Teenage Wildlife Lyrics - David Bowie
Review The Song (7)
Well, how come you only want tomorrow
With its promise of something hard to do
A real life adventure worth more than pieces of gold
Blue skies above and sun on your arms strength your stride
And hope in those squeaky clean eyes
You'll get chilly receptions everywhere you go
Blinded with desire - I guess the season is on
So you train by shadow boxing, search for the truth
But it's all, but it's all used up
Break open your million dollar weapon
And push your luck, still you push, still you push your
luck
A broken nosed mogul are you
One of the new wave boys
Same old thing in brand new drag
Comes sweeping into view, oh ho ho ho ho ho
As ugly as a teenage millionaire
Pretending it's a whizz kid world
You'll take me aside, and say
"Well, David, what shall I do?
They wait for me in the hallway"
I'll say "Don't ask me, I don't know any hallways"
But they move in numbers and they've got me in a corner
I feel like a group of one, no-no
They can't do this to me
I'm not some piece of teenage wildlife
Those midwives to history put on their bloody robes
The word is that the hunted one is out there on his own
And you're alone for maybe the last time
And you breathe for a long time
Then you howl like a wolf in a trap
And you daren't look behind
You fall to the ground like a leaf from the tree
And look up one time at that vast blue sky
Scream out aloud as they shoot you down
No no, I'm not a piece of teenage wildlife
I'm not a piece of teenage wildlife
And no one will have seen and no one will confess
The fingerprints will prove that you coudn't pass the test
There'll be others on the line filing past, who'll whisper low
I miss you he really had to go
Well each to his own, he was
Another piece of teenage wildlife, oh oh oh oh oh
Another piece of teenage wildlife, oh oh oh oh oh
Another piece of teenage wild...
Wild
Wild
Wild
With its promise of something hard to do
A real life adventure worth more than pieces of gold
Blue skies above and sun on your arms strength your stride
And hope in those squeaky clean eyes
You'll get chilly receptions everywhere you go
Blinded with desire - I guess the season is on
So you train by shadow boxing, search for the truth
But it's all, but it's all used up
Break open your million dollar weapon
And push your luck, still you push, still you push your
luck
A broken nosed mogul are you
One of the new wave boys
Same old thing in brand new drag
Comes sweeping into view, oh ho ho ho ho ho
As ugly as a teenage millionaire
Pretending it's a whizz kid world
You'll take me aside, and say
"Well, David, what shall I do?
They wait for me in the hallway"
I'll say "Don't ask me, I don't know any hallways"
But they move in numbers and they've got me in a corner
I feel like a group of one, no-no
They can't do this to me
I'm not some piece of teenage wildlife
Those midwives to history put on their bloody robes
The word is that the hunted one is out there on his own
And you're alone for maybe the last time
And you breathe for a long time
Then you howl like a wolf in a trap
And you daren't look behind
You fall to the ground like a leaf from the tree
And look up one time at that vast blue sky
Scream out aloud as they shoot you down
No no, I'm not a piece of teenage wildlife
I'm not a piece of teenage wildlife
And no one will have seen and no one will confess
The fingerprints will prove that you coudn't pass the test
There'll be others on the line filing past, who'll whisper low
I miss you he really had to go
Well each to his own, he was
Another piece of teenage wildlife, oh oh oh oh oh
Another piece of teenage wildlife, oh oh oh oh oh
Another piece of teenage wild...
Wild
Wild
Wild
Writer: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics © TINTORETTO MUSIC
Please Click here to submit the Corrections of Teenage Wildlife Lyrics
Please Click Here to Print Teenage Wildlife Lyrics
A must listen recording | Reviewer: Jeff D | 6/25/11
The one primal scream song for the album's observations. The older man seeing the younger living the same mistakes and being treated the same in response.
