Described by Bowie as “a smorgasbord of imagined Americana”, “The Jean Genie” was the first single out of the album Aladdin Sane, recorded during and issued in 1972 after Bowie’s first US tour. The album continued the saga of Ziggy Stardust as it evolved in The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and th...
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city
Strung out on lasers and slash back blazers
And ate all your razors while pulling the waiters
Talking 'bout Monroe and walking on Snow White
New York's a go-go and everything tastes nice
Poor little Greenie
Woo-hoo
(Get back on it)
[Chorus]
The Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
(The Jean Genie) he's outrageous, he screams and he bawls
The Jean Genie, let yourself go, oh
[Interlude]
[Verse 2]
Sits like a man, but he smiles like a reptile
She loves him, she loves him, but just for a short while
She'll scratch in the sand, won't let go his hand
He says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition
And keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear
Poor little Greenie
[Chorus]
The Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
(The Jean Genie) he's outrageous, he screams and he bawls
The Jean Genie, let yourself go, whoa-oh
[Interlude]
[Verse 3]
He's so simple minded, he can't drive his module
He bites on the neon and sleeps in the capsule
Loves to be loved
Loves to be loved
[Bridge]
Woo-hoo
Woo-hoo
[Chorus]
Oh, the Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
(The Jean Genie) he's outrageous, he screams and he bawls
The Jean Genie, let yourself go, oh
Go
Go
[Chorus]
The Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
(The Jean Genie) he's outrageous, he screams and he bawls
The Jean Genie, let yourself go, oh
Go
Go, go
[Instrumental Outro]
The Jean Genie was written by David Bowie.
The Jean Genie was produced by Ken Scott & David Bowie.
David Bowie released The Jean Genie on Fri Nov 24 1972.
Apart from just the part of a chimney that sticks out above a roof? Possibly he’s talking about dicks. We already know that the Jean Genie spends a lot of time “on his back,” and “chimney stacks” are pretty phallic as images go. Plus, the name “Jean Genie” has been associated with the (gay, male) Fr...