Pretty Golden Hair

Album: Bedsitter Images (1967)
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  • Born in England's pleasant green
    Like a picture postcard scene
    To childhood spread with fond maternal care
    From the day that he was born
    Proud relations came to fawn
    And compliment his pretty golden hair

    In boyhood sent away
    To a boarding school to stay
    Its crumbling proud traditions forced to bear
    And his friends in this new world
    Said he looks more like a girl
    With those blue eyes and pretty golden hair

    Fades secluded youth
    Into manhood's search for truth
    His mother's eyes now wet had turned to stare
    For he said I must be bound
    This day for London town
    For I believe my fortune's waiting there

    So like an eager cutting knife
    He plunged in a new life
    Oh never known beforehand anywhere
    And the thought that he might trip
    In his ignorance and slip
    Never struck beneath his pretty golden hair

    Ah the days soon grew thin
    And boredom fast set in
    His job was thrown away without a care
    For a man who softly said
    You'll earn twice as much instead
    With those blue eyes and pretty golden hair

    Well London town possessed
    Of many a tempter's nest
    And thus he fell with scarce another care
    As so easily he slipped
    Into prostitution's grip
    Foundationed by his pretty golden hair

    Ah but the years quickly flew
    And his mind slowly grew
    From early freedom into deep despair
    As the money ceased to roll
    A tired and lonely soul
    Poured curses on his pretty golden hair

    Ah the years stole their time
    Now the living's hard to find
    And early friends have vanished in the air
    And the gay parties's ease
    Changed to public lavatories
    Have turned to grey his pretty golden hair

    Oh his life was only used
    And his body just abused
    By those who never think and never care
    But though his file said suicide
    No, that wasn't why he died
    It was murder by his pretty golden hair Writer/s: ALISTAIR IAN STEWART
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 2

  • Walden from MilwaukeeThe song is clearly about the life of a rent boy who grows old but still tries to turn tricks. He sadly finds he can no longer command the high prices that he did when he was young and pretty. Having based his whole lifestyle on selling his young body, he has nothing to fall back on once his youthful beauty fades. It's a dark and poignant song. I would very much like to know if the song was inspired by a person Al knew, or what the inspiration was.
  • Bill from San Francisco, CaI believe the second comment is pure conjecture, with no backup from the biography or anything I've ever heard Al say.
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