Come and Buy My Toys
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come and buy my little toys
Monkeys made of gingerbread
And sugar horses painted red
Rich men's children running past
Their fathers dressed in hose
Golden hair and mud of many acres on their shoes
Gazing eyes and running wild
Past the stocks and over stiles
Kiss the window merry child
But come and buy my toys
You've watched your father plough the fields with a ram's horn
Sowed it wide with peppercorn and furrowed with a bramble thorn
Reaped it with a sharpened scyth, thrashed it with a quill
The miller told your father that he'd work it with the greatest will
Now your watching's over you must play with girls and boys
Leave the parsley on the stalls
Come and buy my toys
You shall own a cambric shirt
You shall work your father's land
But now you shall play in the market square
Till you'll be a man
Smiling girls and rosy boys
Come and buy my little toys
Monkeys made of gingerbread
And sugar horses painted red
David Bowie’s “Come And Buy My Toys” has surrealistic lyrics that showcase the shrewdness of capitalism. The song is a theatrical, whimsical invitation to children and their parents to buy his toys. He acts as a merchant who is trying to sell his wares, which include monkeys made of gingerbread and sugar horses painted red. The chorus includes the lines, “Come and buy my little toys”, where his voice reaches a higher pitch and the beat of the drums picks up, infusing the song with a carnival-like vibe.
In the first verse, Bowie describes smiling girls and rosy boys coming to buy his toys, and in the second verse, he contrasts these children with rich men's children who run past him, wearing their fathers’ hose and having mud from many acres on their shoes. The song subtly criticizes the societal divide between the wealthy and the less fortunate.
The third verse is addressed directly to a boy, who Bowie tells will soon work his father’s land and wear a cambric shirt, a fine white linen material. However, in the meantime, he should play with the toys that Bowie is selling. The overall message of the song is that even though children will soon grow up and have responsibilities and expectations, they should embrace their youth and play with the toys while they can.
Line by Line Meaning
Smiling girls and rosy boys
Happy children everywhere
Come and buy my little toys
Please come and purchase my trinkets
Monkeys made of gingerbread
Edible confections that resemble primates
And sugar horses painted red
Candies shaped like horses and colored bright red
Rich men's children running past
Wealthy youngsters hurrying by
Their fathers dressed in hose
The wealthy children's fathers wearing fancy stockings
Golden hair and mud of many acres on their shoes
Blond hair and dirt on their expensive footwear from the family's vast land holdings
Gazing eyes and running wild
Their eyes wide with wonder and they frolic about
Past the stocks and over stiles
And run by the public punishment devices and through foot paths
Kiss the window merry child
A joyful youngster places lips to the storefront glass
But come and buy my toys
But don't forget to purchase my goods
You've watched your father plough the fields with a ram's horn
You have seen your father farm the land traditionally with a horned animal and simple tools
Sowed it wide with peppercorn and furrowed with a bramble thorn
He planted crops with great care using pepper seeds and a thorny instrument
Reaped it with a sharpened scyth, thrashed it with a quill
He harvested the crops with a sharp blade and then separated the grain from chaff with a feather pen
The miller told your father that he'd work it with the greatest will
The miller assured your father he would process the crops with utmost care
Now your watching's over you must play with girls and boys
Now that you have completed your chores and can relax, it's time to enjoy games with other children
Leave the parsley on the stalls
Don't worry about the herbs for sale
Come and buy my toys
Focus on buying my playthings
You shall own a cambric shirt
Eventually you'll possess a high-quality, lightweight cloth garment
You shall work your father's land
You'll be expected to help farm the family's property
But now you shall play in the market square
For now, it's time to frolic around the center of commerce
Till you'll be a man
Until you reach adulthood
Smiling girls and rosy boys
Happy children everywhere
Come and buy my little toys
Please come and purchase my trinkets
Monkeys made of gingerbread
Edible confections that resemble primates
And sugar horses painted red
Candies shaped like horses and colored bright red
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID BOWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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