THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

209-David Bowie-Young Americans

1975-Number 18 single.

Best Bit-At 4.15. Bowie reminds us of the price President Nixon paid for his misdemeanours. When performing the song live in future years Bowie would change the name to the then current American President, such as Reagan or Bush.

By 1975 David Bowie (see also best songs 807-440-334-302-186-118-47-31 and 5) was ready to explore new ventures, and it was Soul music that had captured his imagination, and had become his new passion. Although he was well known in America, he had still not made a significant commercial breakthrough, as his Glam/Rock recordings hadn’t captured the American music buying public’s attention enough for him to achieve a top 10 single in the States, his one chart hit up until then was the re-release of ‘Space Oddity,’ which had made Number 15 in 1973. Bowie would record the ‘Young Americans’ Album at the ‘Sigma Sound Studios’ in Philadelphia, which was owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, (see also best songs 1001-896-725-648-604-571-338 and 322) who were the founders of ‘Philadelphia International Records,’ and he had wanted to use that labels in house band ‘M.F.S.B.’ for his backing, but they were unavailable, so he recruited a team of mainly new musicians he hadn’t worked with before including Carlos Alomar, (guitarist) who would become a long term collaborator in to the 2000’s. Another addition was a then unknown Luther Vandross, (1951-2005) (see also best songs 974) who sang backing vocals, and is credited with the Albums vocal arrangements. When released as a single ‘Young Americans’ gave Bowie his second Billboard top 40 hit in America when reaching Number 28, while the follow up single ‘Fame,’ the other single release from the Album, co-written with John Lennon, went all the way to Number 1.

‘Young Americans’ begins by introducing a typical American teenage couple growing up in America, who are striving to achieve ‘The American Dream,’ but eventually finding out it is impossible, as they come to terms with real life, and realising that there will be no Hollywood style fairytale ending. The song is Bowie pointing out how tough life is for some, and and how tough some have to be, growing up in America. The song is also a social commentary of American events from around that era, including the politics of the day, and the ‘Civil Rights Movement.’

‘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.’