Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves

Track 5 on The Way of Love: The Cher Collection

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“Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” is a song by American singer Cher. Originally, it was released as the lead single for her 1971 album named Chér. Later, the album got re-issued… Read More

Sep. 1, 19711 viewer39.4K views

Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I was born in the wagon of a travellin' show
My Mama used to dance for the money they'd throw
Papa would do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel
Sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good

[Chorus]
Gypsys, tramps and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us gypsies, tramps and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down

[Verse 2]
Picked up a boy just south of Mobile
Gave him a ride, filled him with a hot meal
I was sixteen, he was twenty-one
Rode with us to Memphis
And Papa would'a shot him if he knew what he'd done

[Chorus]
Gypsys, tramps and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us gypsies, tramps and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down

[Bridge]
I never had schoolin' but he taught me well
With his smooth southern style
Three months later I'm a gal in trouble
And I haven't seen him for a while, oh
I haven't seen him for a while, oh

[Verse 3]
She was born in the wagon of a travelin' show
Her Mama had to dance for the money they'd throw
Grandpa'd do whatever he could
Preach a little gospel
Sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good

[Chorus]
Gypsys, tramps and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us gypsies, tramps and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down

[Outro]
Gypsys, tramps and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us gypsies, tramps and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down
Gypsys, tramps and thieves -

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About

Genius Annotation

“Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” is a song by American singer Cher. Originally, it was released as the lead single for her 1971 album named Chér. Later, the album got re-issued under the title Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves, so it wouldn’t get confused with the 1966 album that also carries the title Chér.

In this song, she tells the story of a (fictional) 16-year-old Romani girl. As Cher isn’t Romani herself, this has caused some uproar, with some saying that this isn’t her story to tell. Especially because this isn’t her only song telling a story of a minority she isn’t, along with wearing their traditional clothing as a costume in shows, she has faced some backlash. In 2017, she apologized on Twitter. In the same year, she told Billboard that she isn’t such a fan of the repertoire she built in the ‘70s. Besides, since she finished the Classic Cher tour in 2020, she hasn’t performed this or any controversial song of hers live.