1553 – David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)

Escrita por David Bowie, foi gravada em agosto de 1974 e lançada em 21 de fevereiro de 1975 no compacto que tinha Knock on the wood como Lado B. Sairia depois no disco de mesmo nome, em 7 de março de 1975. Foi a canção que abriu os caminhos de Bowie nos Estados Unidos, ate então restrito às grandes cidades. Chegou ao número 28 do Billboard Hot100 e número 18 no Reino Unido. É o número 204 da lista da revista Rollling Stone das 500 greatest songs of all time. A Pitchfork colocou-a como número 44 das 200 best songs of the 1970s. Faz cínica referencia ao McCartismo, repressão aos negros através de Rosa Parks, Richard Nixon. Usa a frase de Lennon em A day in the life, dos Beatles, “I heard the news today Oh boy”. David Bowie cantou e tocou guitarra. Carlos Alomar tocou guitarra. Willie Weeks tocou baixo. Mike Garson tocou piano. Andy Newmark tocou bateria. David Sanborn tocou sax. Larry Washington tocou congas. Ava Cherry, Robin Clark e Luther Vandross fizeram backing vocals. Chegou também ao número 7 na Nova Zelandia, número 13 na Irlanda, número 27 na Australia, número 33 no Canadá, número 36 na Bélgica, e número 51 na Frrança.

A letra:

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 the young American
(Young American, young American)
(She wants the young American)
(All right)
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)
But he wants the young American

Do you remember, your President Nixon?
Do you remember, the bills you have to pay?
Or even yesterday?

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...

A versão de David Bowie:

A versão de HSCC:

A versão de The Jellyman's Daughter and Friends: