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.
The Wanderer
Gary Glitter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the 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
Yeah, 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 around around.
Yeah, 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 around around.
Well, I roam from town to town
I go through life without a care
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 that girl
Yeah, I hop right in the car of mine and ride around the world
Yeah, I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around around around around around
Yeah, I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around around
Yeah, I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around.
"The Wanderer" by Gary Glitter is a classic rock and roll song that tells the story of a man who has a wandering spirit and cannot settle down in one place. The singer of the song is a ladies' man who goes from town to town looking for love and adventure, and he proclaims proudly that he is "the type of guy who will never settle down". He also reveals that he loves all the girls he meets, and to him, they are all the same. He hugs, kisses and squeezes them but none ever remembers his name. He is known as "the wanderer" because he cannot stay in one place for too long and is always moving around.
In the second verse, he is with three different girls, Flo on his left, Mary on his right, and Janie who he will be with tonight. When Janie asks him which one he loves the most, he opens his shirt to reveal a tattoo of the name Rosie on his chest. The singer's passion for adventure and women is a classic rock and roll theme, and it reflects the spirit of the early rock and roll era. The Wanderer was one of the most popular songs of the early 1960s, and it has been covered by countless artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I’m the type of guy who will never settle down
I am a person who is not capable of settling down with one woman.
Where the pretty girls are well, you know that I’m around
I am always found near attractive women.
I kiss ’em and I love ’em ’cause to me they’re all the same
I do not discriminate among women as I kiss and love them all equally.
Yeah, I hug ’em and I squeeze ’em, they don’t even know my name
I embrace and press myself against them but they remain unaware of who I am.
They call me the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I am known as the wanderer.
I roam around around around around around.
I travel frequently and a lot.
Yeah, there’s Flo on my left and there’s Mary on my right
Two women, Flo and Mary, are sitting on my either side.
And Janie is the girl with that I’ll be with tonight
Tonight, I will be with a woman named Janie.
And when she asks me which one I love the best
If Janie asks me which of the women I love most,
I tear open my shirt, I got Rosie on my chest
I show her a tattoo of a name 'Rosie' on my chest.
’Cause I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I introduce myself as the wanderer.
I roam around around around around around.
I travel frequently and a lot.
Well, I roam from town to town
I travel from town to town.
I go through life without a care
I live my life without worrying about anything.
I’m as happy as a clown
I feel as happy as a clown.
With my two fists of iron and I’m going nowhere.
I have a sense of freedom with my fists and I'm not headed anywhere specific.
I’m the type of guy that likes to roam around
I like to travel and move around a lot.
I’m never in one place, I roam from town to town
I never stay in one place for long and travel to different towns.
And when I find myself a-fallin’ for that girl
When I start to fall in love with a woman,
Yeah, I hop right in the car of mine and ride around the world
I immediately drive around the entire world in my car.
Yeah, I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I confirm that I am the wanderer.
I roam around around around around around around around
I keep traveling and moving around without any specific destination.
Yeah, I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I repeat that I am the wanderer.
I roam around around around around
I keep traveling and moving around without any specific destination.
Yeah, I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I repeat that I am the wanderer.
I roam around around around.
I keep traveling and moving around without any specific destination.
Contributed by Isabella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.