Roland was a warrior
From the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson Gun for hire
Fighting to be done

The deal was made in Denmark
On a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Biafra
To join the bloody fray

Through '66 and 7
They fought the Congo War
With their fingers on their triggers
Knee-deep in gore
The days and nights they battled
The Bantu to their Knees
They killed to earn their living
And to help out the Congolese

Roland the Thompson Gunner
Roland the Thompson Gunner

His comrades fought beside him
Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson Gunners
Roland was the best
So the CIA decided
They wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen
Blew off Roland's Head

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Time Time Time for another week of war

Norway's bravest son
Time stands still for Roland til he evens up the score

They can still see his headless body
Stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson Gun
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson Gun

Roland searched the continent
For the man who'd done him in
He found him in Mombassa
In a bar room drinkin' Gin
Roland aimed his Thompson Gun
He didn't say a word
But he blew Van Owen's body
From there to Johanasburg.

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Talkin about the man
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner

The eternal Thompson Gunner
Still wanderin through the night
Now it's ten years later
But he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, In Lebanon
In Palastine and Berkley
Patty Hurst
Heard the burst
Of Roland's Thompson Gun
And bought it.

Edit Lyrics

Lyrics submitted by palmdogg10, edited by Thisbear, RockyMcNut, Loraqs

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner Lyrics as written by David Eric Lindell Warren William Zevon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner song meanings

Add Your Thoughts

22 Comments

+4
General CommentHow do these stories with just the slightest grain of truth get started? Warren was not a mercenary. In the mid '70's, he moved to Sitges, Spain. He wound up living and playing regularly at a bar called "The Dubliner". It was owned by a character named David Lindell. Now, Lindell was a former mercenary. Together they wrote , "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner". As far as the final line that reads, " Patty Hearst
heard the burst of Roland's Thompson Gun and bought it. I believe "...and bought it" means that after she was kidnapped by the guerrilla group "The Symbionese Liberation Army", she literally "bought it". She "bought it" in the sense of adopting the SLA's beliefs and philosophies. She definitely had not "bought it" in the sense of "buying the farm" or "dying in battle" as some have alluded to. She took part in a bank robbery at the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco. She wielded a M1 carbine during the robbery. Later she assumed the pseudonym 'Tania' after Che Guevara's closest female confidant. Psychiatrists said she was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. She was sentenced to 35 years in jail, but her sentence was commuted by Jimmy Carter and she was released from jail after serving a mere 22 months. She was later given a full pardon by Bill Clinton. Most of all, what a great song.
Skitrow8on January 29, 2013 Link
- 2 Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@Skitrow8

Thanks for all the info! One small thing, though is your interpretation of the "bought it" comment, which I think I take even more literally than you do. I always thought she "heard the burst" and was so impressed by the Thompson sub-machine gun she got one for herself. This is a pretty straightforward song and, given that he restricts his comments on the motivations and ethics of mercenaries to "they fought to earn their living / and to help out the Congolese" it doesn't seem likely he'd devote the last line to an opinion about Patty Hearst's political thinking.

it just seems like a throwaway line he stuck in there because it was in the news at the time. He did stuff like that in his songs in the live performances I've heard. You could be right, though, I'm not trying to squabble or anything.
perryoxideon March 31, 2013

Yup.
TedPikulon October 20, 2013
+4
General CommentThis song is black comedy like so many Zevon songs. It contrasts the heroic image of soldiers and war that his generation received from their WW2 generation parents with the ugly realities of modern dirty proxy wars. Remember that the country is completely disillusioned in 1978 with the CIA and the cold war proxy wars in Vietnam and other "third world" countries. The story of the the life and death of a single mercenary soldier. Was he defending his country? Why did he want to go to Africa and kill for money? Very dark. the heroic tone of the music is ironic, yet we are drawn into a sympathy, especially when the CIA beheads him and he becomes a legend. Roland is just a bit of a psychopath who wanted to kill and he ends up dying at the hands of larger mor organized psychopath group, the CIA.
jedkuon April 14, 2013 Link
- 1 Reply Log in to reply
There was an error.

@jedku

I cry "Bullshit!" In what way is the CIA more organized? Otherwise, I agree. Civilization is about individuals believing in something bigger than just themselves - it's about patriotism, and contributing to the welfare and security of your society/country. So every society has it's legends of heroism in battle... WZ notes how this stuff gets twisted to promote carnage in every diverse culture.
Keystrokeon May 13, 2013
+2
General CommentWZ co-wrote this song with an ex-mercenary he met while he was living in Spain.
SunKingon May 07, 2005 Link
- No Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@SunKing
+1
General CommentMy favorite song of his! The classic historical fiction.
Defyenceon January 16, 2005 Link
- No Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@Defyence
+1
General CommentI like this song, It's another genius work of a genius musician. Most of the things that they talk about did happen, but I’m not sure if the years on the Congo war or the timeline in general works out. The events do, the mercenaries being hired to fight and bring about political action through fighting. The cia being in it's most whacked-out "do anything to stop the commies" phase, which led it to do at least a little just about everywhere in the world. so on the first level it is about politcal change via violent revolutions. That would be the "Palestine” and so on. On the second level I think that the song owes something to the "headless horseman.” I think that this is intentional because the Thompson fires a .45 acp round, which has a lot of head hurting potential, but not enough to blow your head all the way off. So in “the headless horseman” the horseman was a hessian mercenary fighting against people that weren't his enemies, and fighting for a country that wasn't his. Besides that I think it stops though. The mercenary of Roland and van Owen just about all do what they do for profit. "They fought to earn their living" and van Owen presumably didn't just do the cia a favor in killing Roland. So if it's money that they are fightin for, what fight does Roland carry on? The fight to get rich in war? Or just the fight of soldiers and mercanaries fighting because they can and they can help themselves by doing it? They fight to bring about political change, that is true, but really they just fight for the pay. And that patty hurst, the most notorious picture of her on the public record is her robbing a bank. Sure, robbing a bank for an organization that was trying to bring about violent change, but in robbing a bank she is still just trying to get rich while fighting the political battle.
flamingamoon May 04, 2009 Link
- 2 Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@flamingamo

