The Magic Roundabout
Bill Bailey Lyrics


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I am Zebedee
Lord of the woods,
Bow down snail
I have dominion,

As a child born with no legs
I was sent away for years to save the neighbours sneers,
I returned to a spurn,
"Father, hold me!"
"You are no son of mine, you freak, you spring boy!"

Bow down to the spring
For I am king of the roundabout!





... Time for bed.

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Bill Bailey's song, The Magic Roundabout, introduces the character of Zebedee. He introduces himself as Lord of the woods and commands a snail to bow down before him. The second verse then delves into Zebedee's backstory, revealing that he was born without legs and was consequently sent away for fear of his neighbors' ridicule. When he returned home, hoping for comfort from his father, he was instead rejected with cruel words. Zebedee seems to have found solace in his role as the king of the roundabout, demanding that anyone who comes near his domain bows down in respect.


The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, but it seems as though Zebedee's experiences have left him with a desire for control and power. As the king of the roundabout, he has the ability to dominate and assert his authority over anyone who comes near him. It's possible that his difficult past has left him with a need to prove himself and to demand respect from others, even if it means being cruel or oppressive.


Line by Line Meaning

I am Zebedee
I am the character Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout


Lord of the woods,
I am the ruler of the forest


Bow down snail
You should show me respect, even if you're just a lowly snail


I have dominion,
I have authority and control over this domain


As a child born with no legs
When I was born, I didn't have any legs


I was sent away for years to save the neighbours sneers,
People in the neighborhood made fun of me, so I was sent away for many years to escape their ridicule


I returned to a spurn,
When I came back, I was rejected and given the cold shoulder


"Father, hold me!"
I am begging my father for some love and affection


"You are no son of mine, you freak, you spring boy!"
My father disowns me, calling me a freak and spring boy


Bow down to the spring
You should show respect to me, the symbol of new beginnings


For I am king of the roundabout!
I am the supreme ruler of The Magic Roundabout


... Time for bed.
It's time to go to sleep now




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

@jimlunn

I would listen to a whole Bill Bailey Trip Hop album non ironically.

That was fucking good

@mikecreed22

I unironically agree.

@echambers1112

@@mikecreed22 I might even listen to it while unironically ironing.

@greyareaRK1

Bill should create the next Bond theme.

@derpherbert3199

"Why would we invoke a non-specific deity to bail out these unelected sponges?"

@mattlast4093

unelected Spongers.....as in.......they sponge(feed) upon everyone else

@ovrair6340

That is a thing which he said in this video

@raven_of_zoso455

He could with ease play the entire Dark Side Of The Moon album live. Bill is brilliant!

@NisseHult101

He is a musical genius, and a quite funny one too.

@sirjellybeans1st19

The shaker move at the start is class!

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