Robyn Raymond Hitchcock (born 3rd March 1953) is an English singer-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Robyn Raymond Hitchcock (born 3rd March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and psych folk guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. Many of Hitchcock's album covers bear his paintings or drawings, and his albums' liner notes sometimes include a printed short story. His live concerts usually include a considerable amount of story-telling, imaginative and surreal ad-libbed monologues in his lyrical style. He is the son of novelist Raymond Hitchcock and the brother of artist Lal Hitchcock.

He regularly does solo work, and returns again and again to bands he has formed like The Soft Boys and The Egyptians. Hitchcock is an avid and able collaborator with people like director Jonathan Demme, actor Alan Rickman, country/folk duo (and longtime Hitchcock fans) Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, The Venus 3, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows' frontman Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge of XTC, Nick Lowe, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Jon Brion, and Grant-Lee Phillips, as well as Ministry's Bill Rieflin.

Hitchcock's musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by his appreciation of Bob Dylan, Gregory Corso, The Byrds, Country Joe & The Fish, and Syd Barrett.

Hitchcock's lyrics are an essential component of his work, and tend to include surrealism, comedic songs, characterisations of English eccentrics, plant roots, insects, trains, dreams, and melancholy depictions of everyday life. His themes include what many psychologists view as the roots of modern neurosis - namely, death, sex, and eating. (As if in recognition of these themes, he released an EP in 2007 called "Sex, Food, Death and Tarantulas".)

This Could Be the Day
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics

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This could be the day I've waited for all my life,
And it's coming true.
This could be the day I've waited for all my life,
And it looks like you.

Bells of fire, hissing through
The dark and tropical night,
Thrown by Nubian slaves.

This could be the night I've waited for all my frumpy, little, life.
This could be the night I cut a malignant growth
With a steel knife.

Tongues of fire, hissing through
The dark and tropical night,
Thrown by Nubian slaves.

This could be the train I've waited for all my life,
Coming 'round the bend.
This could be the chain that fettered me all my life,
Coming to an end.

I always bowed and curtsied.
I held the candle high,
And I blessed your valuable feet
As they went by.

Tongues of fire, hissing through

The dark and tropical night,
Thrown by Nubian slaves.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Robyn Hitchcock's song "This Could Be the Day" can be interpreted in a few different ways, but all revolve around the idea of a long-awaited moment finally arriving. The repetition of "this could be the day I've waited for all my life" emphasizes the sense of anticipation and excitement. The second line of each verse, "and it's coming true" or "and it looks like you," suggests that the long-awaited moment involves a specific person or event. The imagery of "bells of fire" and "tongues of fire" being thrown by Nubian slaves creates a sense of both danger and celebration, perhaps suggesting that the awaited moment is both thrilling and risky. The verse about cutting a malignant growth with a steel knife suggests a personal victory or triumph over something that has held the singer back. The final verse about the chain finally coming to an end suggests freedom and liberation from something that has weighed the singer down, perhaps reflecting a personal struggle such as addiction or a toxic relationship. Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of hope and excitement for an important moment finally arriving after a long wait.

Line by Line Meaning

This could be the day I've waited for all my life,
Perhaps today is the day that I have longed for in my entire existence,

And it's coming true.
Maybe my wish is finally coming true.

This could be the day I've waited for all my life,
Perhaps today is the day that I have longed for in my entire existence,

And it looks like you.
You are the one that seems to represent the dream that I have been waiting for.

Bells of fire, hissing through
The sound of flames from metal bells,

The dark and tropical night,
Over a dark tropical night,

Thrown by Nubian slaves.
Possibly thrown by slaves from Nubia.

This could be the night I've waited for all my frumpy, little, life.
Perhaps this is the night that I have always waited for, despite my unimpressive life.

This could be the night I cut a malignant growth
Perhaps it could be the night that I finally defeat a harmful condition,

With a steel knife.
Using a sharp steel blade to do so.

Tongues of fire, hissing through
A sound that could be the movement of fire amidst chaos,

The dark and tropical night,
Over the darkness of the tropics,

Thrown by Nubian slaves.
Maybe by the hands of slaves from Nubia.

This could be the train I've waited for all my life,
Perhaps this is the train that I have always waited for,

Coming 'round the bend.
Just about to come around the corner.

This could be the chain that fettered me all my life,
Perhaps this is the connection that has tied me down for my entire life,

Coming to an end.
It could all be over soon.

I always bowed and curtsied.
In the past, I used to show respect in a way that was a bit outdated,

I held the candle high,
I lifted a source of light up high,

And I blessed your valuable feet
I admired and praised your prized feet,