In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I was walking down the high street
When I heard footsteps behind me
And there was a little old man (hello)
In scarlet and grey, shuffling away (laughter)
Well he trotted back to my house
And he sat beside the telly (oaah..)
With his tiny hands on his tummy
Chuckling away, laughing all day (laughter)
Oh, I ought to report you to the gnome office
(gnome office)
Yes
(hahahahaha)
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you don't catch me"
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me"
Said the laughing gnome
Well I gave him roasted toadstools and a glass of dandelion wine (burp, pardon)
Then I put him on a train to eastbourne
Carried his bag and gave him a fag
(haven't you got a light boy? )
"here, where do you come from? "
(gnome-man's land, hahihihi)
"oh, really? "
In the morning when I woke up
He was sitting on the edge of my bed
With his brother whose name was fred
He'd bought him along to sing me a song
Right, let's hear it
Here, what's that clicking noise?
(that's fred, he's a "metrognome", haha)
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you don't catch me"
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me"
(own up, I'm a gnome, ain't I right, haha)
"haven't you got an 'ome to go to? "
(no, we're gnomads)
"didn't they teach you to get your hair cut at school? you look like a rolling gnome."
(no, not at the london school of ecognomics)
Now they're staying up the chimney
And we're living on caviar and honey (hooray!)
Cause they're earning me lots of money
Writing comedy prose for radio shows
It's the-er (what? )
It's the gnome service of course
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you don't catch me"
Ha ha ha, oh, dear me
(ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me"
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me")
(one more time, yeah)
When I heard footsteps behind me
And there was a little old man (hello)
In scarlet and grey, shuffling away (laughter)
Well he trotted back to my house
And he sat beside the telly (oaah..)
With his tiny hands on his tummy
Chuckling away, laughing all day (laughter)
Oh, I ought to report you to the gnome office
(gnome office)
Yes
(hahahahaha)
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you don't catch me"
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me"
Said the laughing gnome
Well I gave him roasted toadstools and a glass of dandelion wine (burp, pardon)
Then I put him on a train to eastbourne
Carried his bag and gave him a fag
(haven't you got a light boy? )
"here, where do you come from? "
(gnome-man's land, hahihihi)
"oh, really? "
In the morning when I woke up
He was sitting on the edge of my bed
With his brother whose name was fred
He'd bought him along to sing me a song
Right, let's hear it
Here, what's that clicking noise?
(that's fred, he's a "metrognome", haha)
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you don't catch me"
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me"
(own up, I'm a gnome, ain't I right, haha)
"haven't you got an 'ome to go to? "
(no, we're gnomads)
"didn't they teach you to get your hair cut at school? you look like a rolling gnome."
(no, not at the london school of ecognomics)
Now they're staying up the chimney
And we're living on caviar and honey (hooray!)
Cause they're earning me lots of money
Writing comedy prose for radio shows
It's the-er (what? )
It's the gnome service of course
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you don't catch me"
Ha ha ha, oh, dear me
(ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me"
Ha ha ha, hee hee hee
"I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me")
(one more time, yeah)
Lyrics submitted by BrownBabu84, edited by Mellow_Harsher
The Laughing Gnome Lyrics as written by David Bowie
Lyrics © T.R.O. INC.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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No, I don't think there's any hidden meaning to this! I once was amazed to hear a busker on the London Underground singing it. I was disappointed that he skipped straight from the "train to Eastbourne" to the "caviar and honey" - I'd been looking forward to shouting "you look like a Rolling Gnome" at the hirsute singer!
hahahahahahahahaha hahahaaaaa i love david bowie
i read a 20 page article about this song being about devil worshipping once on the internet.
@ejownz6 😱😱😱😱🤣🤣🤣
An interesting early tune from bowie
doesn't it just make you laugh? i love the cheesy puns.
very very odd song indeed makes me laugh tho
"i read a 20 page article about this song being about devil worshipping once on the internet."
How is a song about a LAUGHING GNOME and his "metrognome" brother named Fred about devil worshipping? O_O
hahahahh Devil worshipping? sureeeee
anyways, smashing tune!
Haha, I have a feeling this has nothing to do with devil worship, but rather a younger Bowie talking to an animate gnome and his brother?
Bowie never does it live!