Glitter Years Lyrics
Makes me wonder if this song is about Bowie. Change 'Denny' to 'David' and it makes total sense. Bowie wrote a song entitled "Golden Years" and was at the forefront of Glitter(Glam) Rock. During his Ziggy Stardust days...well...he did look like a "working girl from outer space." And the seal to the deal - "Hang on to Yourself" is a great track from the Ziggy album. She even sings it in a similar manner.
I always imagined this song being about a self-destructive gay guy friend -- charming and flamboyant and reckless, with something like a death wish from feeling unloved by his own family.
My high-school years were the Turn of the Millennium, not the '70s, but I still had friends coping with their pain in that fashion. I'm glad my Denny lived to find some love and stability.