Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
The Amorous Humphrey Plugg
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say, you're looking smart
I've had a tiring day
I took the kids along to the park
You've become a stranger
Every night with the boys
Got a new suit
And I kiss the children good night
And I slip away on the newly waxed floor
I've become a giant
I fill every street
I dwarf the rooftops
I hunchback the moon
Stars dance at my feet
Leave it all behind me
Screaming kids on my knee
And the telly swallowing me
And the neighbor shouting next door
And the subway trembling the roller-skate floor
I seek the buildings blazing with moonlight
In Channing Way
Their very eyes seem to suck you in with their laughter
They seem to say
You're all right now
So stop a while behind our smile
In Channing Way
Oh to die of kisses
Ecstasies and charms
Pavements of poets will write that I died
In nine angel's arms
And they all were smiling
Still seductive as sin in their eyes
The man I had been
No more hard luck stories to wear
Nothing left to give
Why the hell should I care
Ann knows my smile and buries my shadow
In Channing Way
And with her cellophane sighs
Corrina the candle
Begs me to stay
You're all right now
So stop a while behind our smile
In Channing Way
The first verse of "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg" sets the scene with the singer addressing someone who is "looking smart." The singer has taken the kids to the park for the day, but it seems that the addressee has spent the day out with the boys. The second verse hints at the singer's personal transformation that has taken place; they have become a giant and feel like they are filling the streets, dwarfing rooftops and hunchbacking the moon. It appears that the person who used to be small and insignificant has grown in their own mind, and now they seek a greater glory than the mundane life they lead.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer longs to escape their current reality. They seek out the buildings "blazing with moonlight" and seem to feel a pull towards them, imagining that the eyes in the buildings are laughing and even sucking them in. The third verse appears to be a fantasy sequence, with the singer imagining dying "of kisses, ecstasies and charms" in the arms of nine angels. The song ends with the singer being begged to stay in Channing Way by a character named Corrina the Candle, who is described as offering "cellophane sighs."
Overall, "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg" is a song about someone feeling stuck in a mundane existence and longing for something more magical and exciting. The vivid imagery used throughout the song immerses the listener in the singer's world, and while the meaning of the song is not spelled out, it is evident through the use of metaphor and symbolism.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello Mr. Big Shot
The singer greets a man who assumes himself to be important.
Say, you're looking smart
The singer comments on the man's appearance.
I've had a tiring day
The singer suggests that she has had a long and exhausting day.
I took the kids along to the park
The singer informs the man that she spent time with her children at the park.
You've become a stranger
The singer tells the man that he has changed and become unfamiliar to her.
Every night with the boys
The singer notes that the man spends every night with his male friends.
Got a new suit
The singer observes that the man has acquired a new suit.
That old smile's come back
The singer remarks that the man has regained an old expression on his face.
And I kiss the children good night
The singer lets the man know that she says goodnight to her children before leaving.
And I slip away on the newly waxed floor
The singer sneaks away on a newly cleaned floor, possibly to keep from waking the children.
I've become a giant
The singer describes herself as feeling larger than life.
I fill every street
The singer implies that she has taken on a great deal of importance and occupies a lot of space.
I dwarf the rooftops
The singer feels that she is so immense that she towers above buildings.
I hunchback the moon
The singer suggests that she is so large that she can even affect the moon's appearance.
Stars dance at my feet
The singer feels that she is so important that even the stars themselves are affected by her presence.
Leave it all behind me
The singer wants to forget about her everyday life and its troubles.
Screaming kids on my knee
The singer remembers the noise and chaos of having children in her lap.
And the telly swallowing me
The singer laments that she is so consumed by watching television that it seems to consume her entirely.
And the neighbor shouting next door
The singer describes the disturbance caused by a shouting neighbor.
And the subway trembling the roller-skate floor
The singer hears the subway shaking the floors of her home, making it difficult to concentrate.
I seek the buildings blazing with moonlight
The singer searches for places illuminated by the moon's light to escape from her troubles.
In Channing Way
The singer specifically mentions this location as one of the buildings she seeks out.
Their very eyes seem to suck you in with their laughter
The singer feels entranced by the buildings in Channing Way, which appear to draw her in with their humor.
They seem to say
The singer imagines that the buildings are communicating with her.
Oh to die of kisses
The singer dreams of a life filled with romantic passion.
Ecstasies and charms
The singer imagines herself surrounded by the pleasures of love and romance.
Pavements of poets will write that I died
The singer implies that her passionate love affair would be so intense and dramatic that poets would immortalize it in their writings.
In nine angel's arms
The singer wants to die in the arms of multiple angels, suggesting that she wants to experience the ultimate joy and satisfaction.
And they all were smiling
The singer imagines that the angels would be happy to be with her.
Still seductive as sin in their eyes
The singer feels that the angels are attracted to her and find her alluring.
The man I had been
The singer refers to her former self, the person she used to be.
No more hard luck stories to wear
The singer has no more stories of personal misfortune to tell.
Nothing left to give
The singer feels that she has nothing left to contribute or offer to the world.
Why the hell should I care
The singer asks why she should continue to worry about anything or anyone.
Ann knows my smile and buries my shadow
The singer has a friend named Ann who understands the subtle nuances of her facial expressions and emotions.
In Channing Way
The singer reminds the listener of the location where she feels happiest and most content.
And with her cellophane sighs
The singer describes Ann's emotional states as unremarkable or insincere.
Corrina the candle
The singer knows a woman named Corrina who seems fragile and delicate, like a candle.
Begs me to stay
The singer is asked to remain in her current place or situation.
You're all right now
The singer claims that everything is now good and positive.
So stop a while behind our smile
The singer asks the listener to relax and bask in the happiness that she and her friends feel.
In Channing Way
The singer again emphasizes the importance of this location in her life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT ENGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dartanghan Éluard
mrs.guidofski...
when you can, please enjoy these songs... "deeper tones of blue", nick garrie; "if i know you where the one", richard twice; "october morning", tucker zimmerman; "milk and honey", jackson c. frank; "if i knew", phil ochs; "winter winds", fotheringay (sandy danny); "love song", vashti bunyan...
watch this movie, beautiful and reflective, "shun li and the poet", italian of 2011...
and, finally, read this magnificent book, of the genial and dear, sándor márai... by your refined good taste, you will adore everything, really...
bravo! : )
Jack Geitz
words just cannot explain the uniqueness of this beautiful song.....it has haunted my soul since 1968....
Peztopher
It's a masterpiece. No joke.
Paul Turzio
My bucket list is forever incomplete with his passing.
Loved him from the first day I ever heard him sing in 1966.
Thought I'd get to see him one more time. RIP Scott.
wizard101'er
You'll see him one day.
Jack Geitz
so many people loved him from around the whole world.....including me here in little ol Tasmania......
Edward mulholland
One of his best songs from the ‘67 - ‘70 period. A kitchen sink drama set to song. Epic internal lives within ordinary people living day to day. Nobody has done that kind of songwriting better than him. Love his music both from then and now.
Jasmine Olive
Exactly !!!
Helena Stokes
Another great song written and sung by the fabulous Scott..rip beautiful man.💔💔
Erick Benjamin
Rest In Peace: great artist, dark poet, beautiful soul
wellandtruly joshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔 You have become a giant - outstanding creator of sound 👏 I’m sure the nine angels were smiling 😃😢