The Laughing Gnome

The Laughing Gnome a song by David Bowie on Foxsoundi — Free Music, Smart Streaming for Everyone

The Laughing Gnome by David Bowie

About The Laughing Gnome

Follow-up single to the surprise flop Rubber Band. Released in April '67 and backed by the equally sublime The Gospel According To Tony Day, this was to be the combination that turned Bowie's fortunes around and make him a worldwide superstar. A visionary, avant-garde piece of pop terrorism from the young Mr. Bowie that still sounds as relevant today as it did back in the Summer of Love, the song climbed steadily up the charts for six years until it peaked at number 6 with a bang in 1973 .

The Laughing Gnome Lyrics

I was walking down the high street,
When I heard footsteps behind me.
And there was a little old man ([Hello!])
In scarlet and gray, chuckling away

Well he trotted back to my house
And he sat beside the telly ([Ahh!])
With his tiny hands on his tummy
Chuckling away, laughing all day

"I ought to report you to the Gnome Office."
["Gnome Office? Ahahahah!"]

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,
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.

["Have you got a light, boy?"]
"Here, where do you come from?"
["Gnome-man's land, heehee!"]
"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 brought him along to sing me a song.

"Alright, let's hear it... 'ere, what's that clicking noise?"
["That's Fred, he's a metro-gnome, haha!"]

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

["Oh now, I'm a gnome, anyway, haha!"]
"Haven't you got a home to go to?"
["No, we are gnome-ads, hehe!"]
"Didn't they teach you to get your hair cut at school? You look like a rolling gnome."
["Nah, not at the London school of Eco-gnome-ics."]

Now they're staying up me chimney,
And we're living on caviar and honey ([Hurray!])
Cause they're earning me lots of money
Writing comedy prose for radio shows

"It's the, errrr... it's the gnome-service, yes, of course!"

Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, hee
I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me
Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, hee
(Oh, dear me...)
I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me
([One more time!])
Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, hee
I'm a laughing gnome and you can't catch me

From the album: The Deram Anthology (1966 - 1968)