And Freddy’s got spots from ripping off the stars from his face/
Funky little boat race.
“All the Young Dudes” by Mott The Hoople is not necessarily the most exegetically friendly song. Are the lyrics nonsense? I don’t think so, but I think Bowie was deliberately obscuring them, because, well, why not?
It sounds like a song about how the troubles of youth are a serious concern, but they are trivialized by the older population (the dad) and the news. So, the meaning seems to be that the youth should join the movement to spread the news.
The combination of sounds here is what makes this song amazing. You rarely hear a distorted electric guitar with a Hammond organ. The hand-clapping and background singing is extremely well done. The call and answer background singing is an effect technique that you don’t see everyday. The song feels live. It feels like we were dropped in the middle of a concert. It has that raw feel. The song is a bit ahead of its time in mentioning cross dressing as a normal thing.
All The Young Dudes Lyrics
Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide,
How he’d kick it in the head when he was twenty-five.
Speed jive, don’t want to stay alive,
When you’re twenty-five.
And Wendy’s stealing clothes from Marks & Sparks,
And Freddy’s got spots from ripping off the stars from his face,
Funky little boat race.
Television man is crazy saying we’re juvenile delinquent wrecks,
Oh, man, I need TV when I’ve got T.Rex.
Oh brother, you guessed,
I’m a dude, dad!
All the young dudes (hey dudes!)
Carry the news (where are you?)
Boogaloo dudes (stand up, come on)
Carry the news.
All the young dudes (I want to hear you),
Carry the news (I want to see you),
Boogaloo dudes (I want to talk to you, all of you)
Carry the news (now).
Lucy looks sweet ’cause he dresses like a queen,
But he can kick like a mule, it’s a real mean team.
But we can love,
Oh yes, we can love.
And my brother’s back at home with his Beatles and his Stones,
We never got it off on that revolution stuff.
What a drag, too many snags.
Now I’ve drunk a lot of wine and I’m feeling fine,
Got to race some cat to bed.
Oh, is that concrete all around,
Or is it in my head?
Yeah,
I’m a dude, dad.
All the young dudes (hey dudes)
Carry the news (where are you?)
Boogaloo dudes (stand up),
Carry the news.
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to relate to you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (what dudes?)
Carry the news (let’s hear the news, come on)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to kick you)
Carry the news,
All the young dudes,
(With the glasses),
Carry the news (I want you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want you in the front)
Carry the news (now)
(Now, you’re his friends)
All the young dudes (now you bring him down)
(‘Cause I want him)
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes (I want him right here)
(Bring him, come on)
Carry the news (bring him)
(Here you go)
All the young dudes
(I’ve wanted to do this for years)
Carry the news
(There you go!)
Boogaloo dudes
(How’d it feel?)
Carry the news
written by David Bowie