The name is a pun on "A Lad Insane" and it was inspired by Bowie's half-brother Terry, who had been diagnosed as a schizophrenic. An early variation was "Love Aladdin Vein", which Bowie dropped partly because of its drug connotations. The dates in parentheses refer to the years preceding World War I and World War II, with the third unknown date reflecting Bowie’s belief in an impending World War III.
The title has been rendered a number of ways on different releases since 1973. The original vinyl issue of Aladdin Sane listed it as "Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)", followed by "RHMS Ellinis", the name of the ship on which it was written, in keeping with Bowie's practice on the album of indicating the origin of each track. The coda includes a quote from the song "On Broadway", and on the compilation album Changestwobowie (1981) it appeared in liner notes as "Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)/On Broadway", co-credit going to Mann, Weil, Leiber and Stoller. On the 1990 Rykodisc CD reissue the track was referred to as simply "Aladdin Sane", but subsequent CD reissues of the album in 1999, 2003 and 2013 restored the "Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)" title.
Bowie wrote "Aladdin Sane" in December 1972 as he sailed back to the UK following the first leg of his US Ziggy Stardust tour. The subject matter was inspired by a book he was reading, Evelyn Waugh’s 1930 book Vile Bodies (filmed in 2003 as Bright Young Things, a phrase that also appears in the song's lyrics). Bowie saw in Waugh's story of "frivolous, decadent and silly" behaviour on the eve of "imminent catastrophe" a reflection of contemporary society, particularly in America. At Bridge School Benefit X in 1996, Bowie played the song acoustically and reflected that the song was "about young people, just between the two wars, wanting to go and screw girls and kill foreigners."
The song features a piano solo by Mike Garson, an American keyboardist who had recently joined Bowie's band. Bowie politely rejected Garson’s initial solo attempts, one in a blues style, the other Latin, asking the pianist for something akin to "the avant-garde jazz scene in the 60s".
Live versions
"Aladdin Sane" was debuted live in February 1973, prior to the album’s release, and often played in concert during the later Ziggy Stardust tours and again on the Diamond Dogs tour in 1974. A performance from the first leg of the 1974 tour was released on David Live (1974), the same track also appearing on Rock Concert. A live version from the second leg of the same tour (previously available on the unofficial album A Portrait in Flesh) was released in 2017 on Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74). Bowie revived the song on stage in 1996, again with Garson on piano. In November of that year, he recorded an acoustic version with vocals from bass player Gail Ann Dorsey for the BBC session ChangesNowBowie, which was broadcast on 8 January 1997. This performance was released on an album titled ChangesNowBowie in 2020. Performances on the Outside Summer Festivals Tour were duets with bassist Gail Ann Dorsey that included quotations of "On Broadway" and "All Day and All of the Night".
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sake and strange divine Uh-h-h-uh-h-uh you'll make it
Passionate bright young things, takes him away to war (don't fake it)
Sadden glissando strings
Uh-h-h-uh-h-uh, you'll make it
Who'll love Aladdin Sane
Battle cries and champagne just in time for sunrise
Motor sensational, Paris or maybe hell (I'm waiting)
Clutches of sad remains
Waits for Aladdin Sane you'll make it
Who'll love Aladdin Sane
Millions weep a fountain, just in case of sunrise
Who'll love Aladdin Sane
We'll love Aladdin Sane
Love Aladdin Sane
Who'll love Aladdin Sane
Millions weep a fountain, just in case of sunrise
Who'll love Aladdin Sane
We'll love Aladdin Sane
We'll love Aladdin Sane
The song Aladdin Sane, from David Bowie's album of the same name, is a unique and intriguing piece of art. To interpret the lyrics, one must first understand that Aladdin Sane is a play on words, combining Aladdin and insane. Bowie described Aladdin Sane as "Ziggy goes to America" and the lyrics are full of vivid imagery that expresses the loneliness, confusion, and sense of identity crisis experienced by the character.
The first verse depicts watching someone with dead roses, possibly representing lost love or a past self, moving on and being taken away to war by bright young things. The second verse introduces the idea of motor sensationalism and waiting for Aladdin Sane, but the clutches of sad remains suggest that he may not make it. The chorus repeats the question, "Who'll love Aladdin Sane?" and suggests that millions are weeping in anticipation of his dawn. The final refrain, "We'll love Aladdin Sane," seems to indicate that the character may find acceptance in the form of his fans or audience.
Overall, Aladdin Sane is a complex and mysterious song that can be interpreted in various ways, but one common theme is that of the struggle to find one's place in the world and be accepted for who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Watching him dash away, swinging an old bouquet (dead roses)
Observing the departure of someone while they hold onto something no longer living, possibly representing a past relationship or time.
Sake and strange divine Uh-h-h-uh-h-uh you'll make it
Drinking and experiencing something otherworldly or divine, possibly to find the strength to move forward.
Passionate bright young things, takes him away to war (don't fake it)
Youthful love and excitement leading someone to a potentially dangerous or harmful situation, but to stay authentic throughout.
Sadden glissando strings Uh-h-h-uh-h-uh, you'll make it
Musical allusion to sadness and hope, implying the strength to overcome difficult times.
Who'll love Aladdin Sane Battle cries and champagne just in time for sunrise Who'll love Aladdin Sane
Questioning who will love someone who seems to embody both war and celebration, yet still willing to wait and see.
Motor sensational, Paris or maybe hell (I'm waiting) Clutches of sad remains Waits for Aladdin Sane you'll make it
Describing a sense of excitement and anticipation mixed with danger and sorrow, while relying on the inner strength to overcome obstacles.
Millions weep a fountain, just in case of sunrise
Alluding to the idea that many people cry out of hope for a better future, even if it seems unlikely.
We'll love Aladdin Sane
An assertion of collective love for someone who represents both light and darkness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJKintobor
on I Can't Give Everything Away
I can totally imagine this being the end theme of Sabrina Online, when Sabrina marries Richard and they drive off into the sunset...
Peter Bonney
on Diamond Dogs
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