Yea. All the young dudes is a song about Ziggy stardust getting people to “carry the news” about the end of the earth. Because no one would listen to Ziggy when he came to earth to warn humanity.

I see similarities in this song not in the sense of the end of the world but but the end of the American Empire obviously. For me as an older millennial it harkens back to the dystopian end of the world vibes from the nineties. Kinda all is lost but from the ashes of the war something has come from it good or bad depending on how you look at it. I think it’s is more about triumph of the human spirit and what we are capable of good and bad.

“They seemed so sure/at least that’s the way I remember the war/what New York used to be.”

Could be a reference to a physical conflict that destroyed our empire? But I think he is most likely referring to a culture war conflict that is the culprit.

The suburbs is my favorite album which is what that is about “the culture war” that is. So I think it may be a nod to that as well.

Who knows?

Im just another disenchanted 40 year old that grew up in the 90s being told how awesome the future was going to be…………..