980 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 3:13 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Bowie | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
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"Up the Hill Backwards" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1980 album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). It was later issued by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in March 1981. Originally written under the title "Cameras in Brooklyn", the song was recorded between February and April 1980 at the Power Station in New York City and Good Earth Studios in London. The recording features backing vocalists, guitar contributions from Robert Fripp and acoustic guitar played by co-producer Tony Visconti. Lyrically, the song concerns the struggles of facing a crisis, partially influenced by Bowie's divorce from his wife Angie. Musically, the song contains numerous time signature changes and a Bo Diddley-inspired beat.
The song has received positive reviews from music critics and biographers, with most praising its unusual composition. Because of this, however, the song stalled as a single, peaking at No. 32 in the UK and No. 49 in Canada. Bowie never performed "Up the Hill Backwards" live in its entirety during his concert tours, although the first verse was performed during the openings of the 1987 Glass Spider Tour. The song has appeared on compilation albums, while a demo has appeared on bootlegs. Mojo magazine later listed it as Bowie's 24th greatest song in 2015.