'One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster'
One Night in Bangkok is a 1984 classic by Murray Head an English actor and singer. The sound of this song is very recognizable and makes it unique. Whoever hears the first tones will immediately have an Aha experience where the mind will wander to the City of Angels, Krung Thep.
The song 'One Night in Bangkok' is a so-called pop and New wave song and was written for the concept album of the musical Chess, which is about a chess tournament. The music was composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and the lyrics were written by Tim Rice.
The song opens with a classical orchestral intro with clear Thai influences. Murray Head speaks cynically from the point of view of a chess grandmaster about the delights of Bangkok's nightlife, but beware, nothing is what it seems in this city. Be wary of the risks such as temptation, cheating and manipulation. He compares life in the Thai capital to a game of chess. Keep your wits about you and think ahead or you'll be so defeated!
Lyrics One Night in Bangkok
Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don't know that the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world
In a show with everything but Yul Brynner
Time flies doesn't seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
All change don't you know that when you
Play at this level there's no ordinary venue
It's Iceland or the Philippines or Hastings or
Or this place!
One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me
One town's very like another
When your heads are down over your pieces, brother
It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city
Whadya mean?
Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town
Tea, girls, hot, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite
Get thai'd, you're talking to a tourist
Whose every move's among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me
Siam's gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than it would
Muddy old river or reclining Buddha
And thank God I'm only watching the game controlling it
I don't see you guys rating
The kind of mate I'm contemplating
I'd let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use wouldn't excite you
So you better go back to your bars, your temples
Your massage parlors
One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
A little flesh, a little history
I can feel an angel sliding up to me
One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me
Video: One Night in Bangkok
Watch and listen to the song:
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Murray Head may be describing his own adventures in Bangkok here and he has also been lifted quite a bit. Incidentally, as far as I know, the song was not appreciated by the then authorities in Thailand. Even forbidden I think.
Whatever influences it may be. It still brings a smile to my face. Nostalgia at its best. And there are still some songs that make me muse about my early years in Pty. Such as Hotel California, November Rain, lemon tree, etc…
The song is one of my old favourites, but the video shows a mixture of oriental scenes that have little to do with Thailand, rather the imagination of someone who can only imagine what life is like in Bangkok. The dancers weren't Thai either.
Still fun (or maybe because of that). He's already 72? Where does the time go?
It is of course “T girls”. Whereby this has a double meaning and can be both 'tea' and 'Transvestite girls' (katoys).
Also a great musical by the way.
That's a great song, also the performance of the vynil shakerz only with a hard beat that's also a great song. Erwin
It is indeed a great song, which always reminds me of Mike Tyson's performance at the end of The Hangover II (brilliant film by the way.) Only Mike's singing is a bit disappointing 🙂
Maybe nice to provide beat saber on your Oculus Quest or Rift with a nice rhythm...
No one will probably care, but I've found the song now and will try it out on my Quest later.
I also get a big smile over me when I follow that text and music.
That mysterious atmosphere of the nightlife, angels and devils together, is great. Both are represented, find the good ones….great challenge.
Every time I'm in rather boring Belgium I long for Thailand with its intriguing nightlife.
I recently came across the maxi single on a 2nd hand market, immediately bought it !!
I have the LP of the musical
and of course this song is on the USB stick with only songs that I always listen to in the car.
As described in the introduction it is true ..Nothing is what it seems in Bangkok and keep your head in the game. The temptations are very big especially in the well-known nightlife areas. But ..if you can resist these temptations and keep your head in the game ..and then I mean the many bars with seductive ladies, tuk tuk and taxi drivers who come with nice stories about tours 1 night in Bangkok an unforgettable experience