The Jean Genie
David Bowie Lyrics

A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city
The Jean Genie, a character embodying freedom and rebellion, left its mundane environment and made its way to the exciting, bustling city.

Strung out on lasers and slash-back blazers
The Jean Genie was high on the energetic and vibrant culture of the city, indulging in the music, fashion, and nightlife.

Ate all your razors while pulling the waiters
The Jean Genie was so wild and carefree that it would eat anything in sight, even razor blades, while playfully harassing the waitstaff.

Talking 'bout Monroe and walking on Snow White
The Jean Genie referenced iconic figures of popular culture, like Marilyn Monroe, and effortlessly moved through different environments, like the fairy tale setting of Snow White.

New York's a go-go, and everything tastes right
The Jean Genie was enamored with the fast-paced, lively atmosphere of New York City, and enjoyed everything it had to offer.

Poor little Greenie, ooh-ooh
The Jean Genie's rebellious and mischievous behavior sometimes caused trouble for others, like the innocent Greenie who suffered as a result.

The Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie embraces a freewheeling, hedonistic lifestyle, living solely for pleasure and enjoyment.

The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
The Jean Genie loves the gritty, industrial side of the city and finds beauty in unconventional places, like the towering chimney stacks.

He's outrageous, he screams and he bawls
The Jean Genie's behavior is unconventional and extreme, often causing a scene by screaming and making a fuss.

Jean Genie, let yourself go, whoah
The song encourages the listener to embrace their own inner Jean Genie, to disregard societal norms and let themselves indulge in a life of freedom and pleasure.

Sits like a man but he smiles like a reptile
The Jean Genie exudes a masculine confidence and coolness, yet his smile is sly and cunning like a reptile's.

She love him, she love him but just for a short while
The Jean Genie is desired by many, but his wild and unpredictable nature makes it hard for anyone to love him for long.

She'll scratch in the sand, won't let go his hand
The Jean Genie's fleeting loves try to hold onto him as he slips away, like grasping at sand that falls through their fingers.

He says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition
The Jean Genie is a master of deception, creating a false persona as a beautician and nutritionist to sell products to gullible customers.

And keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear
The Jean Genie takes advantage of his customers' trust and uses their discarded hair to make bizarre creations like underwear.

He's so simple-minded, he can't drive his module
The Jean Genie may seem carefree and unconcerned with the complexities of life, but he is so flighty and impulsive that he cannot even steer his own spaceship, or module.

He bites on the neon and sleeps in a capsule
The Jean Genie boldly embraces the futuristic and technological aspects of the city, biting into the glowing neon lights and resting in a futuristic capsule.

Loves to be loved, loves to be loved
Despite his wild and carefree demeanor, the Jean Genie still yearns for love and connection, just like anyone else.

Go!
The song encourages the listener to embrace the Jean Genie's adventurous spirit and take the leap into an exciting, unconventional life.

Go, go go!
The song continues to amped up the listener, urging them to throw caution to the wind and fully embrace the Jean Genie's lifestyle.