"I feel like a group of one" speaks a million words in only seven.
lyrically brilliant as well | Reviewer: agharta | 1/11/11
i've nothing to add to the highly insightful comments below which correctly praise the stunning vocal performance as well as the music, particularly fripp's heart-wrenching riffs. i would like to add my take on the meaning of the song. i really love Alex's take about new wave and punk, however i never really saw it that way. thinking about it now, he may have a point, and some of it fits, and bowie is clever enough to make it about that, as well as what i always thought it to be, which is:
i feel this is one of the greatest coming-of-age songs ever written. first, take the song title, which is an obvious pun on wild life and wildlife. the teenager is depicted as some free range, uncontrolled and primitive beast, meant to be hunted down (by mature adults) and if not overtly killed (meaning the death of the spirit and optimism of youth), at the very least subdued and caged, perhaps put on display as a freakish exhibit, but ultimately vanquished and converted to a "normal" part of society (see the following track, "scream like a baby" for more on learning to be a part of society).
when bowie cries out "i'm not some piece of teenage wildlife" my eyes well up with tears every time. it is simply heartbreaking to imagine the innocent, but certainly revolutionary teen-afraid to be what he wants to be, to express what he wants to express, for fear of being trapped by the convention of middle age and beyond-wailing in desperation at being the target of elders who have lost their passion for the world and the newness of exploring it. you literally see and feel this teen twisting and struggling in the huntsmen's net, knowing he is overcome and utterly helpless to escape it ("it", being the aging process).
happily, my interpretation is entirely consistent with Alex's. in 1980 bowie did indeed find himself as an elder statesman or godfather of sorts of punk and new wave (along with lou reed and iggy pop, "midwives" to rock and roll history), and he might have felt as if he were getting left behind. (he needn't have worried...this album is one of the greatest of all time, and i do agree, his last great one). he imagines the young punks asking him "david what shall i do they wait for me in doorways"...which is to say: "david, how can i avoid getting older? how can i avoid becoming complacent? how can i prevent my music from losing it's edge?"
and bowie can only reply: "don't ask me i don't know any doorways", or, in other words, "damned if i know...i'm older and just trying to hang on to the world you now inhabit." bowie is an elder, but not yet quite the hunter. but he knows the truth. eventually "he had to go". bowie says "he" but he means "I".
every human suffers through the awkwardness of teenage wild life. if only every teen had this song to comfort him as he stumbles blindly through the maze of puberty. what comfort it would give, if only it was mandatory listening in 8th grade english class...
Contemporary genius | Reviewer: Alex | 10/15/10
This is a fantastic song written about music culture and punk. All the old school were going under in 1980 because of new wave/punk and I think Bowie is celebrating his survival within the new scene. 'Same old thing in brand new drag' is a smug reference to the styles at the time which had been seen previously with the Dolls and Stooges. Great survivalist song.
One of Bowie's best, and great playing from Robert Fripp | Reviewer: Mark Maloof | 7/26/10
Bought this album when it came out (high school), and to me it's the last great Bowie album. After a coke and heroin fueled part of his life (which resulted in some great music), and musical experimentation with Eno (also producing great music), Bowie seemed to take it to task to make an especially strong and magnificent album (it sure us.) One of my very favorite guitarist, Robert Fripp, plays all over this record. Just listen to his Foxxtone Octave Fuzz-treated guitar flowing in and out of the song. His first fast and furious solo, so fluid, just soars, taking the song up another level. Just what a good solo should do. Bowie's vocals are, at some moments, among the most passionate ones he's ever delivered (just listen to his delivery of "Howl like a wolf in a trap"). An exceptional song from a great album, it delivered the goods to me when I was a teenager, still does the same 30 years later.
The God will never reach the same fame | Reviewer: Garret | 6/9/10
This song is amazing i am sadened that you do not hear bowie on the radion anymore, the funky sound is amazing, and it is what drew me to bowie in the first place. Long live a muscial god, and long live original glam rock
Best of Bowie | Reviewer: Twinke Toez | 9/26/09
I agree with Mike, this song is my absolute favorite and it has some of the bast vocals I have ever heard. Why do I never hear it on the radio, I wouldn't know. It is one of the greatest songs of all time in my book
Bowie at his best | Reviewer: Mike | 1/25/09
Begins sounding like a rip off from the song Heroes, but the music and lyrics here are actually very original. A haunting melody with a crashing, sparkling climax done very well by one of David's best vocal performances ever. A gem buried in the sand, this song never got the airplay it deserved. Should be listed with the greatest rock songs of all time.
The following area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of Teenage Wildlife Lyrics.