Saturday, January 21, 2012

"Walk Like an Egyptian" - by the Bangles January 21st 80's Quest Song/Band of the day


I love 80's girl bands, so why didn't I love The Bangles?  I dunno....I always thought they were like a knock-off version of The Go-Go's and the The Go-Go's did it better.  Imagewise, I did not like the Bangles outfits or haircuts (too pouffy and jaggedy).  I thought The Go-Go's had a cooler style, and if given the choice that they would be the funner band to hang around and party with. That being said, there were a couple of Bangles songs that I did like such as  "Manic Monday" which was written for them by Prince, and this song, "Walk Like an Egyptian".  It was popular my Sophomore year of college, so I remember it being played at many a frat party.  Actually it was played almost everywhere you went that year (1986).  It was quite a popular song. 

I like it best in the video when they get people on the street to get into it and do the Egyptian Walk.  Yeah, take it to the streets!!   I am not a big fan of songs that have whistling interludes in them, so I really despise that portion of the song, though.

It was a fun challenge to see if you could learn all the words to this song and sing it the whole way through, and it was a fun little song when you were driving in the car.

The Bangles were an Los Angeles band consisting of sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson. Susanna Hoffs, and Michael Steele .  They were originally called The Bangs (and had a different member prior to Steele coming into the line-up), but had to change it to The Bangles because of some type of legal problem.  In addition to the songs I named above they had some other hits such as "Going Down to Liverpool", "A Hazy Shade of Winter", "If She Knew What She Wants", "Walking Down Your Street", "In Your Room" and "Eternal Flame". (I don't like any of these songs). 

The girls could not get along with each other, and things only got worse when their record label, Columbia Records put their focus on Susanna Hoffs and began releasing mostly the singles that she sang lead on.  The in-fighting eventually led to the dissolution of the band.  They did finally reunite in 1998 to record a track called "Get the Girl" for the movie, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me", and apparently they still put out albums together and tour.

Lyrics:

All the old paintings on the tomb
They do the sand dance, don'cha know?
If they move too quick (Oh-Way-Oh)
They're falling down like a domino

And the bazaar man by the Nile
He got the money on a bet
For the crocodiles (Oh-Way-Oh)
They snap their teeth on a cigarette

Foreign types with their hookah pipes sing:
Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo...
Walk like an Egyptian.

The blonde waitresses take their trays
Spin around and they cross the floor.
They've got the moves (Oh-Way-Oh)
You drop your drink then they bring you more

All the school kids so sick of books
They like the punk and the metal band
When the buzzer rings (Oh-Way-Oh)
They're walking like an Egyptian

All the kids in the marketplace say:
Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo...
Walk like an Egyptian.

Line your feet astreet, bend your back,
Shift your arm, then you pull a clock
Like Sergeant O (Oh-Way-Oh)
So strike a pose on a Cadillac

If you want to find all the cops,
They're hanging out in the donut shop.
They sing and dance (Oh-Way-Oh)
They spin their clock and cruise on down the block

All the Japanese with their Yen
The party boys call the Kremlin
The Chinese know (Oh-Way-Oh)
They walk along like Egyptians

All the cops in the donut shops say:
Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo...
Walk like an Egyptian
Walk like an Egyptian

2 comments:

  1. The first two records, 'the bangles' and 'all over the place' are really good, nothing like the go gos, and nothing like what they became. I'll always recommend those two records.

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