Much like “Ashes to Ashes”, “Teenage Wildlife” reflects on Bowie’s place as a ‘70s icon. Gary Numan believed it was a diss aimed in his direction. Regardless of whether that’s true, it’s a passionate attack on impetuous youth. It can quite legitimately be read as a criticism of anyone young and succ...
[Verse 1]
Well, how come you only want tomorrow?
With its promise of something hard to do
A real life adventure worth more than pieces of gold
Blue skies above and sun on your arms
Strength in your stride and hope in those squeaky clean eyes
You'll get chilly receptions everywhere you go
Blinded with desire - I guess the season is on
[Verse 2]
So you train by shadow boxing, search for the truth
But it's all, but it's all used up
Break open your million dollar weapon
And you push your luck, still you push, still you push your luck
A broken nosed mogul, are you one of the New Wave boys?
[Verse 3]
Same old thing in brand new drag
Comes sweeping into view, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
As ugly as a teenage millionaire
Pretending it's a whizz kid world
You'll take me aside, and say
"Well, David, what shall I do? They wait for me in the hallway"
I'll say "Don't ask me, I don't know any hallways"
But they move in numbers and they've got me in a corner
I feel like a group of one, no-no
They can't do this to me
[Chorus]
I'm not some piece of teenage wildlife
[Bridge]
Those midwives to history put on their bloody robes
And the word is that the hunted one is out there on his own
And you're alone for maybe the last time
And you breathe for a long time
Then you howl like a wolf in a trap
And you daren't look behind
[Verse 4]
You fall to the ground like a leaf from the tree
And look up one time at that vast blue sky
Scream out aloud as they shoot you down
No, no
[Chorus]
I'm not some piece of teenage wildlife
I'm not a piece of teenage wildlife
[Verse 5]
And no one will have seen and no one will confess
The fingerprints will prove that you couldn't pass the test
There'll be others on the line filing past
Who'll whisper low I miss you he really had to go
Well, each to his own, he was another piece of teenage wildlife
Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh
Another piece of teenage wildlife, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh
Another piece of teenage wild... life
[Outro]
Wild...
Wild... life
Teenage Wildlife was written by David Bowie.
Teenage Wildlife was produced by David Bowie & Tony Visconti.
David Bowie released Teenage Wildlife on Fri Sep 12 1980.
In a 2008 interview with the Daily Mail, Bowie described the composition of “Teenage Wildlife”:
So it’s late morning and I’m thinking: ‘New song and a fresh approach. I know, I’m going to do a Ronnie Spector. Oh yes I am. Ersatz, just for one day.’
And I did and here it is. Bless. I’m still enamou...