Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Warren Zevon
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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.
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: WARREN WILLIAM ZEVON, DAVID ERIC LINDELL
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Genre Classification"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" is classified as a song in the folk-rock genre.
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SongwritersThe song was co-written by Warren Zevon and David Lindell. Lindell was a bar owner who had previously served as a mercenary in Africa.
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Album DetailIt appeared on Warren Zevon's album "Excitable Boy" which was released in 1978.
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Story ThemeThe song tells a fictional narrative about a Norwegian mercenary named Roland who becomes involved in several global conflicts from the middle of the 20th century onward.
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Zevon's InspirationIt is speculated that the inspiration for Roland's character in the song might have come from John S. Cooper, a former mercenary in the Congo who Zevon knew in Spain.
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Historical ContextThe song references several historical and geopolitical events, including the Congo Crisis in the 1960s, the Biafra secessionist conflict in Nigeria, and the Vietnam War.
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Song's LengthIt is notably the longest song on the album "Excitable Boy", running at 3 minutes and 47 seconds.
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Unique Song EndingThe song concludes with a spoken-word segment which narrates Roland's final act of revenge.
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Central InstrumentThe key instrument used in the song is the piano, contributing to the song’s haunting melody.
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Last Public PerformanceIt is the last song Zevon performed in front of an audience before his death in 2003. He performed it on The Late Show with David Letterman.
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Song's PopularityAlthough it never made the charts, it became one of Zevon's most popular songs, noted for its evocative storytelling and haunting melody.
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Cover VersionsThe song has been covered by several artists and bands including Welsh band Manic Street Preachers in their 2001 album "Know Your Enemy".
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Citation
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"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2739113/Warren+Zevon/Roland+the+Headless+Thompson+Gunner>.
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