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One Night in Bangkok
Murray Head Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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 head's 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

Whaddya mean?
Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town

Tea, girls, warm, 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 would a
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 would not excite you

So you better go back to your bars, your temples
Your massage parlours

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

Overall Meaning

The song "One Night in Bangkok" is a soundtrack from the British musical, Chess. The first verse sets the stage and describes the setting of the song as Bangkok, an Oriental city that is getting the crème de la crème of the chess world. The verse also notes that there is everything available in the show except Yul Brynner. The second verse highlights that time flies when one is playing chess at such an eminent level, and how playing at such a level demands a unique venue like Iceland, the Philippines, Hastings, or Bangkok. The third verse highlights the themes of poverty and prostitution in Bangkok, pointing out that the town is crowded, polluted, and stinking.


The chorus's primary theme highlights that One Night in Bangkok can either make a hard man humble or tough guys tumble; therefore, one should be careful with their company. The second verse emphasizes that Siam is more significant than a muddy old river or reclining Buddha and will act as a witness to the ultimate test of cerebral fitness. The final verse tells the listener that they would not enjoy the queens they use in their games, inviting the listener to return to their bars and temples.


Line by Line Meaning

Bangkok, Oriental setting
The song starts by setting the scene in Bangkok, which has an Oriental setting.


And the city don't know that the city is getting
The city is unaware that it is hosting the creme de la creme of the chess world.


The creme de la creme of the chess world
The best chess players in the world are in Bangkok for a show.


In a show with everything but Yul Brynner
The show has everything except for Yul Brynner, who was a famous actor and played the King of Siam in the musical The King and I.


Time flies doesn't seem a minute
Time flies by so quickly that it seems like only a minute has passed.


Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
It feels like only a minute has passed since the chess players were at the Tirolean spa.


All change don't you know that when you
Everything has changed, and it's important to realize that when playing at this level.


Play at this level there's no ordinary venue
Playing chess at this level requires an extraordinary venue, such as Iceland, the Philippines, or Hastings, or even Bangkok itself.


It's Iceland or the Philippines or Hastings or
To play chess at this level, you need to be in a place like Iceland, the Philippines, or Hastings, or possibly Bangkok.


Or this place!
Bangkok is also a suitable venue for this level of chess playing.


One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
A single night in Bangkok can give you everything you want, just like an oyster containing a pearl.


The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
The bars in Bangkok are like temples, but drinks are not free, and they can be quite expensive.


You'll find a god in every golden cloister
There is a god in every golden temple in Bangkok, where Buddhism is the main religion.


And if you're lucky then the god's a she
If you're lucky enough to find a god in a temple, it could be a female deity.


I can feel an angel sliding up to me
The singer feels like an angel is coming closer to them.


One town's very like another
When you're focused on playing chess, all towns start to seem the same.


When your head's down over your pieces, brother
When you're focused on chess, it's tough to notice the city around you.


It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity
Focusing on chess can be frustrating and boring since it keeps you from enjoying the city.


To be looking at the board, not looking at the city
The singer is lamenting the need to focus on the chessboard instead of enjoying the city.


Whaddya mean?
The artist is asking for clarification or expressing disbelief in response to something said.


Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town
The artist is criticizing the city for being crowded, polluted, and stinky.


Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Tea and girls are warm and sweet and all around them.


Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite
Some girls are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite, referring to the British author who wrote a lot about Southeast Asia.


Get thai'd, you're talking to a tourist
If you come to Thailand, you're probably a tourist talking to a local.


Whose every move's among the purest
The locals consider tourists' every move to be pure and honest.


I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
The singer is saying that he's not interested in sexual gratification, but instead in other things (such as playing chess and seeing the sights).


One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
A single night in Bangkok can change someone and make even the toughest people humble.


Not much between despair and ecstasy
There is not much difference between despair (because of the difficulties of playing chess at a high level) and ecstasy (because of the pleasures of being in Bangkok).


One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Even the toughest men can be brought down by a single night in Bangkok.


Can't be too careful with your company
Be cautious about who you're with, and who you're inviting, since there could be risks and drawbacks involved.


I can feel the devil walking next to me
The singer feels like the devil is present and walking next to him, causing fear, doubt, or temptation.


Siam's gonna be the witness
Siam (the old name for Thailand) is going to bear witness to something significant or tremendous.


To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
The artist is referring to the chess tournament or show as the ultimate test of mental abilities.


This grips me more than would a
The situation is gripping or exciting the artist more than something else would.


Muddy old river or reclining Buddha
The singer is referring to two iconic landmarks in Bangkok that are commonly visited by tourists.


And thank God I'm only watching the game controlling it
The artist is grateful to only be watching the chess game, rather than playing it and dealing with pressure and stress.


I don't see you guys rating
The singer is pointing out that the listeners (probably fellow chess players) are not appreciating the type of chess moves he is contemplating.


The kind of mate I'm contemplating
The singer is referring to a chess move where one player pins down their opponent's king, making it unable to move without being captured.


I'd let you watch, I would invite you
The singer is teasing the listeners by telling them they can watch him play, but admitting he knows his moves aren't that exciting to watch.


But the queens we use would not excite you
The artist is using a pun to make a joke about the queens in chess (as well as the type of women he's interested in), saying that they wouldn't excite the listeners.


So you better go back to your bars, your temples
The artist is suggesting that the listeners go back to the bars and temples in Bangkok instead of watching him play chess.


Your massage parlours
The singer is including massage parlors in the list of places the listeners should go instead of watching him play chess.


A little flesh, a little history
In Bangkok, you can find both sex and history (referring again to the temples).


I can feel an angel sliding up to me
The artist feels again like an angel is coming closer to him.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Tim Rice, Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@user-ww3tr4ze8w

Verse 1]
Bangkok, Oriental setting
The city don't know what the city is getting
The crème de la crème of the chess world
In a show with everything but Yul Brynner
Time flies, doesn't seem a minute
Since the Tyrolean Spa had the chess boards 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


Kaliii “Area Codes” (Live...

[Chorus]
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

[Verse 2]
One town's very like another
When your head's 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
What do ya mean?
You've seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town
Tea girls, warm and sweet (Warm, 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

[Chorus]
One night in Bangkok makes the 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 walkin' next to me
[Verse 3]
Siam's gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a 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 would not excite you
So you'd better go back to your bars
Your temples, your massage parlours

[Chorus]
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 the 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 walkin' next to me



All comments from YouTube:

@roosreviews472

Hands down, the greatest song ever written about playing chess in Thailand.

@meghanelaraby277

🤣🤣🤣🤣

@hollygolightly649

😂😂😂

@ReaperRob

As a lover of overly narrow superlatives, I believe this is the best comment ever made by a guy names Rudy on a video sharing platform about a video from a musical about Chess.

@RighteousBrother

Ah but what about..... No you're right!

@christinerush2351

:)

338 More Replies...

@nl_kripp

I played this song today when I was on a train that was entering Bangkok at night time. Third class, fully packed, no A/C, hot as fck, city lights outside and this playing on the headphones. It was something else.

@AlisonBryen

I love playing music in context!

@twinalphathree9147

I was a young man in 84 when I heard this. I thought this song was so bizarre yet enticing and enchanting. You couldn't help but like it. Some 40 years later and it still transports me back to those carefree days.

@markmunroe-hz8rf

Your words hit me. Born in 1978, I am glad to live through the magical and fun 80s and the laid back and cool 90s.

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