Released: October 24, 1974

Songwriter: David Bowie

Producer: David Bowie

[Spoken Intro]
This ain't rock 'n' roll, this is genocide!

[Verse 1]
As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent
You asked for the latest party
With your silicone hump and your ten inch stump
Dressed like a priest you was
Tod Browning's Freak you was
Crawling down the alley on your hands and knee
I'm sure you're not protected, for it's plain to see
The Diamond Dogs are poachers and they hide behind trees
Hunt you to the ground they will, mannequins with kill appeal

[Chorus]
(Will they come?) I'll keep a friend serene
(Will they come?) Oh baby, come on to me
(Will they come?) Well, she's come, been and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs

[Verse 2]
The Halloween Jack is a real cool cat
And he lives on top of Manhattan Chase
The elevator's broke, so he slides down a rope
Onto the street below, oh Tarzan, go man go
Meet his little hussy with his ghost town approach
Her face is sans feature, but she wears a Dali brooch
Sweetly reminiscent, something mother used to bake
Wrecked up and paralysed, Diamond Dogs are stabilised

[Chorus]
(Will they come?) I'll keep a friend serene
(Will they come?) Oh baby, come on to me
(Will they come?) Well, she's come, been and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs

[Bridge]
(Oo-oo-ooh) call them the Diamond Dogs
(Oo-oo-ooh) call them the Diamond Dogs
Oh, hoo!
Ah ooh!

[Verse 3]
In the year of the scavenger, the season of the bitch
Sashay on the boardwalk, scurry to the ditch
Just another future song, lonely little kitsch
(There's gonna be sorrow) try and wake up tomorrow

[Chorus]
(Will they come?) I'll keep a friend serene
(Will they come?) Oh baby, come on to me
(Will they come?) Well, she's come, been and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs
Young girl, they call them the Diamond Dogs

[Outro]
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs
Oo-oo-ooh, call them the Diamond Dogs
Bow-wow, woof woof, bow-wow, wow
Call them the Diamond Dogs
Dogs!
Call them the Diamond Dogs, call them, they call them
Call them the Diamond Dogs, call them, call them, ooh hoo!
Call them the Diamond Dogs
Keep cool, Diamond Dogs rule, OK
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
(Beware of the Diamond Dogs)
(Beware of the Diamond Dogs)
(Beware of the Diamond Dogs)
(Beware of the Diamond Dogs)

David Bowie

David Bowie (1947 – 2016) was a British musician, and one of the most iconic rock stars with a widely diverse career where he frequently changed his appearance and musical style, resulting in an acclaimed discography comparable to other stalwarts such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Born David Robert Jones, Bowie quickly renamed himself to prevent confusion with The Monkees singer Davy Jones. Enduring many early missteps, he rose to prominence when his most famous song, “Space Oddity,” was played during the coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Despite this early breakthrough, Bowie remained a cult figure for several years. Even the release of Hunky Dory, his first great album, went largely unnoticed. Bowie only lodged himself firmly in the public consciousness when he announced his bisexuality and created Ziggy Stardust in early 1972. A Martian who combined the debauchery of Iggy Pop with the artistry of Lou Reed, Ziggy was the main character in Bowie’s breakthrough album, and his public persona for eighteen months.

Bowie used his new-found popularity to move to America, and dabble with new musical directions and cocaine. Diamond Dogs and Young Americans continue to divide critics, but Station To Station found Bowie at a new creative peak, despite escalating drug use and related health issues.