Tropical Chancer
La Roux Lyrics


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He'll take the money and the food that's in your hand
But you have to understand that he's a dreamer
Living my life within a mile you could believe
This place turns honest men to thieves

And I could see it in his eyes
He was the type to sail off in the night
I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

He'll trade your loving for the things he's never seen
The places he has never been
Oh but remember he is just a good pretender
And he doesn't give his love away for free

And I could see it in his eyes
He was the type to sail off in the night

I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

I met him through a dancer




Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to La Roux's song Tropical Chancer paint a picture of a man who is a smooth-talking thief; someone who will take advantage of you and steal whatever he can get his hands on. But despite the warning signs, the singer of the song finds herself falling for him. The chorus repeats the phrase "Didn't know he was a tropical chancer" as if to say that she was blinded by his charm and didn't realize the extent of his manipulative nature.


The lyrics also touch on the idea that living in a certain environment can influence the way people behave. The line "This place turns honest men to thieves" suggests that the man's behavior may be a result of the environment he grew up in. Similarly, "Living my life within a mile you could believe" could be interpreted as her acknowledging that she too has been influenced by the location they both occupy.


Overall, the song Tropical Chancer serves as a cautionary tale about falling for someone who seems too good to be true. Despite the singer's awareness of the man's flaws, she still finds herself drawn to him. The song is a reminder that sometimes our intuition is telling us something we need to listen to, even if we don't want to.


Line by Line Meaning

He'll take the money and the food that's in your hand
He is capable of stealing whatever you have, be it food or money.


But you have to understand that he's a dreamer
His actions may be fueled by his dreams and ambitions.


Living my life within a mile you could believe
The place they are in has a strong influence on how people behave.


This place turns honest men to thieves
The environment they are in can force even the most honest of people to turn to stealing for survival.


And I could see it in his eyes
She could tell just by looking at him what type of person he was.


He was the type to sail off in the night
He was the kind of person who was always ready to move on and start anew.


He'll trade your loving for the things he's never seen
He is willing to give up a relationship for the sake of experiencing new things.


The places he has never been
He desires to see and explore new places.


Oh but remember he is just a good pretender
He is skilled at pretending to be something he's not.


And he doesn't give his love away for free
He doesn't readily offer or give away his love.


I met him through a dancer
She first met him through a mutual acquaintance, a dancer.


Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
She was not aware of his true nature as a charming but untrustworthy person.


A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer
She repeats that she did not realize he was a smooth-talking, risk-taking individual.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFF BHASKER, GRACE JONES, ELLY JACKSON, IAN SHERWIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Claire Lochelongue

[Verse 1]
He'll take the money and the food that's in your hand
But you have to understand that he's a dreamer
Living my life within a mile you could believe
This place turns honest men to thieves

[Pre-Chorus]
And I could see it in his eyes
He was the type to sail off in the night

[Chorus](x2)
I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

[Verse 2]
He'll trade your loving for the things he's never seen
The places he has never been
Oh but remember he is just a good pretender
And he doesn't give his love away for free

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus](x4)



All comments from YouTube:

Kasia

I love this album, I feel like I'm dancing in a club in the 80s.

Critical Catalyst

All night long...

BillAnt

Well, that's Elly's plan. :)

Hernan Spurio

Same to me

1 More Replies...

Claire Lochelongue

[Verse 1]
He'll take the money and the food that's in your hand
But you have to understand that he's a dreamer
Living my life within a mile you could believe
This place turns honest men to thieves

[Pre-Chorus]
And I could see it in his eyes
He was the type to sail off in the night

[Chorus](x2)
I met him through a dancer
Didn't know he was a tropical chancer
A tropical chancer, didn't know he was a tropical chancer

[Verse 2]
He'll trade your loving for the things he's never seen
The places he has never been
Oh but remember he is just a good pretender
And he doesn't give his love away for free

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus](x4)

Jesus Lopez

Thank you

dtregea

For the record, la roux has performed this song months before get lucky was released, in late 2011 at her gigs.

dtregea

The original chords are sampled from Grace Jones “My Jamaican guy” from 1982 lol

splash ID

The original chords are from the 2000s by a South Korean.
I saw his home video.

:) ;)

Eros Galaxia

I definitely did hear the similarities upon first hearing this song but it’s definitely coincidental.

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