Young Americans by David Bowie

Album: Young Americans (1975)

Charted: 18 28

License This Song

artistfacts

songplace

Songfacts®:

Bowie never was a young American - he was born and raised in England. Bowie said that this was the result of cramming his "whole American experience" into one song.
This was recorded between tour dates at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios, which was the capital of black music in the area. The soul influence had a very obvious effect on Bowie's style. He even completely redesigned the stage for the rest of his Diamond Dogs tour.
Over the course of about eight very creative days, Bowie recorded most of the songs for Young Americans at Sigma Studios. He usually recorded his vocals after midnight because he heard that's when Frank Sinatra recorded most of his vocals, and because there weren't so many people around.

Sigma had a staff of very talented producers and musicians (known as MFSB - the same folks who had a #1 hit with "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)"), but Bowie used his own people - Tony Visconti produced this track.
The line near the end, "I heard the news today, oh boy," is a reference to the Beatles song "A Day In The Life." John Lennon worked with Bowie on "Fame" and also Bowie's cover of "Across The Universe." Both songs are on this album.
The lead instrument in this song the saxophone, which was played by the American jazz player David Sanborn. He was just starting to get noticed when Bowie brought him in to play on this.
Bowie hired Luther Vandross, who had yet to establish himself as a solo artist, to sing backup and create the vocal arrangements on the Young Americans album. According to "Young Americans" producer Tony Visconti, the title track owed a lot to Vandross.

"'Young Americans' had a strong, lengthy dialogue but no hook," he told Mojo magazine. "Then one time, as Luther led the backing vocals, he snatched at the words 'Young Americans' and came up with the perfect musical hook: 'Young American, young American, she wants the young American.'"
Near the end of the song, Bowie sings, "Black's got respect and white's got his soul train." Soul Train is an American TV show targeted to a black audience that started in 1970. The show featured lots of very expressive dancing as well as a musical guest, and in November 1975, Bowie became one of the first white singers to perform on the show, something he was very proud of. The "Young Americans" single was released in February 1975, so Bowie performed "Fame" and "Golden Years," which was his current single.
Young Americans was the first Bowie album that guitarist Carlos Alomar played on. Bowie first saw Alomar playing in the house band at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, and convinced him to play on this album and join the tour. Alomar became a major contributor, playing on several of Bowie's albums and coming up with guitar riffs for songs like "Fame" and "Golden Years."
The album was going to be called "Dancin'" before Bowie decided to name it after this track.
At a performance at Giants Stadium, Bowie stopped after singing the line, "Ain't there one damn song that can make me...", and dropped to the stage, where he stayed for 10 minutes. The crowd went nuts, but got concerned after a while. Bowie did it to see what kind of reaction he would get.
The Cure did a version of this in appreciation of Bowie, their longtime friend. The lyrics "Do you remember President Nixon?" were changed to "...President Clinton?" The Cure's version was originally released on a British radio demo CD only, but can now be found on various bootlegs.

