Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an E… Read Full Bio ↴Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist. His music, as well as his highly original sense of style and extraordinary stage presence, helped create the glam rock era of the 1970s which made him one of the most recognisable stars in British rock music

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.

Hippy Gumbo
Marc Bolan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Met a man he was nice
Said his name was paradise
Didn't realise at the time
That his face and mind were mine
Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Chop him up for firewood
It seemed good and it seemed right
That I should dig him on the night

But in the morning with the sun he pulled an automatic gun
He blew my soul, he blew my brain
He said I could not do the same
Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Chop him up for firewood

Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Chop him up and burn the wood.

Overall Meaning

In the song "Hippy Gumbo" by Marc Bolan, the lyrics depict a story of a man who meets another man who goes by the name of "Paradise" and seems like a nice guy, but ends up being dangerous. The lyrics suggest that the singer was initially attracted to Paradise and was enjoying his company, but later realizes that his mind and face were identical to his own. The ominous tone of the song is revealed when, in the morning after their meeting, Paradise pulls out an automatic gun and shoots the singer's soul and brain, claiming that he couldn't do the same.

The meaning of the song could be interpreted in different ways, but one central idea is that not everything is what it seems, and that appearances can be deceiving. The name "Hippy Gumbo" suggests that it is made up of different ingredients that don't always mix well together. The singer of the song was initially attracted to the idea of a "hippy" or a "free spirit" like himself, but soon finds out that not all hippies are the same. The mention of chopping Paradise up for firewood and burning him suggests a final rejection of the hippie ideal.

Line by Line Meaning

Met a man he was nice
I met a man who seemed pleasant

Said his name was paradise
He introduced himself as Paradise

Didn't realise at the time
I was unaware then

That his face and mind were mine
That he resembled me in both appearance and thought

Hippy Gumbo he's no good
Hippy Gumbo is not to be trusted

Chop him up for firewood
He deserves to be cut up and used as fuel

It seemed good and it seemed right
It appeared like a wise and appropriate choice

That I should dig him on the night
That I should have an intimate encounter with him that night

But in the morning with the sun he pulled an automatic gun
However, the next morning, he unexpectedly revealed a firearm

He blew my soul, he blew my brain
He devastated me emotionally and mentally

He said I could not do the same
He implied that I lacked the same capacity to harm him