In the late 1960s he led a blues-rock trio called Love Sculpture, who scored a quasi-novelty hit by reworking Khachaturian's classical piece "Sabre Dance" as a speed-crazed rock number. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after garnering the enthusiastic attention of British DJ John Peel.
After Love Sculpture split, Edmunds had a number one single with "I Hear You Knocking", a Smiley Lewis cover. His only acting role followed, as a band member in the David Essex movie Stardust (1974 movie). After learning the trade of producer, culminating in a couple of singles in the style of Phil Spector, "Baby I Love You" and "Born To Be With You", he became linked with the pub rock movement of the early 1970s, producing Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and also The Flamin' Groovies, using a stripped down, grittier sound.
His own solo LP from that era, Subtle As A Flying Mallet, was similar in style. In 1977, the Brinsley Schwarz connection brought about a collaboration with Nick Lowe under the name Rockpile, with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. For contractual reasons they could not record as Rockpile until 1980, but contemporary solo LPs (such as Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust and Edmunds' own Repeat When Necessary) were in fact group recordings. Dave Edmunds had more hits during this time, including Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk", Nick Lowe's "I Knew The Bride", Hank DeVito's "Queen of Hearts" ), Graham Parker's "Crawling From The Wreckage", and Melvin Endsley's "Singing The Blues" (originally a hit for Guy Mitchell).
Unexpectedly, after Rockpile relased their first LP under their own name (1980's Seconds Of Pleasure), the band split, generally attributed to tensions between Edmunds and Lowe. Edmunds spent the 1980s collaborating with and producing an assortment of artists, from Paul McCartney to King Kurt, and from The Stray Cats to Status Quo. He recorded the soundtrack for Porky's Revenge, supplying the main theme, "High School Nights", and was the musical director for a television special starring Carl Perkins, with assorted guests including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Rosanne Cash.
On his 1983 and 1984 releases, Information and Riff Raff, Edmunds collaborated on two songs with Jeff Lynne, the lead musician of Electric Light Orchestra. He recorded less frequently after the mid 1980s.
Edmunds now lives in Wales in semi-retirement, touring Scandinavia infrequently, after surviving a quadruple bypass several years ago.
The Wanderer
Dave Edmunds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love'em 'cause to me they're all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name
They call me the wanderer yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around
Oh well there's flo on my left and there's mary on my right
And when she asks me which one I love the best
I tear open my shirt I got rosie on my chest
'Cause I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around
Oh well I roam from town to town
I go through life without a care
'Til I'm as happy as a clown
With my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere
I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place I roam from town to town
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world
Yeah I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around
Oh yeah I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place I roam from town to town
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world
Yeah 'cause I'm a wanderer yeah a wanderer
I roam around around around
'Cause I'm a wanderer yeah a wanderer
I roam around around around
The song “The Wanderer” by Dave Edmunds is a classic rock and roll song that talks about a young man's wild, uncommitted lifestyle. The lyrics suggest that the singer is a roving man who goes from town to town and girl to girl. He is always on the move and never settles down. He enjoys his life by meeting pretty girls, kissing them, and loving them, but they remain oblivious to his identity.
The song embodies a certain sense of detachment where the singer is always moving around without getting too close to anyone or anything. He is happy to go through life without a care in the world. He enjoys his freedom to travel and be with different women. Even when he discovers that he is falling for a girl, he refuses to settle down and continues his journey around the world.
Overall, the song captures the feelings of a young man who embodies a spirit of rebellion and freedom. He is uninterested in commitment and enjoys living his life on the road. The singer leaves the listener with a sense of longing and a desire to experience the same kind of freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh well I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
I am a man who cannot be tied down and prefer to move around.
Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around
I gravitate towards beautiful women and make sure they know I'm there.
I kiss 'em and I love'em 'cause to me they're all the same
I have no emotional attachment to the women I see or kiss, they are all interchangeable.
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name
I am so indifferent to the women I meet that they don't even know my name.
They call me the wanderer yeah the wanderer
I have earned the nickname 'The Wanderer' for my tendency to roam.
I roam around around around
I constantly move from place to place, never staying in one location for long.
Oh well there's flo on my left and there's mary on my right
I always have options when it comes to women and often entertain multiple women at once.
And janie is the girl with that I'll be with tonight
For tonight, I have chosen Janie to be my companion.
And when she asks me which one I love the best
If Janie asks which of the women I prefer, I will not provide a clear answer.
I tear open my shirt I got rosie on my chest
I show Janie a tattoo of a woman named Rosie on my chest to distract from the question at hand.
'Cause I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer
I am known as 'The Wanderer' due to my nomadic lifestyle.
I roam around around around
I move frequently from place to place and do not stay in one location for long.
Oh well I roam from town to town
I have no fixed location and often move from one town to the next.
I go through life without a care
I live my life in a carefree manner, without worrying about the consequences of my actions.
'Til I'm as happy as a clown
I do not concern myself with the future, living in the moment and finding happiness as I go.
With my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere
I am fiercely independent and always on the move - nobody can hold me down.
I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
Once again, I emphasize my tendency to move and be mobile, never staying in one place for long.
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
Occasionally, I will develop feelings for a woman, but it does not change my way of life or change me personally.
I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world
Instead of sticking around and potentially starting a relationship, I instead run away and choose to keep wandering.
Yeah I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer
Once again, I acknowledge my reputation as 'The Wanderer.'
I roam around around around
I continue to emphasize my tendency to stay on the move, never settling in one place for long.
'Cause I'm a wanderer yeah a wanderer
Once again, I claim my title as 'The Wanderer.'
I roam around around around
I continue to emphasize my tendency to stay on the move, never settling in one place for long.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ernie Maresca
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joni Armel
One of a handful of musicians who kept rock n roll alive . Thank you Dave Edmunds.
Brian Forgie
Fuckin eh man. Dave Edmunds is a beast best musician on that stage by a mile( and I like Bryan Adams)
Daberney
I can't think of anyone who could cover this song better than Dave Edmunds. His work with Nick Lowe back in the seventies and eighties was some of the very best stuff that came out of that era.
Daberney
Dave Edmunds I never would have expected to post a comment on YouTube and subsequently receive a shout out from the one and only Dave Edmunds! Of course, given the peculiarities of the internet, it might just be some random joker having a bit of fun, but if this really is Mr. Edmunds, thanks a lot for the greeting and, more importantly, thanks for all the great music you created or helped to create as a guitarist, vocalist, producer writer, and musical director. I can still count on tracks like Girls Talk, Almost Saturday Night, Warmed Over Kisses (who the heck played banjo on that one?), Ju Ju Man, and Creature From the Black Lagoon (one of the best novelty songs ever!) to lift my spirits, and at times that's some pretty heavy lifting. Anyway, I hope you're doing well and in good health; I do realize that you've pretty much retired from public performance, but if you ever get the urge to embark on an informal, small-scale tour---a sort of "A Night of Conversation, Guitar, and Guiness With Dave Edmunds" kind of thing---make sure Boston is on your itinerary, as we tend to recognize and remember outstanding musicians here, and you would undoubtedly receive a warm, enthusiastic reception.
One more thing: Sony Music really needs to get around to issuing a Dave Edmunds deluxe box set!
Stephen T
Hello Daberney...
gaiafrog
Why aren't both of these guys in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Dave Edmunds...great talent and under appreciated. Thanks for posting.
billy e
put gary US Bonds on the list
sean curran
@karen yochim Exactly, I don't care who's in that hall......
Bill C
I totally agree with you.
Allen Campbell
It’s crazy