One other level that I noticed after all these years recently is the actual form of van Owen and Roland's respective assasination attempts on the other...van Owen "blows off Roland's head" only to be stalked down by Roland's headless body. Roland "blows van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg". The subtext that the soldier doesn't need his head, only his body.

joeoutlawon July 10, 2009

@flamingamo I love the almost "anthem" quality of this song!! But on a historical/lyrical note: Patty Hearst robbing a bank "to get rich" -- I don't think so... She was a very wealthy woman. Now if you had said that she was robbing the bank for the benefit of the SLA I would have bought it (no pun intended) -- but no can do. She was a total victim of the mind control techniques of the SLA, and hence held up the bank - or held the AK-47 while others did the robbing -- because as their prisoner she HAD to.
DENSenot53on January 10, 2018
+1
General Comment"That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head."
For some reason that is one of the funniest verses I have ever heard and seems like a good example of Zevon's macabre wit. The conclusion of the song, about violence as a way to achieve their goals.
forpson September 14, 2009 Link
- No Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@forps
+1
General CommentAlthough the deal was made in Denmark, Roland was a norwegian! (Norway's bravest son.) Her is a translation from Norwegian to English of the ancient Roland Poem: lyricstranslate.com/en/…
This ancient poem exists in many variations around Europe. I think Zevon's song is inspired og this poem. Why WZ chose Norway as Rolands homeland I'm not shure, but maybe it is a comment to the Nobel Peace Prize that Norway has the responsibility for giving out. All the other Nobel prizes has the Swedes responsibility for!
arnkalon August 02, 2012 Link
- 1 Reply Log in to reply
There was an error.

@arnkal

Good catch on Nobel Prize! Wow! And poem ! It seemed to me that WZ was pointing out how all these other countries get involved in these conflicts way outside their borders, and escalate conflicts . The US, Britain, Russia, China, etc are famous for it, but WZ points out that it's not just super powers jumping into these deals, but countries like Denmark and Norway too. Everyone loves a war hero, and everyone has to avenge a fallen countryman so fights go on from generation to generation- from the land of the Nobel Peace prize to Denmark to Congo to Johanasburg to Lebanon to Berkley where the hippies protested against Vietnam.
Keystrokeon May 13, 2013
+1
General CommentCoulda sworn "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" was Warren's second-best-known song, but that's not important. What *is* important is that Warren was a mercenary in his youth, and songs like "Jungle Work" are semi-autobiographical in nature. Roland wasn't a real person, but is a mixture of several people, as was "that SOB Van Owen." Lots of supposedly educated people like to read things into songs and books that just aren't there. This is one of those cases. This is a simple story of warfare and revenge, to the tune of a Thompson submachine gun. And the term "bought it" refers to "buying the farm," or dying in battle. Seems Roland still doesn't like Commies, even after death. Save the overly erudite nonsense for Wikipedia -- I understand they love that kind of thing over there.
DukeWon September 21, 2011 Link
- 3 Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@DukeW

Duke you are missing the point, perhaps of all analysis, which is to study what's there, regardless of the artist's intention (though in this case I believe magpi1's theory to be closer to the intended message as it accounts for the flourish, list of locations known for their conflict, and Patty Heart's being mentioned at all, at the end of the song). You come across as quite unpleasant.
ApesOnToaston October 04, 2011

How do these stories with just the slightest grain of truth get started? Warren was not a mercenary. In the mid '70's, he moved to Sitges, Spain. He wound up living and playing regularly at a bar called "The Dubliner". It was owned by a character named David Lindell. Now, he was a former mercenary. Together they wrote , "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner".As far as the final line that reads, " Patty Hearst
heard the burst of Roland's Thompson Gun and bought it. I believe "...and bought it" means that after she was kidnapped by the guerrilla group "The Symbionese Liberation Army", she literally "bought it" in the sense of adopting the SLA's beliefs and philosophies. She definitely had not "bought it" in the sense of "buying the farm" or "dying in battle" as you alluded to. She took part in a bank robbery at the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco. She wielded a M1 carbine during the robbery. Later she assumed the pseudonym 'Tania' after Che Guevara's closest female confidant. She had clearly "bought" into her kidnappers philosophy. Psychiatrists said she was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. She was sentenced to 35 years in jail, but her sentence was commuted by Jimmy Carter and she was released from jail after serving a mere 22 months. She was given a full pardon of the bank robbery conviction she participated in by Bill Clinton. Most of all, what a great song.

Skitrow8on January 29, 2013

@DukeW What are you talking about? I met VanOwen and bought him a round of Aviation Gin. I met up with Roland later, and after supplying him with new magazines, ammo, and gun lube, was a happy well-adjusted individual. He did have some trouble articulating orders orally and he really did not trust our CIA.
patwaterson August 16, 2022
0
General CommentThis is a great song someone tell me what it means!!!!!!!!
travelerbird123on January 22, 2005 Link
- No Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@travelerbird123
0
General CommentIt's an ode to the Thompson (machine) gun.
Even Patty Hearst (kidnapped and brainwashed heiress) used one in SLF bank heist in the '70's.
I wonder if his acid trips prompted these nightmarish visions.
chrisb1on January 30, 2005 Link
- No Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@chrisb1

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner

Warren Zevon

22 Comments

Add your thoughts

Most popular lyric tags

More Warren Zevon Lyrics

SongMeanings is a place for discussion and discovery.