"Young Americans" as written by and David Bowie....
They pulled in just behind the bridge
He lays her down, he frowns
Gee my life's a funny thing, am I still too young?
He kissed her then and there
She took his ring, took his babies
It took him minutes, took her nowhere
Heaven knows, she'd have taken anything, but
All night
She wants a young American
Young American, young American, she wants the young American
All night
But she wants the young American
Scanning life through the picture window
She finds the slinky vagabond
He coughs as he passes her Ford Mustang
But Heaven forbid, she'll take anything
But the freak, and his type, all for nothing
Misses a step and cuts his hand, but
Showing nothing, he swoops like a song
She cries, "Where have all Papa's heroes gone?"
All night
She wants the young American
Young American, young American, she wants the young American
All right
Well she wants the young American
All the way from Washington
Her bread-winner begs off the bathroom floor
We live for just these twenty years
Do we have to die for the fifty more?
All night
He wants the young American
Young American, young American
He wants the young American
All right (all right)
Well, he wants the young American
Do you remember, your President Nixon? (ooh)
Do you remember, the bills you have to pay?
Or even yesterday?
Have been the un-American? (ooh)
Just you and your idol sing falsetto (ooh)
'Bout Leather, leather everywhere, and
Not a myth left from the ghetto
Well, well, well, would you carry a razor (ooh)
In case, just in case of depression? (ooh)
Sit on your hands on a bus of survivors
Blushing at all the Afro-Sheeners
Ain't that close to love?
Well, ain't that poster love?
Well, it ain't that Barbie doll
Her hearts have been broken just like you and
All night
All night you want the young American
Young American, young American, you want the young American
All right
You want the young American
You ain't a pimp and you ain't a hustler
A pimp's got a Cadi and a lady got a Chrysler
Black's got respect, and white's got his soul train
Mama's got cramps, and look at your hands ache
(I heard the news today, oh boy)
I got a suite and you got defeat
Ain't there a man who can say no more?
And, ain't there a woman I can sock on the jaw?
And, ain't there a child I can hold without judging?
Ain't there a pen that will write before they die?
Ain't you proud that you've still got faces?
Ain't there one damn song that can make me
Break down and cry?
All night
I want the young American
Young American, young American, I want the young American
All right
I want the young American, young American
Young American, young American, I want the young American (I want what you want, I want what you want)
All night
You and I
I want you, I
Young American, young American, I want the young American
All right
And all I want is the young American
Young American, young American, I want the young American
He lays her down, he frowns
Gee my life's a funny thing, am I still too young?
He kissed her then and there
She took his ring, took his babies
It took him minutes, took her nowhere
Heaven knows, she'd have taken anything, but
All night
She wants a young American
Young American, young American, she wants the young American
All night
But she wants the young American
Scanning life through the picture window
She finds the slinky vagabond
He coughs as he passes her Ford Mustang
But Heaven forbid, she'll take anything
But the freak, and his type, all for nothing
Misses a step and cuts his hand, but
Showing nothing, he swoops like a song
She cries, "Where have all Papa's heroes gone?"
All night
She wants the young American
Young American, young American, she wants the young American
All right
Well she wants the young American
All the way from Washington
Her bread-winner begs off the bathroom floor
We live for just these twenty years
Do we have to die for the fifty more?
All night
He wants the young American
Young American, young American
He wants the young American
All right (all right)
Well, he wants the young American
Do you remember, your President Nixon? (ooh)
Do you remember, the bills you have to pay?
Or even yesterday?
Have been the un-American? (ooh)
Just you and your idol sing falsetto (ooh)
'Bout Leather, leather everywhere, and
Not a myth left from the ghetto
Well, well, well, would you carry a razor (ooh)
In case, just in case of depression? (ooh)
Sit on your hands on a bus of survivors
Blushing at all the Afro-Sheeners
Ain't that close to love?
Well, ain't that poster love?
Well, it ain't that Barbie doll
Her hearts have been broken just like you and
All night
All night you want the young American
Young American, young American, you want the young American
All right
You want the young American
You ain't a pimp and you ain't a hustler
A pimp's got a Cadi and a lady got a Chrysler
Black's got respect, and white's got his soul train
Mama's got cramps, and look at your hands ache
(I heard the news today, oh boy)
I got a suite and you got defeat
Ain't there a man who can say no more?
And, ain't there a woman I can sock on the jaw?
And, ain't there a child I can hold without judging?
Ain't there a pen that will write before they die?
Ain't you proud that you've still got faces?
Ain't there one damn song that can make me
Break down and cry?
