(I am Michael Caine)

He's walking where I'm afraid I don't know
I see the firemen jumping from the windows
There's panic and I hear somebody scream
(aaaah)

He picks up useless paper
And puts it in my pocket
I'm trying very hard to keep my fingers clean
I can't remember tell me what's his name

(My name is Michael Caine)

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep

The sun is laughing its another broken morning
I see a shadow and call out to try and warn him
He didn't seem to hear
Just turned away

The quiet fellow follows and points his fingers
Straight at you
He had to sacrifice his pride yes throw it all away

(I am Michael Caine)

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep

His days are numbered he walks round and round in circles
There is no place he can ever call his own
He seems to jump at the sound of the phone

Staring out the window there's nothing he can now do
All he wanted was to remain sane
He can't remember his own name

(My name is Michael Caine)

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep
And all I wanted was a word or photograph
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep

And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep at home
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep
And all I wanted was a word or photograph
And all I wanted was a word or photograph to keep



Lyrics submitted by Zealot

Michael Caine Lyrics as written by Cathal Joseph Smyth Cathal Smyth

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Michael Caine song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment

    In THE IPCRESS FILE, Michael Caine plays an army sergeant who becomes a spy in order to work off a black-marketeering background. Through the film, his loyalty is torn between two department heads, he accidentally kills a CIA agent, and he becomes brainwashed to become a mind-controlled sleeper agent, meant to kill one of the department heads upon hearing a trigger word. So his loyalties are complicated, to say the least.

    "Michael Caine" the song concerns informers within the Provisional IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, a hot subject at the time--a major news story was about Sean O'Callaghan, an informer who foiled an IRA bomb plot to injure Princess Diana at a Duran Duran concert. As I see it, the song's "He" is the informer. By the second verse he has done his doublecross ("sacrifice his pride"), and by the third verse is a paranoid wreck living under an assumed name. And Michael Caine is used as a representation of the informer's questionable, distrustful nature.

    porridgebirdon June 27, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I'm sure I read ages ago that it's actually about an IRA supergrass living under a new identity.

    sproutboyon December 31, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Doolally. What an excellent word.

    Bankrobberon April 12, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I thought it was about a man that worked in the detective agency, and he had a certain disability or made a crime, and they were watching a secret recorded video of him running through places, and at phone booths and such (in the video) and they were chasing him and they caught him. He used "Michael Caine" as his name because he didn't remember it, (because of disability I think) and so they caught him and were talking to him in a cell room or something. That's why he "seems to jump at the sound of the phone" and the rest. They were sad about it because I think he was a good agent/or whatever and they wanted a picture and a conversation before they had to kill him.

    Madness70on September 19, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    why no comments?the best madness song by far in my opinion.

    endeavouron March 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    YES BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

    myspaceon January 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To me it sounds obviously like they (a fan) are meeting Michael Caine and singing about how they met him, and he gave them autographs, photos, etc. He is stuck in a signing, trying to stay sane around mad fans, scared by them all. Forgets his name as he signs it so often, its second nature.

    Automissionon May 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't think it's anything to do with Michael Caine really. It sounds to me like the story of a man who's losing his mind, possibly to senile dementia, and the author is trying to spend some time with him and maybe get a photograph before the guy is completely doolally.

    Assgasmon September 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    That song reminds me that Mike has left the piano playing on its own.

    Bankrobberon April 12, 2008   Link

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