Search by Title

A	B	C	D	E	F	G
H	I	J	K	L	M	N
O	P	Q	R	S	T	U
V	W	X	Y	Z	#

Browse Categories Random Songfact Random Category Add to Songfacts Take the Quiz SongFAQ Get the Newsletter E-Mail Us Message Boards Full Interviews Lyrical Pursuit Song Fallacies

Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Songwriter Liam Sternberg wrote this. He got the idea when he was on a ferry boat, and saw people struggling to keep their balance. The way they held out their arms and jerked around made it look like they were doing Egyptian movements, and if the boat moved suddenly, they would all topple over.

This was the biggest hit for The Bangles, but it's one of their least favorite songs.

All members except drummer Debbi Peterson sang a verse. Peterson was originally supposed to sing the whole thing, but producer David Kahne had each member audition the lyrics to determine who would sing what verse.

This was offered to Toni Basil, but she turned it down. The Bangles needed one more song to complete their album, so they took it.

The difficult recording process caused a lot of tension within the band. These tensions would eventually break them up.

In the US, this was the #1 song of 1987.

Comments:

Favorite Bangles song out there!!
- JJ, Washington, DC

was one of my favorites whwn i was a teenager. but havent listened 2 it 4 a long long time
- reza, shiraz, Iran

This is a fun song - the video is simple; but on Hoff's verse (the last one) it gets incredibly sexy. Hoffs eyes are very seductive as she finishes the verse.
- Jake, Boston, MA

Jason, Seattle, WA - you chew on mighty strange bubblegum. You can dislike CCR, but they were a creative and influential band. I think a cavalier attitude toward their music is a mistake. To me, "...Egyptian" is another quintessential '80s song, and has really good instrumentation.
- Ken, Los Angeles, CA

Dylan had many #1 songs... as a composer. He had none as a singer, which means that all is right in the world. As for CCR, as much as I like John Fogerty, the songs of CCR are separated from bubblegum by not much more than Fogerty's guitar.
- Jason, Seattle, WA

After the attack on the World Trade Ctr (9/11/2001) a number of stations would not play this song for fear that it would spark some kind of backlash due to the Middle East referance in the song - "Walk Like An Egyptian"
- John, Kirkland, WA

Sorry but I hate this song. Right up there with "Don't Worry Be Happy" and "Disco Duck" for being the worst songs of all time to chart #1. While CCR and Dylan never had a #1 song. Go figure.
- Alan, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada

Walk...(The Dog) Like An Egyptian by Jode Featuring YO-Hans the cover version is the same song but yo yo terms place in the song.
- neil, middlesbrough, United States

A German famous rock band called "Die Ã?rzte"(The Doctors) did kinda a song like this, I think. It's called "Laufen wie ein Ã?gypter",w hich means the same as "Walk like an egyptian". Have to check if its ment to be the same song^^
- Kathy, near Frankfurt, Germany

Jim, the parody you mention was by "The Swinging Erudites", a Boston band. The album also contained parodies of Bon Jovi ("Jon Anchovi: "Livin on my Hair" and "You Give Rock a Bad Name") "Swinging Erudites were the ones who originally wrote and performed the song, which was then covered by Carson Sage, which was in turn covered (and presumably translated) by J.B.O", the German metal band. (from "The Not Al Page" ; http://free.house.cx/~eil/etc/notal_list.html)
- Margaret, Buellton, CA

Also, the Bangles were from Santa Barbara, CA.
- Margaret, Buellton, CA

A very funny parody of this song was made with the following title: "Walk with an Erection".
- Jim, Dallas, TX

not a bad video clip ,Prince Charles was in it along with Libyan leader Gaddafi
- pete, nowra, Australia

'Rumour' has it that Brad Shepard from the Australian band Hoodoo Gurus. Once kicked out the power supply for the drum machine during this song causing the whole song to stop in front of thousands of people. Also causing immediate tension with his then girl friend (one of the bangles at the time) and also his instant giving up of alcohol?? may just be a rumour....
- Jamie, Sydney, Australia

I forget who it was, but the traffic-copter pilot at an LA station used to sing his own version of this song for the folks at get-togethers: "Walk like and Egyptian, Drive like a MORON!"
- Keith, SLC, UT

i love the sneers on their faces, in the video. very seductive.
- rachel, oxford, OH

this is a weird song, but i like it
- jme, raleigh, NC