Bowie compared the ideas of Sinclair to the rebel martyr Che Guevara for the narrator in "Panic in Detroit". The lyrics are very dark, featuring images of urban decay, violence, drugs, emotional isolation and suicide, adding to the album's overarching theme of alienation.
The lyrics of "Panic in Detroit" by Bowie depict a bleak picture of urban decay, violence, drug use, emotional isolation, and suicide, all contributing to the album's overarching theme of alienation.  Bowie uses Che Guevara as a symbol of rebellion against authority to highlight this theme.