Young Americans by David Bowie Song Info
“Young Americans” is the result of Bowie’s obsession with soul music. In a hodgepodge of political and social imagery, Bowie paints us an image of the America he saw. Luther Vandross participated in background vocals while David Sanborn helped arrange saxophone pieces and backing vocals for the entire album. The original single (radio) version of the song skips from the first chorus to the bridge (omitting Verse 2 and a second refrain of the chorus), and then skips from the third line of Verse 3 (“Or even yesterday?”) to Verse 4. “Young Americans” was ranked #486 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.