The Lilac Hand of Menthol Dan
Marc Bolan Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dan, Dan, Menthol Dan.

Dan, Dan, Menthol Dan

My friend Dan, he was a courteous man.
There wasn't much he didn't understand.
He stood on the fringe of death;
all because the bad Macbeth,
the lilac hand of menthol Dan.

Dan, Dan, Menthol Dan.

Dan, Dan, Menthol Dan

We met Beth, she was a friend of mine.
She intreduced him to a life of crime.
He stood on a burning bridge;
all because he stole a fridge,
the lilac hand of menthol Dan.

Dan, Dan, Dan you don't understand
you've got the face of an angel
but your mine of a man.

Dan, Dan, Dan you don't understand
you've got the face of an angel
but your mine of a man.

Dan was goosed from his more nasty self.
He found the whole of life
and through it, he fell.
Deep into the hour of truth
Owned a house with a purple roof.
the lilac hand of menthol Dan.

Dan, Dan, Dan you don't understand
you've got the face of an angel
but your mine of a man.

Dan, Dan, Dan you don't understand
you've got the face of an angel
but your mine of a man.

Dan, Dan, Dan you don't understand




you've got the face of an angel
but your mine of a man.

Overall Meaning

"The Lilac Hand of Menthol Dan" is a song by Marc Bolan that tells the story of a man named Dan. According to the lyrics, Dan is a kind and courteous person who somehow got caught up in a life of crime. The song suggests that Dan's downfall is due to his association with a woman named Beth and a man known as "the bad Macbeth."


The lyrics mention several times "the lilac hand of menthol Dan," which seems to be a metaphor for some kind of negative influence or bad luck that follows Dan around. It's not entirely clear what the "lilac hand" represents or why it's associated with menthol, but it seems to suggest that Dan's fate is not entirely his own doing.


Despite the somewhat ambiguous lyrics, "The Lilac Hand of Menthol Dan" is a catchy and memorable song with a strong rock beat and Bolan's trademark guitar riffs. It's unclear whether the song is based on a real person or event, but it seems to have struck a chord with fans of Bolan's music and remains a popular track to this day.


Line by Line Meaning

Dan, Dan, Menthol Dan.
Repetition of Dan's name and nickname, setting the tone for the song


My friend Dan, he was a courteous man.
Dan was a polite person who was well-liked


There wasn't much he didn't understand.
Dan was knowledgeable and understanding


He stood on the fringe of death;
Dan was in a dangerous situation


all because the bad Macbeth,
Dan's predicament was caused by a negative influence or situation


the lilac hand of menthol Dan.
Dan's nickname may suggest that he was involved in underground or illicit activities


We met Beth, she was a friend of mine.
The singer introduced Dan to someone named Beth


She intreduced him to a life of crime.
Beth may have influenced Dan in a negative way


He stood on a burning bridge;
Dan was in a dangerous situation


all because he stole a fridge,
Dan's predicament was caused by a seemingly minor or foolish action


the lilac hand of menthol Dan.
Dan's activities may have been connected to drugs or other illegal activities


Dan, Dan, Dan you don't understand
Repetition of Dan's name with a suggestion that he was naive or inexperienced


you've got the face of an angel
Dan had a friendly or attractive appearance


but your mine of a man.
Dan was tough and capable


Dan was goosed from his more nasty self.
Dan may have been influenced to change for the better


He found the whole of life
Dan embraced life and its experiences


and through it, he fell.
Dan may have encountered struggles or difficulties


Deep into the hour of truth
Dan faced a critical moment in his life


Owned a house with a purple roof.
Dan had a unique or unconventional home


the lilac hand of menthol Dan.
Repetition of Dan's nickname with a suggestion that his activities may have been questionable




Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found