I am on board with JJP’s assessment that this is a song about missed expectations and the resulting disillusionment. I think in Young American's Bowie is capturing the American zeitgeist for the mid 70's by creating an allegory of a couple of young American's going through a predictable, disintegrating relationship in the 50's 60's and 70's. I think the zeitgeist he presents is a nation struggling with it's loss of innocent, idealistic, and conventional expectaions of life that was given up because of it's craving for something more that turned out to be brief, failed and disappointing. I think he did this out of his love of creating characters and because it would be appeal to the sentiment of the mass markets of the time. I think he is sympathetic to the character he creates in this song and the country he portrays and I think the experience of disappointment probably reflects some of his own experience in social consciousness and maybe his personal experience.
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.
I am on board with JJP’s assessment that this is a song about missed expectations and the resulting disillusionment. I think in Young American's Bowie is capturing the American zeitgeist for the mid 70's by creating an allegory of a couple of young American's going through a predictable, disintegrating relationship in the 50's 60's and 70's. I think the zeitgeist he presents is a nation struggling with it's loss of innocent, idealistic, and conventional expectaions of life that was given up because of it's craving for something more that turned out to be brief, failed and disappointing. I think he did this out of his love of creating characters and because it would be appeal to the sentiment of the mass markets of the time. I think he is sympathetic to the character he creates in this song and the country he portrays and I think the experience of disappointment probably reflects some of his own experience in social consciousness and maybe his personal experience.
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.