Yassassin
"Yassassin" (Bowie's pronunciation /jɑːˈsɑːsɪn/; also known as "Yassassin (Turkish for: Long Live)", and released in Turkey as "Yassassin (Yaşasın)") is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie for the 1979 album Lodger. "Yassassin" is an incongruous reggae song with a Turkish flavour.
| "Yassassin" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by David Bowie | ||||
| from the album Lodger | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | July 1979 (Netherlands) | |||
| Recorded | Mountain, Montreux, September 1978; Record Plant, New York City, March 1979 | |||
| Length | 3:06 (single version) 4:10 (album version) | |||
| Label | RCA PB-9417 (Netherlands) 79.014 (Turkey) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Bowie | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
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The title of the song is derived from the Turkish verb used to wish someone a long life, spelled yaşasın (pronounced [jaʃaˈsɯn]), from the verbal root yaşa- 'live' with the third-person imperative ending; therefore yaşasın literally means 'may he/she live'.
"Yassassin" was released as the third single from Lodger, but only in the Netherlands and Turkey. The Dutch single edit of the song was included on Re:Call 3, part of the A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) compilation (2017).