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Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves Lyrics
I was born in the wagon of a travelin' show
My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw
Papa would do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel
Sell a couple bottles of doctor good
CHORUS:
Gypsies, tramps and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us gypsies, tramps and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down
Picked up a boy just south of Mobile
Gave him a ride, filled him with a hot meal
I was sixteen, he was twenty-one
Rode with us to Memphis
And papa woulda shot him if he knew what he'd done
Chorus
I never had schoolin' but he taught me well
With his smooth southern style
Three months later, I'm a gal in trouble
And I haven't seen him for a while
I haven't seen him for a while
She was born in the wagon of a travelin' show
Her mama had to dance for the money they'd throw
Grandpa'd do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel
Sell a couple bottles of doctor good
Chorus
I think it's a short and simple story that begins flipping the middle finger at the gossipy bitches who would verbally trash and smear them, likely unaware their husbands were hanging out and paying for their affection at night. Then tells about her carnival clan recruiting a hungry street kid in Alabama who managed to seduce and impregnate her as their show headed to Tennessee and then ditched her, and closes by giving the impression she had a child that just carried on the same life style
Mobile should be capitalized. Like south of Mobile, AL.
It is!
It is!
I like this song. I like to sing along. It sounds kinda folklorish to me, like a story some gypsies. But thats just me.
Oh i totally agree, very cool song! And the meaning is pretty basic, traveling gypsy family, moms a prostitute, i think, and they pick up a 21yr old who seduces the girl, she gets preggers, and he leaves. Then she has a daughter who will have the same life as her probably. This song reminds me of "In the Ghetto" by Elvis, so much! i dont know why
Oh i totally agree, very cool song! And the meaning is pretty basic, traveling gypsy family, moms a prostitute, i think, and they pick up a 21yr old who seduces the girl, she gets preggers, and he leaves. Then she has a daughter who will have the same life as her probably. This song reminds me of "In the Ghetto" by Elvis, so much! i dont know why
This is about a gypsy girl who probably got raped by the boy they picked up... either raped or he seduced her. Either way, he left her with the baby and now the kid is going to live the same life that she had to live.
For some reason, I listened to this song for years and years before realizing that the last verse was actually talking about the narrator's daughter. I'm slow. But yeah, it made me love it all the more.
this song is so hard to get out of my head after i listen to it.
I love this song!!! However, I have always had one problem with the lyrics. I live in Alabama, so I enjoy the reference to Mobile. The problem is that Mobile sits on the northern edge of Mobile Bay. The only thing that lies to the south of it is the Gulf of Mexico. Just a little tidbit, but it bothers me noentheless. Like I said, I still love this song.
Chers half Gypsy so its probably about the earlier years in her life :) great song too been singing it for nearly a week now and still not bored of it :D
Mobile is along the northern part of Mobile Bay, yes, but it is on the western edge, not the northern edge. There are a number of towns "just south of Mobile", including Mon Louis, Alabama Port, Heron Bay, and Dauphin Island.
@jeff109483 Good pick-up, Jeff. Just goes to show lyrical pursuits are not the ideal place to glean geographical knowledge. The original poster may have had better success referring to Paper Lace’s opening line in, “The Night Chicago Died”. (The Brit writers’ defence was that there is an east side to everywhere.)\r\n\r\nAs a die-hard Seger fan, I at least hope there are indeed hot days and railroad tracks in the aforementioned Mobile.
@jeff109483 Good pick-up, Jeff. Just goes to show lyrical pursuits are not the ideal place to glean geographical knowledge. The original poster may have had better success referring to Paper Lace’s opening line in, “The Night Chicago Died”. (The Brit writers’ defence was that there is an east side to everywhere.)\r\n\r\nAs a die-hard Seger fan, I at least hope there are indeed hot days and railroad tracks in the aforementioned Mobile.
She is singing about marginalised people.