All night
I want the young American
Young American, young American, I want the young American
All right
I want the young American, young American
Young American, young American, I want the young American (I want what you want, I want what you want)
All night
You and I
I want you, I
Young American, young American, I want the young American
All right
And all I want is the young American
Young American, young American, I want the young American
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Do we have to die for the fifty more?" and "Ain't there a man who can say no more?" Because he is confused when he sees that a culture that only values youth and flash leaves everyone over 20 in the lurch-and there's no Hollywood hero who will step in to save the day, because that's just in the movies. In the final evaluation, those who fail to realize that the American Dream is, after all, a dream, will wind up in mid-life wondering what kind of meaning they were really supposed to have sought instead. The ironic part is that Bowie (who is British) is so smart that he manages to critique America without being obvious; most people mistakenly think this song is some kind of celebration of the American way of life. It's not. It's an intelligent critique of our shallow culture and the hollow expectations it encourages in place of anything that could actually provide meaning-religion, literature, learning, family, etc.
What I'd like to know are what are "Afro-Sheilas", is that a derogatory racist term or just one I'm not familiar with. Why would you blush at them on the bus of survivors? Is it because the mustang got reppo'd?
When I got back from my honeymoon I changed it to lyrics adjacent to "wham bam THANK YOU MA'AM".
Love that line.
I like Lazerpj’s interpretation best. Even better than what Bowie had said.
Jaggeh however retains a shallow foreigner’s view. Seeing America from afar with an uninformed view. Much like the female in “Young Americans,” if all one watches it MTV and corporate television one would come to realize that “American dream” is unobtainable.
“Where have all Papa's heroes gone”
“Well, ain't that poster love?”
”Well, it ain't that Barbie doll”
The yanks, at least in Boston, were as literate and cultured as any Brit. They are very humble, although they do exuberantly love their country. They actually view us (the Brits/Europeans) having ASC.
Being Welsh and going to college in the States gave me great insight to see that we are often the closed minded ones. They could rationally discuss the Iraq war or global warming, as opposed to the European view of just being against everything.
I believe that the culture as a whole is not shallow, but as Bowie’s characters in the song are young and haven’t escaped from the cloak of unsatisfiable want that they were marketed by mass media.
The culture that is sold by the corporations is definitely shallow. Much like us. How long was the nation hooked on the SpiceGirls, and don’t we all play the lotto thinking we will strike it big? It’s the same expectations.
Jaggeh, The Yanks are as good or as bad as us, I think it is you who is starting wake up and open his eyes to how the others on the other side of the pond think. Get off your horse and go over and meet them sometime.
-JJP
In the first three verses he accomplishes this by creating an allegory of two Young Americans who represent the dichotomy of the nation's struggle between expectations of a fictionalized, conventional and idealistic experience (the YA man) and the actual experience of the nation's disillusioned people (the YA woman). They start off in the first verse as clearly being two characters from the 50's (making love in a parked car; a man so innocent and naive he reflectively utters corny, dated 50's language "Gee my life's a funny thing...") While the woman accepts this idealistic, conventional way of life "Took his ring took his babies" she is not satisfied just as America grew dissatisfied with it’s social conventions.
In the next verse she is in the 60's (with her Mustang) and looking out from her conventional world she is tempted by a slinky vagabond (the break from social convention and the promise of social progress of the 60's) however the affair turns out to be not so much about a better world but is more just a passing fling dressed up in the language of big social progress but does not produce much of what was hoped for (But the freak, and his type, all for nothing...Showing nothing, he swoops like a song).
At the end of the story she is left unable to return to the heroes and values of the past (Where have all of Papa's heroes gone?) and the even those who held onto the idealistic and conventional spirit know it may die out (Her breadwinner calls from Washington...begs…do we have to die for these 50 more?)
The rest of the song gives the then contemporaneous (1975) rundown on American culture and it's so-so social progress and disillusioned state part way through the 70's. I agree with discerner that there is a lot of commentary on racial progress that I too don't understand completely. However, I disagree with Discerner's assessment on the “blushing at all the afro-sheilas.” I think that would be more appropriately posted next to “Hold me closer Tony Danza” on a misheard lyrics blog.
Also it says the chorus is 'all night - she wants the young american / it's all right - but she wants the young american', 'now have you been the un-american', 'look at your hands shake'.
I'm not sure exactly what he's getting at, but it's definitely a song about disillusionment and disappointment, about having to settle with what you can get and about coming to terms with the unfair bits of real life.
They pulled in just behind the bridge
He lays her down, he frowns
"Gee my life's a funny thing, am I still too young?"
He kissed her then and there
She took his ring, took his babies
It took him minutes, took her nowhere
Heaven knows, she'd have taken anything, but
Pulled in behind the fridge...love it!! Yeah it's a brige she pulled in just behind in her Mustang. Their doing it in the back seat....freak passes by and she sees him.
Love the 20yrs/50yrs quote and "Ain't that close to Love" as well.