Walk Like An Egyptian

The Bangles

All the old paintings on the tombs
They do the sand dance don't you know?
If they move too quick (oh whey oh)
They're falling down like a domino

All the bazaar men by the Nile
They got the money on a bet
Gold crocodiles (oh whey oh)
They snap their teeth on your cigarette

Foreign types with the hookah pipes say
(Whey oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh)
Walk like an Egyptian

The blonde waitresses take their trays
They spin around and they cross the floor
They've got the moves (oh whey 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 whey oh)
They're walking like an Egyptian

All the kids in the marketplace say
(Whey oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh)
Walk like an Egyptian

Slide your feet up the street, bend your back
Shift your arm then you pull it back
Life is hard you know (oh whey oh)
So strike a pose on a Cadillac

If you wanna find all the cops
They're hanging out in the donut shop
They sing and dance (oh whey oh)
They spin the clubs, cruise down the block

All the Japanese with their yen
The party boys call the Kremlin
And the Chinese know (oh whey oh)
They walk the line like Egyptian

All the cops in the donut shop say
(Whey oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh)
Walk like an Egyptian
Walk like an Egyptian


Lyrics submitted by Ice

Walk Like an Egyptian Lyrics as written by Liam Hillard Sternberg

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Walk Like An Egyptian song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • +5
    Song Meaning
    The song describes the long jorney of five men, to Egypt, aiming to destroy an ancient curse
    lulu101398on May 10, 2014   Link
  • +3
    General Comment
    "Walk" was truly a collective about the era it was in. Yes, it was written in 1979 and was about the life in the early 80's. the line "Walk like an Egyptian" was a rally cry to women to walk away from jobs, marriages, and other oppressive situations and be an independent female, not be the subjugate of the misogynistic 70's! Don't take the crap dished out and don't expect the old boys club organizations to "protect" you. As in the line "If you wanna find all the cops, they're hangin out in the donut shops!" So basically the song is about sepping out and standing up for yourself as a free woman not playing the old games. So girls it's time to "Walk like an Egyptian"! Scotty
    scottyboydon July 08, 2017   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    I love this song! It has such an upbeat style to it and the lyrics are great. It definately makes you want to party. Long live New Wave!
    destructingparabolaon July 15, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    First off, I wanna give a shoutout to kmk_natasha for naming Liam Sternberg as the songwriter--back in 1979, he was writing songs that launched then-16-yr.-old Rachel Sweet's singing career in the UK on British indie label Stiff Records (still have her debut LP, "Fool Around" which is remarkebly brilliant-Elvis Costello even wrote a track on that album just for her called "Stranger in the House"). Secondly, speaking of cover versions of "Egyptian", back when I lived near Boston in the mid to late '80s, we had a wickedly funny local act called the Swinging Euriudites that used to parody a lot of Top 40 radio hits--this song was way more popular in Boston when it became the spoof, "Walk With an Erection" (LOL). Other songs of the day subjected to this treatment included 10,000 Maniacs' "Like the Weather" that all the sudden became known as "I'm Into Leather", and one of Bon Jovi's biggest hits got turned around from "Livin' On a Prayer" into "Livin' On My Hair"!! Ah, those were the days back in the heyday of the '80s Boston indie scene... :))
    pharmageekon December 01, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    its about dancing, and everyone dancing with their own style
    scrap_paperon August 04, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Good Song ! but the punk cover is better
    sewing-with-nancieon August 06, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    the cover is actually done by me first and the gimme gimme's. this is an awesomr song none-the-less... originals are always better, something about them.
    boomerstyleon May 07, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Songwriter Liam Sternberg wrote this. He got the idea when he was on a ferry boat, and saw people struggling to keep their balance. The way they held out their arms and jerked around made it look like they were doing Egyptian movements
    kmk_natashaon February 19, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I have a feeling the last half of third verse has to deal with world politics in the late 1980's. I could be wrong, but it sounds random enough. I think the guitar solo in the center of the song is pretty heavy for a pop song, but what do I know. It's a wonderful song, and Susanna Hoffs is freaking hot!
    OpinionHeadon December 15, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    what little sense the lyrics make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah, it's an awesome song though.
    NotForYouon July 04, 2002   Link

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