Comments: 35

Autierob from Somewhere On The Wrong Planet"All the way from Washington..." ...is that Washington, DC or Washington state?
Shawn Robbins from Ronkonkoma, New YorkThe song "Young Americans", which Bowie said was about "the predicament of two newlyweds", took two days to record
Daniel from TexasChristina, the entire band (besides Bowie) is American.
Brian Griffiths from Newfoundland, CanadaPeople please, the lyric should be " aint there a woman like a sock on the jaw". The man was a strong feminist.
Maggie from St Paul, MnIf you want the lyrics, just click on the "view lyrics" under the picture of David. Otherwise, you could just go on the 'net and find the lyrics.
Michael from Niceville, FlThe best line in the song is "ain't you proud that you slapped our faces?" This refers to the American Revolution. Yes, David, we are proud.
Doug from Ontario, OnThis song makes me think of Ted Bundy. He was the young American. All night.
Camille from Toronto, OhGreat song, always loved it. Came on Songfacts to see if there was a logical explanation of the lyrics but no, there isn't. But I don't care. I still love it. Bowie sings the words like an evangelical preacher building up a crescendo from the pulpit to get a reaction out of his congregation. And he succeeds. Then the sax...the sax struts in, around and thru the song, perfectly portraying the sexiness of the "Young American".
Robert from Brooklyn, NyI like the fact that the lyrics are poetic. You can draw images or meaning from some of them but most ambiguous and can be interpreted or felt very deeply in a universal kind of way.
John from Concord, NhInterpret it any way you want-it's about youth.
Chloe from St. Louis, MoI really like that line "We live for just these twenty years, do we have to die the fifty more?"
Sarah from Alta Loma, CaThis song hasn't anything to do with Americans being self-reflexive about themselves -- least of all 'cos Bowie's English. This is about the rest of the world piling its hopes and fears, in the 70s, anyway, onto Americans or what Americans were supposed to represent. "She" wants the Young American, "he" does, "you" all do, "I" do.
Nathan from Defiance, OhAn underappreciated song form Bowie's short lived blue-eyed soul period. Listening to the album makes me wish he'd stuck with this persona a little longer.
John from Palm Beach Gardens, FlAlso, Bowie frames the song in the joy of funk and the key of tolerance, nods to the chaos, as always, which reminds us to enjoy even the sh*t.
John from Palm Beach Gardens, FlIt's about upsets, such as teenage pregnancy, moreover, how everyone seems rushed into this cruel world filled with ignorant, irresponsible, hormone-driven children, all of whom would make it better if they could rise above it, but upon doing so, seem to sink further down than before, as power corrupts, etc. He gives us a montage of street scenes and accidental freaks a la Bruce Springsteen lyrics and his reference to "Day in the Life" reaffirms the unfair, breakneck pace of innocence & youth ('these twenty years') giving way to the violent crush of the absurd 'fifty more.' It's Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray meets Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone." She's have taken anything but... (a baby with no father) and worse, a junkie (beggin off the bathroom floor, etc.)
N from Staten Island, NyThis is the Baby Boomers song. We were the "Young Americans" he sang about in 1975.
Ekristheh from Halath, United StatesWhen I first heard it I couldn't make out a lot of the lyrics. To me, the song has an infectious Latin rhythm, and I ended up thinking it concerned Hispanic immigrants and their children, looking for a better life. It took me a while to untangle everything through Bowie's accent and singing style! This is an amazing song, summarizing an experience in time in the same manner as "American Pie" or "Broken Arrow". I hope Bowie will be remembered for this at least as much as Ziggy Stardust...
Dave from Scottsdale, AzDid anyone read the lyrics?
Daniel from Cincinnatti, Ori like the beatles reference. Day in the Life has to be one of my favorite songs of all time
Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScWell without Chuck Berry and his influences, such as Muddy Waters wock n roll wouldn't be here.
Bob from Lakewood, OhI guess Christina has never heard of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, or Jimi Hendrix. Like it or not Christina, they're Americans too.
Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI always thought it was about issues and decision-makings of young generations as well.
Dsco from Texas, Txok, Muadie, I don't know where you got that, but david bowie was neither african-american nor looking for the american dream. This was a tribute, as stated above, and references the many influences while thanking those involved in its evolution, and yes, he is a genius. But sometimes you hit that genius mark on a 3 day coke binge. =)
Christina from Nor*cal, Caim srry but eligh musican are way better than americans. It seems that they have more rhythm. And it seems that each rock musican seems to add soul at one point or as their whole career. Such as Mick Jagger ["Brown Sugar"], Joss Stone
Eric from Scranton, PaDavid bowie wrote this song on a three day coke bing. He wrote every single musical part (guitar, sax, drums, lyrics) and the guitarist who played on this song claims that when he first heard it, he didn't understand what the hell david bowie was saying in this song, but after he listened to the song a couple of times, he said that it is about the 70's in general and that david bowie is a genius.
Leya Qwest from Anchorage, AkLily of Random Lake, you've hit it right on the money. This hit's definitely 'bout breaking on through the issues of desire, personal safety and intellectual freedom by adolescents and even now the sons and daughters of our baby boom generation. Guess it'll always be like that - the feelings and decision-makings of kids in America, and by probably a few late-blooming elders as well. DUM DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMMM.
Josh from Las Vegas, Nvfunny, I never knew i liked soul until this song
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScMark there's a view lyrics link on this facts page. Great song by the way! saxephone is cool!
Charlie from Stittstown, CanadaJohn Lennon did not produce the album or the title track, actually. After recording most of the material, David met John and the two recorded Fame and a cover of Across The Universe. The bulk of the album was recorded with Tony Visconti as the producer and does not feature John Lennon.
David from Plano, Txall this is all and well, but the reason behind the young american verse "i heard the news today, oh boy" is that john lennon produced not only the song but the album.
Paulo from New York, NyGeoff, it's sung as a tribute to "A Day in the Life"
Geoff from Adelaide, AustraliaThe bit where the background singers sings "I heard the news today, oh boy" sounds very very similar to the Beatles song "A Day in the Life"
Both are great songs
Mark from Port Neches, TxCan anybody please get the lyrics to this song.
Lily from Random Lake, WiThis song has nothing to do with race. It encompasses the feelings within every young person living in America, including peer pressure, sex, choices, and hardships.
Maudie from Ft.worth, Txa song about african-americans and their
struggle for the "american dream".

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Candle In The WindElton John

Marilyn Monroe is the subject of Elton John's "Candle In The Wind," but the song is really a look at how we react to celebrities who die young.

The WayFastball

"The Way" by Fastball was inspired by the story of an elderly couple from Texas who drove to a nearby family reunion and kept going. Fastball's bass player imagined them taking off and having fun like they were young. The story didn't end well: the couple was later found dead after they crashed in a canyon.

AngelSarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan wrote "Angel" about the Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who overdosed on heroin and died in 1996.

Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen" was originally released as "European Queen," and it underperformed. When it was issued in America as "Caribbean Queen" it went to #1 and revived his career.

Red Red WineUB40

UB40's cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" was a minor hit when first released in 1983, but it went to #1 five years later when radio stations in Phoenix started playing it.

We Will Become SilhouettesThe Postal Service

"We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Postal Service sounds happy and fun, but it's a very bleak song about a nuclear winter. Lead singer Ben Gibbard wrote the lyric while ruminating over 9/11.