“Walk Like an Egyptian” is a 1986 hit by The Bangles from their album Different Light, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. The song was written by Liam Sternberg, who was inspired to write the title phrase after observing passengers on a rough English Channel ferry struggle to keep their balance, resembling figures in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings.
Walk Like an Egyptian was a million-selling single and became Billboard’s number-one song of 1987. Nevertheless, the song ended up accelerating the tensions within the group. The original plan for this song called for Debbi Peterson to sing the whole thing, but their producer, David Kahne, decided to have one person sing one verse. There are only three verses, though, so one person would have to get left out. That person ended up being Debbi Peterson, when David Kahne decided to have Micki Steele sing the second verse instead of Debbi (Vicki Peterson sang the first verse and Susanna Hoffs sang the third). Debbi didn’t play drums on the song either, when the producer decided that drum machines were the hip sound of 1987 (which they kinda were – ‘87 was a weird time).
Sternberg wrote the song in 1984 and recorded a demo with singer Marti Jones, but the track was initially offered to Toni Basil and Lene Lovich, who both passed on it. Producer David Kahne introduced the demo to The Bangles, who needed additional songs for Different Light and agreed to record it despite initial skepticism about its “novelty” nature. Kahne conducted a “sing-off” to assign verses, with Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele, and Susanna Hoffs taking the first, second, and third verses respectively, while drummer Debbi Peterson was relegated to backing vocals, causing internal tension.
[Verse 1: Vicki Peterson, All]
All the old paintings on the tomb
They do the sand dance, don’t you know?
If they move too quick (Oh-way-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-way-oh)
They snap their teeth on your cigarette
[Chorus: Vicki Peterson, All]
Foreign types with the hookah pipes say
Way-oh, way-oh, ooh-way-oh-way-oh
Walk like an Egyptian
[Verse 2: Michael Steele, All]
The blonde waitresses take their trays
They spin around, and they cross the floor
They’ve got the moves (Oh-way-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-way-oh)
They’re walking like an Egyptian
[Chorus: Michael Steele, All]
All the kids in the marketplace say
Way-oh, way-oh, ooh-way-oh-way-oh
Walk like an Egyptian
[Guitar solo]
[Verse 3: Susanna Hoffs, All]
Slide your feet up the street, bend your back
Shift your arm, then you pull it back
Life is hard, you know (Oh-way-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-way-oh)
They spin the clubs, cruise down the block
All the Japanese with their yen
The party boys call the Kremlin
And the Chinese know (Oh-way-oh)
They walk the line like Egyptian
[Chorus: Susanna Hoffs, All]
All the cops in the donut shop say
Way-oh, way-oh, ooh-way-oh-way-oh
Walk like an Egyptian
Walk like an Egyptian
