---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's the shock: All cliches are true…"
description: "\"That's the shock: All cliches are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is. And there really is a God - so do..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg"
---

#  That's the shock: All cliches are true. The years really…

![“That's the shock: All cliches are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is. And there really is a God - so do I buy that one? If all the other cliches are true... Hell, don't pose me that one.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg)

> “That's the shock: All cliches are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is. And there really is a God - so do I buy that one? If all the other cliches are true... Hell, don't pose me that one.”

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Clichés often capture truths about time, life, and belief, prompting reflection on their validity.

**In simple terms:** Clichés can be true about life and belief.

Key Takeaway

Question and test common sayings.

Themes

philosophy life belief time skepticism

Mood

contemplative skeptical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- decision making
- spiritual inquiry
- critical thinking
- writing

Key Concepts

clichés existential reflection faith subjectivity

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you accept or challenge common sayings?
- How do you reconcile faith with skepticism?

A Different Perspective

Clichés may oversimplify complex experiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Buy Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buy-cliches-5890001/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliches/) [Cliches True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliches-true-1064827/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Shock Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock-cliches-5890002/) [Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-really/)

## Related quotes

> [Cliches are cliches because they are true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harsha-bhogle/cliches-are-cliches-because-they-are-true/)

[Harsha Bhogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harsha-bhogle/)

> [It is a cliche that most cliches are true, but then like most cliches, that cliche is untrue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-is-a-cliche-that-most-cliches-are-true-but-then-like-most-cliches/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [Comedy is hard to do. All the cliches about it are true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-daniels/comedy-is-hard-to-do-all-the-cliches-about-it-are-true/)

[Jeff Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-daniels/)

> [“They're called cliches because they're true, you know. Besides, life is quite complicated enough...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-noble/they-re-called-cliches-because-they-re-true-you-know-besides-life-is/)

[Elizabeth Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-noble/)

> [Being a dad you realise that it's not about you any more. All the cliches are true I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fletcher/being-a-dad-you-realise-that-it-s-not-about-you-any-more-all-the/)

[Tom Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fletcher/)

> [The cliches are all true! My son Max has just turned two, and he's literally turned into this driven young man overnight! The terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burn-gorman/the-cliches-are-all-true-my-son-max-has-just-turned-two-and-he-s/)

[Burn Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burn-gorman/)

> [“I believe with all my heart that the cliches are true, that we are our own best friends and best company, and that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-machacek/i-believe-with-all-my-heart-that-the-cliches-are-true-that-we-are-our/)

[Rachel Machacek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-machacek/)

> [Sometimes clichés are true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-adamson/sometimes-clich-s-are-true/)

[Peter Adamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-adamson/)

> [Every cliche is true, right? That's why they're cliches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-di-piero/every-cliche-is-true-right-that-s-why-they-re-cliches/)

[W. S. Di Piero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-di-piero/)

> [I'm sick of the old cliches. Bring me some new cliches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn-jr/i-m-sick-of-the-old-cliches-bring-me-some-new-cliches/)

[Samuel Goldwyn, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn-jr/)

> [When academics claim a topic is obsolete, they mean merely they are tired of flogging it with their cliches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/when-academics-claim-a-topic-is-obsolete-they-mean-merely-they-are/)

[Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/)

> [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [I think the French have a romantic cliche that Englishmen have great style, great music, irony and sense of humour. Well, sometimes cliches are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-de-la-baume/i-think-the-french-have-a-romantic-cliche-that-englishmen-have-great/)

[Josephine de La Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-de-la-baume/)

> [There are trappings of science fiction which I kind of embrace, but there are also cliches which I run from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-twohy/there-are-trappings-of-science-fiction-which-i-kind-of-embrace-but/)

[David Twohy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-twohy/)

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

## More by David Bowie

> [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [No more free steps to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/no-more-free-steps-to-heaven/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I went mainstream in a major way with the song "Let's Dance." And what I found I had done was put a box around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-mainstream-in-a-major-way-with-the-song-let-s-dance-and-what-i/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [“Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe Put your ray gun to my head Press your space face close to mine, love Freak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/keep-your-lectric-eye-on-me-babe-put-your-ray-gun-to-my-head-press/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-suppose-for-me-as-an-artist-it-wasn-t-always-just-about-expressing/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [... And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-these-children-that-you-spit-on-as-they-try-to-change-their/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

[Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

## More Cliche quotes

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

> [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/)

[Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/)

> [It's a bit cliche, but you can't go wrong by writing what you know. Even if you're a horrible writer, your own knowledge and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/it-s-a-bit-cliche-but-you-can-t-go-wrong-by-writing-what-you-know/)

[Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/)

> [“As an opener, I'd like to state that elves are certainly NOT cliché. It doesn't matter if they all have pointy ears, or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/as-an-opener-i-d-like-to-state-that-elves-are-certainly-not-clich-it/)

[Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/)

> [“NormnAl, "Like, Share, Follow and subscribe" - The typical cliche drill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/normnal-like-share-follow-and-subscribe-the-typical-cliche-drill/)

[Deyth Banger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deyth-banger/)

> [To move past fear is a cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/to-move-past-fear-is-a-cliche/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

> [There are trappings of science fiction which I kind of embrace, but there are also cliches which I run from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-twohy/there-are-trappings-of-science-fiction-which-i-kind-of-embrace-but/)

[David Twohy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-twohy/)

> [Audiences are hungry for something different. With binge-watching, they're hungry for interesting content they haven't seen before, and they want to be entertained. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-millar/audiences-are-hungry-for-something-different-with-binge-watching-they/)

[Miles Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-millar/)

> [A popular cliche in philosophy says that science is pure analysis or reductionism, like taking the rainbow to pieces; and art is pure synthesis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/a-popular-cliche-in-philosophy-says-that-science-is-pure-analysis-or/)

[Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/)

> [I think the French have a romantic cliche that Englishmen have great style, great music, irony and sense of humour. Well, sometimes cliches are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-de-la-baume/i-think-the-french-have-a-romantic-cliche-that-englishmen-have-great/)

[Josephine de La Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-de-la-baume/)

> [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [“The more you know, the less you understand. That's so cliche'. Wanna know the scary version? The more you know, the more fuckups you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/the-more-you-know-the-less-you-understand-that-s-so-cliche-wanna-know/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [You can't do anything if a person says no. In such a case, there's nothing you can do - unlike the popular cliche that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-wolf/you-can-t-do-anything-if-a-person-says-no-in-such-a-case-there-s/)

[Markus Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-wolf/)

> [“Sometimes people overlooked how useful a cliché was. It got everyone thinking about things in the same sort of way, and that could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leese/sometimes-people-overlooked-how-useful-a-clich-was-it-got-everyone/)

[Michael Leese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leese/)

> [When academics claim a topic is obsolete, they mean merely they are tired of flogging it with their cliches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/when-academics-claim-a-topic-is-obsolete-they-mean-merely-they-are/)

[Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/)

[Browse all 601 Cliche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "That's the shock: All cliches are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is. And there really is a God - so do I buy that one? If all the other cliches are true... Hell, don't pose me that one.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Bowie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-the-years-really-do-speed-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cliche"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-the-years-really-do-speed-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/david-bowie-508_cliche_that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-th_1566982.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That's the shock: All cliches are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell…” — David Bowie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Bowie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "That's the shock: All cliches are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-the-years-really-do-speed-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/that-s-the-shock-all-cliches-are-true-the-years-really-do-speed-by/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
