His studio albums have become increasingly experimental. While they often feature full arrangements including horns, piano, bass, drums, and back-up singers, he has translated these arrangements on stage to just himself and his guitar without slowing the tempo or sacrificing components of the song. Like the folk-country and Delta blues singers that influence him, he uses his feet, the palm of his left hand, and his voice, to simulate drums and bass behind his vocals and guitar chords. Often Sexton will accentuate his songs by running his vocals through a guitar processor (similar to Peter Frampton), as well as a jazz trumpet-like singing style.
Gypsy Woman
Martin Sexton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The night she took me by surprise
I should have known all the trouble that I'd be in
But then she hooked me with those eyes
Her drink was gin as she said tonight would never end
But her love weighed so heavy on my mind
For she was the live-in lover of a drummer I called my friend
She weren't nothing but a gypsy in disguise
Gypsy woman how'd you do that to me
Gypsy woman stole my heart and then you set me free
Gypsy woman how'd you learn to like that
Gypsy woman come on back
Spending my wages on rose and wine
We'd ride the days and we'd dance the nights
The things we could do in my old VW
The city lights never seemed so bright from the reservoir
And my friends they would warn me saying she's one fickle queen
Better get out while the getting is good my friend
And besides her old drummer man is looking
And he's so big and bad and mean
But what I didn't know then is what I know too well
She played me like a violin
So you tell me that you're leaving me now
After all the times that we have been through
As your clown how am I gonna ever go home
Somebody tell me what am I gonna do
And so it goes I lost my pride
And I lost my job
This gypsy woman took nearly every thing I called my own
It was a big surprise
So next time she comes dancing prancing through the town
Gonna recognize the gypsy
I'm gonna recognize the gypsy
Gonna recognize the gypsy in disguise
The first verse of Martin Sexton's song "Gypsy Woman" tells the story of the singer's foolishness as a young man when he was seduced by a woman he should have known was going to cause him trouble. Despite her being the live-in lover of one of his friends, he couldn't resist her enchanting eyes and was hooked right from the start. The woman in question was a gypsy in disguise, and her drink of choice was gin. The singer knew the situation was complicated, but love weighed heavily on his mind, and he was willing to take his chances. He soon found out that the gypsy woman had played him like a violin.
The chorus of the song repeats the words, "Gypsy woman, how'd you do that to me? / Gypsy woman stole my heart and then you set me free / Gypsy woman, how'd you learn to like that / Gypsy woman, come on back." What was once a plea to get the woman to come back has now become a cry of despair as the singer realizes he's lost everything, including his pride and job. The gypsy woman has taken almost everything he owned and left him with nothing.
The story may sound like a cliché, but Martin Sexton's masterful lyrics and soulful voice make it a poignant and powerful tale of love and loss. He sings about the complexities of love, the dangers of the unknown, and the way life has a way of teaching hard lessons when we least expect them. The melancholic yet hopeful tone of the song is what makes it so relatable and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a fool I was so much younger then
In hindsight, I see that I made a foolish decision when I was younger.
The night she took me by surprise
I wasn't expecting what happened that night.
I should have known all the trouble that I'd be in
Looking back, I realize that I should have seen the potential problems that would come from getting involved with her.
But then she hooked me with those eyes
Despite my misgivings, I couldn't resist her charm.
Her drink was gin as she said tonight would never end
She was drinking gin when she made a promise that the night would never end.
But her love weighed so heavy on my mind
I was consumed by my feelings for her.
For she was the live-in lover of a drummer I called my friend
I later found out that she was already involved with my friend who was a drummer.
She weren't nothing but a gypsy in disguise
She was nothing more than a wandering woman disguised as something else.
Gypsy woman how'd you do that to me
I'm amazed at how easily she was able to captivate me.
Gypsy woman stole my heart and then you set me free
She took my heart and then left me alone and broken-hearted.
Gypsy woman how'd you learn to like that
I wonder how she became so skilled at tricking people.
Gypsy woman come on back
Despite everything, I still crave her presence.
Spending my wages on rose and wine
I spent all my money on flowers and alcohol.
We'd ride the days and we'd dance the nights
We spent our time together driving and dancing.
The things we could do in my old VW
We had a lot of fun together in my car.
The city lights never seemed so bright from the reservoir
We had a great view of the city lights from the reservoir.
And my friends they would warn me saying she's one fickle queen
My friends tried to warn me that she was unpredictable and unreliable.
Better get out while the getting is good my friend
They advised me to leave while I still could.
And besides her old drummer man is looking
Her former boyfriend, who is also a drummer, is watching her every move.
And he's so big and bad and mean
He's a formidable opponent who is not to be messed with.
But what I didn't know then is what I know too well
What I didn't realize at the time, but now do, is that she was manipulating me.
She played me like a violin
She used me for her own purposes like an instrument.
So you tell me that you're leaving me now
You are breaking my heart by telling me that you are leaving me.
After all the times that we have been through
We've been through so much together.
As your clown how am I gonna ever go home
I feel like a fool and don't know how I can face going back to my old life.
Somebody tell me what am I gonna do
I am lost and don't know what to do.
And so it goes I lost my pride
I feel ashamed because I lost my dignity.
And I lost my job
I also lost my employment.
This gypsy woman took nearly every thing I called my own
She took almost everything that was important to me.
It was a big surprise
I never expected things to turn out this way.
So next time she comes dancing prancing through the town
If I ever see her again, I will recognize her manipulation tactics.
Gonna recognize the gypsy
I will know her for who she really is.
I'm gonna recognize the gypsy
I hope to avoid making the same mistake again.
Gonna recognize the gypsy in disguise
I will see through her disguise and not let her deceive me again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SEXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind