All The Young Dudes
Ian Hunter Lyrics


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Billy rapped all night 'bout his suicide
How he'd kick it in the head when he was 25
Don't wanna stay alive when you're 25

Wendy's stealing clothes from unlocked cars
Freddy's got spots from ripping off stars from his face
Funky little boat race
The television man is crazy
Saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks
Man I need a TV when I've got T. Rex
Hey brother you guessed I'm a dude

All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news

All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news

Now Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen
He can kick like a mule
It's a real mean team
We can love
Oh we can love
And my brother's back at home
With his Beatles and his Stones
We never got if off on that revolution stuff
What a drag
Too many snags
Well I drunk a lot of wine
And I'm feeling fine
Gonna race some cat to bed
Is this concrete all around
Or is it in my head
Oh brother you guessed I'm a dude

All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news

All the young dudes
Carry the news




Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news

Overall Meaning

The song "All the Young Dudes" by Ian Hunter was written in the early 70s and became an anthem for the youth culture of that time. The song paints a vivid picture of the struggles and challenges faced by young people during that era. The opening lines talk about Billy, who is talking about his suicide and his desire to end his life at 25. This could be interpreted as a reflection of the hopelessness felt by many young people during the time of the song's release. The line "Don't wanna stay alive when you're 25" could be seen as a cry for help, a plea to society to take notice of the struggles of young people.


The next verse describes Wendy stealing clothes from unlocked cars and Freddy with spots on his face from ripping off stars, a clear indication of the rebellious and anti-establishment attitudes of young people. The lyrics then go on to describe the television man as crazy, calling the youth "juvenile delinquent wrecks." The youth culture is shown as being misunderstood and judged harshly by society. However, the chorus of the song contradicts this negative view by stating that "All the young dudes carry the news."


The line "Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen" is a reference to glam rock fashion, which was popular in the early 70s. The line "We can love, oh, we can love" is a nod to the sexual revolution of the time when attitudes towards sexuality were changing rapidly. The reference to "Beatles and Stones" shows that the youth culture was not all about rebellion and anti-establishment sentiment, but that they were still influenced by the music of the previous generation.


Overall, "All the Young Dudes" is a powerful song that captures the essence of youth culture in the early 1970s. It acknowledges the struggles and challenges faced by young people and celebrates their creativity, energy, and rebellious spirit.


Line by Line Meaning

Billy rapped all night 'bout his suicide
Billy talked all night about taking his own life, going as far as saying he would put an end to it by his twenty-fifth birthday.


How he'd kick it in the head when he was 25
Billy plans to end his life by suicide when he turns twenty-five.


Don't wanna stay alive when you're 25
Billy doesn't want to live past his twenty-fifth birthday.


Wendy's stealing clothes from unlocked cars
A woman named Wendy has been stealing clothes from unlocked cars.


Freddy's got spots from ripping off stars from his face
A man named Freddy has spots on his face from removing stars that he had previously stuck to it.


Funky little boat race
This phrase is nonsensical, but may be a reference to a type of British slang.


The television man is crazy
The person on TV is insane.


Saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks
The TV person is calling us troublemakers.


Man I need a TV when I've got T. Rex
I don't need TV because I have T. Rex (a rock band).


Hey brother you guessed I'm a dude
The artist is acknowledging that he is a man.


All the young dudes
The young people of this generation.


Carry the news
They have information to share.


Boogaloo dudes
Another name for the young people of this generation.


Now Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen
A man named Jimmy looks handsome even though he dresses in women's clothing.


He can kick like a mule
Jimmy is capable of delivering powerful kicks.


It's a real mean team
Jimmy and the artist make a formidable pair.


We can love
We are capable of feeling love.


Oh we can love
We are capable of feeling love.


And my brother's back at home
The singer's brother is back at their residence.


With his Beatles and his Stones
The artist's brother is a fan of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.


We never got if off on that revolution stuff
We were not able to engage with the revolutionary idealism of our time.


What a drag
How disappointing.


Too many snags
There were too many unforeseen difficulties or obstacles in the way.


Well I drunk a lot of wine
The artist has consumed a significant amount of alcohol.


And I'm feeling fine
Despite having consumed a significant amount of alcohol, the singer feels okay.


Gonna race some cat to bed
The singer plans to hurry to bed, possibly with another person.


Is this concrete all around
The singer is questioning whether the ground is made of concrete or something else.


Or is it in my head
The artist is questioning whether his perception of reality is accurate.


All the young dudes
The young people of this generation.


Carry the news
They have information to share.


Boogaloo dudes
Another name for the young people of this generation.


Carry the news
They have information to share.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

flyawaytodie

It's sad to realise that Mick Ronson died a year after this performance. Such an underrated guitarist.

storminization

I was thinking the same thing! Mick Ronson was one of the nicest people I've met and my late brother, Lloyd Watson, who opened for Bowie and Roxy Music at the Rainbow, London in 1972, said his musical knowledge was phenominal. A brilliant guitarist. David Bowie was lovely when we met him at the after-show party. Spoke very quietly and won our parents over with his charm; asking Dad if it was OK if he could kiss Mum, my cousin and myself. Mum, bless her, said after he'd moved on "A strange looking young man but impeccable manners". I can still see Mick's grin and wink when he overheard her!

Savvas Musician

One of the greatest moments in Rock history .

Jorge Robles

What an incredible performance, a great song played by a great band (Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, David Bowie, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Brian May, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen), the best live version of All The Young Dudes.

Mike Tan

Absolutely sublime!

Swissted Chef

Absolutely and how humble Bowie does not want to push himself up front but plays the Sax, fantastic.

Sticky Wicket

Very few people have had such justified self confidence than the legend that is David Bowie. Absolute assurity with not one ounce of undeserved bravado. I love him. I miss him. He was the soundtrack of my youth.

Marlene Sullivan

STILL MY SOUNDTRACK I'M OVER 70

Simo-Pekka Sunila

92

Øyvind Kristoffersen

Be honest. Ian Hunter rule this one!

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