One Night in Bangkok
Chess Lyrics


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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 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

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 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 from the musical Chess, and it speaks about a foreigner's experience when he visits the city of Bangkok, Thailand. The lyrics are detailed and paint vivid imagery of the city's various aspects, such as the bars, temples, pearls, and gods. The song suggests that Bangkok is a city of great contrasts, where he can find both the divine and the demonic.


The lyrics of the song suggest that Bangkok is a city where one can find both the good and the bad. The bars are the "temples," where people go to have fun and forget their worries. However, the "pearls" (possibly referring to the women) are not free, indicating that there is a darker side to the nightlife in Bangkok. The lyrics also suggest that the city is a place of religion, as there is a god in every "golden cloister." He also mentions that God "may" be a woman, implying the open-minded spirituality of the city. The lines "I can feel an angel sliding up to me" and "I can feel the devil walking next to me" further emphasize the contrasts of good and evil that can exist in the city.


In conclusion, the lyrics to "One Night in Bangkok" paint a vivid picture of the city, where one can experience both the divine and the demonic. It suggests that Bangkok is a place of contrasts, where the good and bad coexist and are hard to distinguish from each other.


Line by Line Meaning

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK AND THE WORLD'S YOUR OYSTER
Being in Bangkok for one night feels like anything is possible and the world is at your fingertips.


THE BARS ARE TEMPLES BUT THE PEARLS AIN'T FREE
Although the bars resemble holy temples, the pleasures of the night are not free for the taking.


YOU'LL FIND A GOD IN EVERY GOLDEN CLOISTER
There is divinity to be found in every lavish and ornate place of worship.


AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY THEN THE GOD'S A SHE
If you're fortunate, the deity you encounter may be a feminine one.


I CAN FEEL AN ANGEL SLIDING UP TO ME
I sense a benevolent presence making its way towards me.


ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK MAKES A HARD MAN HUMBLE
Even the toughest of individuals can be brought down to a humbled state after experiencing the wonders and vices of Bangkok for a night.


NOT MUCH BETWEEN DESPAIR AND ECSTASY
The range of emotions one can experience in this city is vast and extreme, with little in between.


ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK AND THE TOUGH GUYS TUMBLE
Even the most resilient and confident of men can crumble under the pressure and pleasures of a single night in Bangkok.


CAN'T BE TOO CAREFUL WITH YOUR COMPANY
One must exercise caution in choosing their companions for the evening, as there are hidden dangers lurking in plain sight.


I CAN FEEL THE DEVIL WALKING NEXT TO ME
I sense a malevolent presence lurking nearby, waiting to take advantage of the unsuspecting.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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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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