American Top Ten: Young Americans (#2)

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Hopefully everyone knew this song would show up sooner or later in this list of my favorites that have “America” in the title, a countdown paying tribute to Independence Day earlier this month. I know there’s no way to leave this one off, and here it is. #2: Young Americans - David Bowie If you didn’t know, David Bowie was the first Caucasian to ever appear as a guest on the R&B show Soul Train. Soul Train was sort of an American Bandstand for blacks, although the artists didn’t always lip synch (the second honky cat to appear, Elton John [ha, see what I did there?], is singing live over the recording of “Philadelphia Freedom”). Of course, Bowie even referenced the program in this song: “blacks got respect, whites got their Soul Train.” Bowie had reinvented himself a time or two by 1975. As glam rock was dying down, he reinvented himself again: as a blue-eyed soul singer. While others were coming up with mindless disco (KC & the Sunshine Band), Bowie’s stuff was as powerful as ever. He took aim at our instant-gratification mindset: “do you remember your President Nixon, do you remember the bills you have to pay, or even yesterday?” Bowie called this album “plastic soul,” but it sounds great. It did then, and it does now. Young Americans Written by David Bowie Recorded by David Bowie From Young Americans, 1975 Gee my life’s a funny thing: