If you watch the music video, it seems this song is linked to A Picture of Dorian Gray, and "leafed through a magazine" could be seen as his new hedionism while "very sane he seemed to me" could highlight Gray's duel identity.
Perhaps Bowie saw a link between Gray and himself, appearing normal to the public while indulging in many pleasures (cocaine in Bowie's case perhaps?).
Or maybe I'm thinking too much about this...
If you watch the music video, it seems this song is linked to A Picture of Dorian Gray, and "leafed through a magazine" could be seen as his new hedionism while "very sane he seemed to me" could highlight Gray's duel identity. Perhaps Bowie saw a link between Gray and himself, appearing normal to the public while indulging in many pleasures (cocaine in Bowie's case perhaps?). Or maybe I'm thinking too much about this...