The trio of Scott Walker (Noel Scott Engel), Gary Walker (Gary Leeds, formerly of The Standells), and John Walker (John Maus, November 12, 1943 - May 7, 2011) moved from the U.S. to Britain in 1965. Like The Ramones, they were not related, and adopted the same last name as a show business touch. They had only minor success in the U.S., but topped the UK singles charts with Make It Easy On Yourself in 1965 and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) in 1966.
After a UK tour in late 1967, which also featured Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens, and Engelbert Humperdinck, followed by a tour of Japan in 1968, the group officially disbanded. After the group disbanded, all three members scored U.S. and UK chart hits, under their Walker names.
Reforming in 1974, The Walker Brothers recorded a version of Tom Rush's No Regrets which soared into the British Top Ten after an absence of over a decade. However, the three albums that followed sold poorly: No Regrets (1975), Lines (1976), and Nite Flights (1978). Scott Walker's tracks on the final album, Nite Flights, laid the stylistic groundwork for his later solo career.
John Walker died at his Los Angeles home on May 7, 2011
Where's the Girl
The Walker Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where's the girl, the flowers are dying 'cause nobody cares any more
The canary and the poor lonely flowers miss her so very much
You can tell this apartment and I are in need of a woman's touch
On the floor there is one nylon stocking and I'm a leaving it there where it lies
Oh who'd have thought that one nylon stocking could ever bring tears to these eyes
Where's the girl who used to fix me my coffee and butter up my toast
But lord what I miss the most is the girl.
Here's a dresser drawer that's filled with old hairpins, lipstick and Lord knows what
And here's a photograph taken last summer and a bottle of perfume bought
But where's the girlâ?¦. Where's the girl. Where's the girl Oh I need the girl
The Walker Brothers’ song Where’s The Girl expresses the sentiment of a man who is deeply missing a woman in his life who has left him. The canary in the room has stopped singing, and the flowers are dying. The poem’s persona is grieving and points out that the apartment could use a woman’s touch. One nylon stocking on the floor causes tears, reminding the persona of the love that has been lost. They reminisce that the girl used to fix him his coffee and butter up his toast, and he misses her kisses and the way she used to taste. The singer finds an old hairpin, perfume, lipstick, and a photograph, which are reminders of the woman he lost.
The lyric is both straightforward and emotive, with every verse revealing that the house feels empty without the girl. The bird and flowers symbolize the singer's emotions and how, since the girl left, he's fallen apart. The persona wants to feel the girl’s presence again but recognizes that it won't happen until she decides to return. It’s a heartfelt ballad about missing someone deeply and feeling incomplete without them. The lyricist’s use of imagery, metaphors, and emotive language effectively convey the singer's sense of emptiness and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Where's the girl, the canary stopped singing the moment she walked out the door
The girl who used to live here was so kind that even the birds in this apartment miss her.
Where's the girl, the flowers are dying 'cause nobody cares any more
The flowers in this apartment are dying because nobody is here to take care of them since she left.
The canary and the poor lonely flowers miss her so very much
Not only me, but also other living beings in this apartment miss her presence.
You can tell this apartment and I are in need of a woman's touch
Everything in this apartment seems incomplete without her and only a woman's touch can make it meaningful again.
On the floor there is one nylon stocking and I'm a leaving it there where it lies
I cannot bear to pick up this stocking because it reminds me of her and I don't want to forget her.
Oh who'd have thought that one nylon stocking could ever bring tears to these eyes
Even a tiny object like a stocking can bring back such deep emotions in me.
Where's the girl who used to fix me my coffee and butter up my toast
I miss her so much that even the little things she did for me like making coffee and buttering toast seem so important.
Lord how I miss the coffee taste of her kiss
The taste of coffee she made reminds me of her loving kiss and I miss it terribly.
But lord what I miss the most is the girl.
More than anything else, I miss her presence and her love.
Here's a dresser drawer that's filled with old hairpins, lipstick and Lord knows what
I found a drawer filled with her belongings which remind me of her.
And here's a photograph taken last summer and a bottle of perfume bought
I found a photograph and a bottle of perfume that she used and it brings back memories of her.
But where's the girlâ?¦. Where's the girl. Where's the girl Oh I need the girl
All of these things remind me of her but most of all, I want her back in my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andyisdead
Where's the girl, the canary stopped singing the moment she walked out the door
Where's the girl, the flowers are dying 'cos nobody cares any more
The canary and the poor lonely flowers miss her so very much
You can tell this apartment and I are in need of a woman's touch
On the floor there is one nylon stocking and I'm a leaving it there where it lies
Oh who'd have thought that one nylon stocking could ever bring tears to these eyes
Where's the girl who used to fix me my coffee and butter up my toast
Lord how I miss the coffee taste of her kiss
But lord what I miss the most is the girl…
Here's a dresser drawer that's filled with old hairpins, lipstick and Lord knows what
And here's a photograph taken last summer and a bottle of perfume bought
But where's the girl…. Where's the girl…. Where's the girl… Oh I need the girl…
@helenastokes3694
I love this song by Scott, he could sing anything, and that wide range of notes are just sublime. Miss you Scott walker 😢❤❤xx
@patwebb4112
Definitely one of my Scott faves.
@CANARVONKID
LORD HOW I MISS, THE COFFEE TASTE OF HER KISS! What a great line!! What a great singer!
@wellandtrulyjoshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔 Miss you more 😢
@annetteshaw1820
Great voice
@danieljones5137
The first LP that I brought with my own money.Have not played it since I got rid of my record player 10 years ago, after listening to this have decided to by a new one.Great song thanks for posting.
@bmckeeb1
i have listened so many times 2 this never fails again and again need i say any more .
@johncrawford4926
Awesome collection, grew up digging these guys .Scott Walker did define the group. Thanks so much for throwing this all out there !
@sallyann1951
Hi, I have all the original lp's ep's and 45's. A true fan. Thanks for posting
@johnanthony9313
1966...the year we married...here's the girl right here. Unbelievable