He had one of the longest chart runs of any solo singer during the 1970s. His success as a live performer lasted well beyond the 1970s, and the chant from his hit "Rock and Roll (Part 2)" is a perennially popular stadium anthem at sports events, particularly in the United States. Glitter's 1973 number 1 "I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am!)" also remains one of the better-known songs of its era. He continued to record in the 1980s and 1990s, with his 1984 song "Another Rock And Roll Christmas" being one of the top 30 Christmas hits of all-time. In the UK alone Glitter scored more than 20 hit singles in the UK Top 75, and released more than twenty albums.
In 1999, Glitter was convicted of child pornography offences classifying him as a sex offender under UK law. He went to live in Vũng Tàu in Vietnam in March 2005 and applied for permanent resident status. Glitter then served three years in prison in Vietnam, convicted (in a highly controversial case) of sexually abusing two girls of 10 and 11 years of age, after being arrested on November 19, 2005.
In February 2015, he was jailed for 16 years for pedophilia in the 1970s.
I'm the Leader of the Gang
Gary Glitter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
I say come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang, oh yeah?
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang?
I'm the leader, I'm the leader, I'm the leader of the gang, I am
I'm the leader, I'm the leader, well, there's no one like the man I am
I can take you high as a kite every single night
I can make you jump out of bed standing on my head
Who'd ever believe it? Come on, come on
Who'd ever believe it? Come on, come on
Who'd ever believe it? Come on, come on
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang, oh yeah?
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang?
I'm the leader, I'm the leader, I'm the leader of the gang, I am
I'm the leader, I'm the leader, I'm the man who put the bang in gang
I can take you over the hill, ooh, what a thrill
I can make you sell me your soul for my rock and roll
Who'd ever believe it? Come on, come on
Who'd ever believe it? Come on, come on
Who'd ever believe it? Come on, come on
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang, oh yeah?
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang, oh yeah?
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang, oh yeah?
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang?
Come on, come on, I say, come on, come on, I say
Come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
I say, come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, follow the leader
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on, my gang
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, I am the leader
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
I say come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, I am the leader
Come on, come on, come on, come on
The lyrics to Gary Glitter's song "I'm the Leader of the Gang" can be interpreted as a call to join a group, with the singer as the charismatic leader. The repetition of "come on" and the phrase "do you wanna be in my gang" can be seen as persuasive techniques to persuade listeners to join. The singer emphasizes his leadership by repeatedly stating "I'm the leader" and boasting about his abilities to make people feel good, including being able to "take you high as a kite every single night" and "make you jump out of bed standing on my head." He also claims to have the power to make people sell their souls for his rock and roll.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is looking for followers who will blindly follow his lead and become part of his gang. The repetition of the phrase "my gang, my gang, my gang" emphasizes the exclusivity of the group, as if to say that only those who join will truly belong. However, there is a somewhat ominous tone to the lyrics, particularly in the line "I can make you sell me your soul for my rock and roll," which suggests that the singer's influence may have darker implications.
Overall, "I'm the Leader of the Gang" can be seen as a representation of the power dynamics involved in group formation and leadership, as well as the potential dangers of blindly following a charismatic leader.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Encouraging participation and excitement.
Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?
Asking if the listener wants to join and be a part of the group.
I'm the leader, I'm the leader, I'm the leader of the gang, I am
Asserting dominance and control over the group as the leader.
I can take you high as a kite every single night
Promising to provide a thrilling and exciting experience to the group.
I can make you jump out of bed standing on my head
Asserting one's ability to command and control the actions of others.
I'm the man who put the bang in gang
Asserting oneself as responsible for the excitement and energy of the group.
I can take you over the hill, ooh, what a thrill
Promising to provide thrilling and exciting experiences to the group.
I can make you sell me your soul for my rock and roll
Asserting one's ability to influence and control others through music and entertainment.
Come on, come on, I say, come on, come on, I say
Urging the listener to follow and obey the leader.
Come on, come on, follow the leader
Directly commanding the listener to follow and submit to the leader's authority.
Come on, come on, my gang
Asserting ownership over the group and emphasizing loyalty and unity among its members.
I say come on, come on, come on, come on
Emphasizing the authority and control of the leader.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gary Glitter, Mike Leander
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AlekWheeler
“Do you wanna flee to Thailand, Thailand, Thailand”
@lmpoar
My grandson set this as the ringtone on my phone he bought me. People do give me some funny stares in Tesco when it rings.
@MultiScooter63
LOL :-) keep it like that
@joebiggins2548
Absolute mad lad true alpha male brexiteer
@strimbimmin328
Picasso1975 what a bastard, I like the cut of his jib
@strimbimmin328
Picasso1975 what a bastard, I like the cut of his jib
@bp6329
he was a wonderful man.
@shamusbob7969
I'm glad we've kinda moved past cancelling songs, we realize so many people are flawed and artist are just people, I used to be ashamed of loving this song but then just realized how illogical that was, glad everyone has just moved past the obvious. Very Jeepers Creepers.
@VisorView
Let's be honest, he was a great entertainer, was at the top during the glam pop era. The music hasn't changed, it's the history behind the singer that has. That shouldn't stop anyone enjoying listening to it as much now as we did then.
@tombailey837
It shouldn't, but for many it instinctively does.