Where would you start after the introduction? It didn't take long to figure that once you knew about my past 'Man of Kent' that perhaps we could delve deeper into the history.
My Mums side of the family were descendents from Romanian Gypsies. I myself; however much I try cannot claim to be a gypsy. The family gave up that way of life decades ago. I've always been intrigued by the gypsies lifestyle, my aunt would tell stories of the wagons, the horses, the instruments, the immaculate homes and the fussy non nonsense don't buy the cheap stuff but the best of the best!!
I wrote Gypsy in no more than 5 minutes apart from the middle 8, that usually comes a good few months later when writing songs, that way I have a deeper understanding of the song and I have had time to change bits I didn't like. Actually I started writing Gypsy in the bath, many of my songs come to me in the bath...I thinks it's because I am so relaxed.
When penning the song I was wondering what it would be like if the family never gave up the free roaming lifestyle, I would like to think that I could still dwell in my singing and songwriting and that's what the song speaks about, about being a performer on the streets. It also talks about bewitching the one you love with charm, as I often try to do (evil laugh intended).
I guess it is too late now to be a gypsy but as stated in the song "Gypsy is my name" referring to my stage name Romani, I will always be a "Gypsy in the rough" never a fully qualified one, but a free roaming one, if not in travel's (as I hope) but in spirit, as there will always be "Gypsy in the blood"
Verse 1
The street
calls my name and I can’t resist
I’m like
that flower in the breeze I took off and I left
The fiddler
plucked the strings while the drummer made the beat
Before the
crowd could gather I could feel it in my feet
Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy
Gypsy in the rough and there’s gypsy in the
blood
Painted face
and scarlet bows will lure the strangers in
You can’t
break my charm with you magic talisman
I serenade
the crowd when I dance the whole night through
When I sing
a single song I sing it just for you
Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy
Gypsy in the rough and there’s gypsy in the
blood
Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy
Don’t break a gypsy’s heart for its
dangerous and dark
With my smoke and scents and illusions
There’s nothing to this magic
My stones and sands and tarot stacks
This could surely end up tragic
Watch them as they hit the crowd
One by one the coins will fall
One by one they’ll tumble down
Gypsy
is my name, Ooh Gypsy
Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy
Gypsy in the rough and there’s gypsy in the
blood
Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy
Don’t break a gypsy’s heart for its
dangerous and dark
© Karl Smitherman 2011 published 2012
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