The Jean Genie - The Song

4.14 out of 5 (73 votes)

Lyrics

A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city
Strung out on lasers and slash back blazers
Ate all your razors while pulling the waiters
Talking bout Monroe and walking on Snow White
New York's a go-go and everything tastes right
Poor little Greenie

CHORUS
  The Jean Genie lives on his back
  The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
  He's outrageous, he screams and he bawls
  Jean Genie let yourself go!

Sits like a man but he smiles like a reptile
She loves him, she loves him but just for a short while
She'll scratch in the sand, won't let go his hand
He says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition
And keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear
Poor little Greenie

CHORUS

He's so simple minded he can't drive his module
He bites on the neon and sleeps in the capsule
Loves to be loved, loves to be loved

CHORUS (repeat)

Trivia

• Supposedly written in tribute to Iggy Pop? On the Santa Monica 1972 version, David says that it's about a "a New York lady and a guy who lives in New York and he's called The Jean Genie" (referring to Jean Genet).
• The music video for this was filmed in San Francisco in between gigs, and was directed and produced by Mick Rock.

Appearances

• A Portrait In Flesh
• Aladdin Sane
• Best Of Bowie
• Best of David Bowie 1969-1974
• Bowie: The Singles 1969-1993
• ChangesBowie
• ChangesOneBowie
• David Live
• RarestOneBowie
• Santa Monica '72
• The Best Of David Bowie
• The Filth and The Fury Soundtrack
• The Singles Collection

This document last updated Friday, 09-Oct-1998 19:52:08 EDT