Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)

This is clearly about war & how the young are led into it with the promise of adventure, romance & glory. The three dates in the title refer to the year prior to the first two world wars. The third date is a presumption of the next... "You'll make it" refer to the empty hopes that people always say to those heading off into war. "Paris or maybe hell " refers to the chance that you could be posted either somewhere great or the trenches. "Clutches of sad remains" is the fate that awaits 'A Lad Insane' enough to put himself in a war. "Millions weeps a fountain" is the weeping of those who lost their loved ones. " It's about young men being led into war by the promise of "Passionate bright young things" in his bed. It's about the stupidity that leads boys to fight in a war. The first two in particular & a possible third sometime...

Aladdin Sane=A ladd insane

The subtitle always made me assume the song was about World War III, which goes in hand with the apocalyptic mood of the whole album. I think I read somewhere where Bowie said it was about young men partying before being sent off to war.

1913 and 1938 were the years before WWI and WWII. The question mark at the end of 197? implied that WWIII was just around the corner. Could it be about partying before the next war? Also Cold War tensions were high between America (where he resided) and the USSR.

Written aboard the QE2 in December 72 (David hated flying at this time) and inspired by Bowie's travels around the United States. The song and album title were actually a play on words refering to his Brother Terry who later died in a mental hospital near London, Cain Hill Hospital.

You should read Jerry Hopkins Biography 'Bowie' The Aladdin Sane title was clearly tied together with his Brother's illness as it was in Hunky Dory. He confirmed that in interviews later. Bowie had read Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel 'Vile bodies' about a future world where bright young things danced in the face of the holocaust. He wrote it sitting in an armchair on the QE2 and recorded it at the Trident Studios in Soho London on his return. Agree totally about Mike Garson. Brilliant! By the way, if you love that piano, it's the same one heard on Hey Jude, Harry Nilsson's Without You, Elton John's Your Song and many other tracks. It was a handmade Beckstein that was over 100 years old.

I don't know if anyone will read this but.. Aladdin Sane means A Lad Insane. Bowie described Aladdin Sane as:''Ziggy goes to America'', because he made most of the songs of the album in the U.S. and most of them talked about the States and of what he thought they would be like. Aladdin Sane was the aftermath of our friend Ziggy's visit on earth so it probably meant that glam rock was going to die.. I'm still mad that Bowie wanted to call the album ''Love Aladdin Vein'' but he couldn't because there would of been too many problems and he would of been criticized too much but that's the way it goes.. and so.. Who will love Aladdin Sane?.. I am..

Each year is the one before a world war - in the '60's/'70's, the cold war loomed large. What year would world war 3 start?

And on a side note, this song and the whole album is pretty much like Ziggy Stardust, but more like Ziggy In America. The Jean Genie music video was filmed in New York.

"That was about young people just before the two wars wanting to go and screw girls and kill foreigners called Aladdin Sane."

• David Bowie

Bridge School Benefit Saturday, October 19, Sunday, October 20, 1996