Marc had played guitar since the age of 9, but started to pursue music more seriously around 1964, when he became Toby Tyler, covering songs by Bob Dylan, and Dion.
(A track recorded around this time as Mark Feld, "All At Once" has recently been discovered will be released soon.) In his teen years, Marc became known as one of the first "mods". This led him to a brief stint as a model, and he chose to leave school when he was 14 years old. He also played guitar in a band called John's Children. Marc was needed for this group as a 'Pete Townshend' figure, but after 3 months, he left the band.
Together with Steve Peregrin Took, he formed his own duo Tyrannosaurus Rex, which quickly gained a large underground following. After 3 successful albums, Steve Peregrin Took's drug habits and suggestion of doing some of his own songs was enough for Marc to kick him out of the duo. Mickey Finn quickly replaced Steve, and the new duo recorded the album A Beard Of Stars, with Marc replacing Steve's backing vocals on the tracks they already began recording.
On Marc's second album with Finn, he decided to shorten the name of the band to T. Rex, and found fame and chart succes in 1970 with Ride a White Swan.
Following that success, Marc wrote several more top 10 hits and albums, Electric Warrior(1971), The Slider (1972), Tanx(1973), Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow Or a Creamed Cage In August)(1974), Bolan's Zip-Gun(1975), Futuristic Dragon(1976) and the final album
Dandy In the Underworld(1977).
Marc Bolan tried to make it clear during his lifetime that he was NOT to be grouped in the lot called Glam Rock. In 1973, he appeared under the headline "Glam Rock Is Dead: Says Marc" - he felt he was not being treated seriously as an artist, so with Zinc Alloy onward, he moved into a Rock & Soul sound, radically different than what was the musical trend at the time. Many of Marc's fans stayed behind with the Glam movement, but Marc pursued further into less commercial music adventures, with the help of his soul-singer girlfriend, Gloria Jones. Together they had a son, Rolan Bolan, in 1975.
Tragically, Marc died in a car crash on 16 September 1977 in a purple Mini driven by Gloria Jones.
Dandy in the Underworld
Marc Bolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born with steel reins on the heart of the Sun
Gypsy explorer of the New Jersey Heights
Exalted companion of cocaine nights **
'Cos he's a Dandy in the Underworld
Dandy in the Underworld
When will he come up for air,
At an old eighteen exiled he was
To the deserted kingdoms of a mythical Oz
Distraction he wanted, to destruction he fell
Now he forever stalks the ancient
Mansions of hell
* Repeat
Now his lovers have left him
And his youth's ill spent
He cries in the dungeons and tries to repent
But change is a monster and changing is hard
But he'll freeze away his summers in his
Underground yard
* Repeat
** Repeat
Repeat twice
The lyrics of "Dandy in the Underworld" by Marc Bolan & T. Rex are deep and reflective of the artist's own struggles with fame, drug addiction, and the changes that come with it. The song speaks to the life of a young man who is born to play, with an untouchable heart that seeks adventure and excitement in the world. The image of a "Prince of Players, Pawn of none" is evocative of a man who is confident in his own abilities, but at the mercy of his own wild spirit. The phrase "Born with steel reins on the heart of the Sun" speaks to his inherent power, but also his vulnerability to the flames that come with it.
The second verse is a reflection on the past, where the young man was exiled at a young age to a world of his own creation. The reference to mythical Oz speaks to his desire for distraction and escape, but it ultimately led him to a destructive path. The lyrics about his forever stalking the ancient Mansions of hell are a reference to his inability to let go of his past and the demons that come with it. The chorus is reflective of the singer's own life, as he questions whether anyone will care when he eventually emerges from the underworld and if he will be able to change his ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Prince of Players, Pawn of none
He is skilled at manipulating situations but also in full control of himself
Born with steel reins on the heart of the Sun
He was born with an unbreakable spirit that shines as bright as the sun
Gypsy explorer of the New Jersey Heights
He is always wandering, never settling down, and exploring new places beyond what others dare to venture
Exalted companion of cocaine nights
He is surrounded by the glamour and thrill of the night scene, especially fueled by the drug cocaine
'Cos he's a Dandy in the Underworld
He is a charming and fashionable man who lives a life of revelry and excess in the dark, hidden corners of society
When will he come up for air,
Will he ever take a break or escape from his decadent lifestyle?
Will anybody ever care
Will anyone truly care for him or is he simply a fleeting fancy of his companions?
At an old eighteen exiled he was
He was banished at a young age, just eighteen, to an imaginary and mystical land
To the deserted kingdoms of a mythical Oz
He was sent to a deserted land similar to the fictional world of Oz
Distraction he wanted, to destruction he fell
He sought distraction from the mundane life, but ended up falling into self-destruction instead
Now he forever stalks the ancient Mansions of hell
He is now trapped in a life of sin and endlessly roams the dark corners of the underworld
Now his lovers have left him
His lovers have deserted him, leaving him alone
And his youth's ill spent
His youth has been wasted on a life of devil-may-care attitude
He cries in the dungeons and tries to repent
He is filled with regret and attempts to make amends for his past actions
But change is a monster and changing is hard
Change is terrifying and difficult to achieve
But he'll freeze away his summers in his Underground yard
He intends to be alone and suffer in his personal isolated hell instead of trying to change and live a better life
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind