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The Road to Mandalay Lyrics
Save me from drowning in the sea
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
There's nothing funny left to say
This sombre song would drain the sun
But it won't shine until it's sung
No water running in the stream
The saddest place we've ever been
Everything I touched was golden
Everything I loved got broken
On the road to Mandalay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
There's nothing left for you to give
The truth is all that you're left with
Twenty paces then at dawn
We will die and be reborn
I like to sleep beneath the trees
Have the universe at one with me
Look down the barrel of a gun
And feel the Moon replace the Sun
Everything we've ever stolen
Has been lost returned or broken
No more dragons left to slay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
Save me from drowning in the sea
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
There's nothing funny left to say
Beat me up on the beach
There's nothing funny left to say
But it won't shine until it's sung
The saddest place we've ever been
Everything I loved got broken
On the road to Mandalay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
The truth is all that you're left with
Twenty paces then at dawn
We will die and be reborn
Have the universe at one with me
Look down the barrel of a gun
And feel the Moon replace the Sun
Has been lost returned or broken
No more dragons left to slay
Every mistake I've ever made
Has been rehashed and then replayed
As I got lost along the way
Beat me up on the beach
What a lovely holiday
There's nothing funny left to say
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there is a poem by Rudyard Kipling that goes "On the Road to Mandalay, Where the flying fishes play, And the dawn comes up like thunder outta China 'cross the bay/Can't you 'ear them paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay?
its such a powerfull song of his but not one many know why is that ?
Anyway, as to meaning. Underneath the happy, cruising melody, it is very sad. Obviously the whole 'everything I touched was golden' is a reference to the story of the king who asked for everything he touched to be turned to gold and then he touched his daughter etc. Basically what I'm saying is I think Robbie here is saying that his fame has made him rich but in the end has caused him to lose everything he loves like the King who lost his daughter.
can't believe there're no comments here. that's an amazing song especially the lines I like to sleep beneath the trees Have the universe at one with me
pom pom pom pom pooompedum... dumdumdum
:) i really like this song
This is a great song, I especially like the contrast between the upbeat, cheery music and the sadness of the words - this is someone who lives in the public eye and has every little mistake he makes scrutinised and 'rehashed and then replayed' by the press. There's a sense of desperation about it as he feels lost and almost as if he's come to the end of something. Truly beautiful.
Mandalay is a Casion that Robbie likes to visit. But there is a lot more to this song. It has some really beautiful imagery. "I like to sleep beneath the trees Have the universe at one with me " & "There's nothing left for you to give The truth is all that you're left with"
I am IN LOVE with this song. The lyrics are beautiful and the music is amazing.
Everything I touched was golden Everything I loved got broken On the road to Mandalay Every mistake I've ever made Has been rehashed and then replayed As I got lost along the way
Says it all.....beautiful poetry
Really, the "Everything I touched was golden, everything I loved got broken" part is so beautiful. Maybe it means that while he makes so much money and is so fameous, real love is somehow always lost. It's such a sad song with a lively melody, the contrast is perfect if you ask me. By the way, harrieparrie, I've noticed that - really the greatest songs of Robbie Williams have always not been his most famous ones. There are some genius pieces of music around his discs, but however, most people never get to hear them and can't understand his real talent :/