Music Review: The Bangles "Walk Like An Egyptian"

"All the old paintings on the tombs/They do the sand dance don''tyou know/If they move too quick (oh whey oh)/They're falling down like a domino/All the bazaar men by the Nile/They got the money on a bet/Gold crocodiles (oh whey oh)/They snap their teeth on your cigarette." /blockquote>

In the pre-chorus, Europeans in between breaths of smoke, do the dance with their hands.

"Foreign types with the hookah pipes say/Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh."

In the chorus, she tells people to perform. The best reference, according to Wikipedia, would Steve Martin’s "King Tut" dance.

"Walk like an Egyptian."

In the second verse, she says lithe waitresses practice while they work. It may lead to an accident. However, they quickly correct it. She says high school kids who are stressed by classes do the dance to escape. While it's normally not what they are into, it's an amusing way to pass the time.

"The blonde waitresses take their trays/They spin around and they cross the floor/They've got the moves (oh whey oh)/You drop your drink then they bring you more/All the school kids so sick of books/They like the punk and the metal band/When the buzzer rings (oh whey oh)/They're walking like an Egyptian."

In the pre-chorus, she says the children out grocery shopping with their parents form a line and move.

"All the kids in the marketplace say/Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh."

The chorus is sung again.

A brisk guitar solo follows and a guy whistles.

In the third verse, Susanna Hoffs instructs people on how to do it. She says that it's a goofy thing to do on top of the car to break the tension from life. She continues to say that the police officers spend their breaks at the doughnut shops. In there, they imitate the Steve Martin move. Once the police are on patrol, they drive by the clubs to watch people doing the dance while waiting in line to get inside. She says the people in Asian countries are fascinated by it, too. They will prank call the general line inside a Moscow fortress and ask them if they are doing the steps. She says the Chinese are already aware and perform it religiously.

"Slide your feet up the street bend your back/Shift your arm then you pull it back/Life is hard you know (oh whey oh)/So strike a pose on a Cadillac/If you want to find all the cops/They're hanging out in the donut shop/They sing and dance (oh whey oh)/Spin the clubs cruise down the block/All the Japanese with their yen/The party boys call the Kremlin/And the Chinese know (oh whey oh)/They walk the line like Egyptian."

In the pre-chorus, Hoffs returns to the police officers on their break.

"All the cops in the donut shop say/Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh."

The chorus is sung twice.

The brisk guitar ends the single.

Fad dance songs like the Macarena and the Electric Slide are pop culture artifacts planted firmly in the era. The dated steps and music provide comical fodder, mostly ("Wait? You did that in front of people?") But none really grabbed people's imagination for an extended period of time.

However, "Walk Like An Egyptian" has remained fresh due to its unusualness and description of random situations. It has a story and features people from China, the U.S., Europe, anywhere they have access to a radio. It includes all types of life (servers, students, blue-collar workers) which gives it a slice of life angle. Most importantly, the dance itself isn't tied directly to it. The single can be listened to on its own, without the aid of a wedding party to make it interesting.

"Walk Like An Egyptian" is a thoughtful, engaging take on the novelty song.