"Cygnet Committee" developed from an earlier composition of Bowie's that had been written in the style of Simon and Garfunkel called "Lover to the Dawn".
"Lover to the Dawn" was intended as material for Bowie's soon-defunct folk combo, Feathers, which also included Hermione Farthingale, his girlfriend at the time.
On Bowie's 1969 album, Farthingale was to become the subject of two other songs ("Letter to Hermione" and "An Occasional Dream") mourning the end of their relationship.
During 1969, Bowie and his new girlfriend, Angela Barnett, lived in Beckenham, where they ran the Arts Lab, trying to encourage young people to be creative.
His disappointing encounter with the hippies during this time is the basis for the song, as he felt he was used and abused by the teens: "I gave them [my] life...