Come and Buy My Toys
Whimsical Tales of Childhood Dreams in Bowie's 'Come and Buy My Toys'
Lyrics
Smiling girls and rosy boys
Introduction to a scene with happy girls and boys.
Come and buy my little toys
Invitation to purchase small playthings.
Monkeys made of gingerbread
Imagery of monkeys crafted from gingerbread.
And sugar horses painted red
Description of sugar horses painted red.
Rich men's children running past
Reference to wealthy children running by.
Their fathers dressed in hose
Mention of fathers in ornate clothing.
Golden hair and mud of many acres on their shoes
Details of golden-haired children with muddy shoes.
Gazing eyes and running wild
Depiction of children with eager and wandering eyes.
Past the stocks and over stiles
Passing by stocks and over stiles, possibly obstacles.
Kiss the window merry child
Encouragement to a cheerful child looking through a window.
But come and buy my toys
Reiteration of the invitation to buy toys.
You've watched your father plough the fields with a ram's horn
Recollection of the father ploughing fields with a ram's horn.
Sowed it wide with peppercorn and furrowed with a bramble thorn
Wide sowing with peppercorn and furrowing with a bramble thorn.
Reaped it with a sharpened scyth, thrashed it with a quill
Harvesting with a sharpened scythe and thrashing with a quill.
The miller told your father that he'd work it with the greatest will
The miller's assurance of diligent work.
Now your watching's over you must play with girls and boys
Transition from watching the father to playing with toys.
Leave the parsley on the stalls
Instruction to leave work (parsley) and come buy toys.
Come and buy my toys
Reiteration of the invitation to buy toys.
You shall own a cambric shirt
Promising ownership of a fine cambric shirt.
You shall work your father's land
Fulfillment of working on father's land.
But now you shall play in the market square
Enjoyment of playing in the market square.
Till you'll be a man
Anticipation of growing into a man.
Smiling girls and rosy boys
Reintroduction of happy girls and boys.
Come and buy my little toys
Repeat of the invitation to purchase toys.
Monkeys made of gingerbread
Repetition of gingerbread monkeys.
And sugar horses painted red
Repetition of sugar horses painted red.
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