Move Over Busker (song)

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Album This song officially appears on the Press To Play Official album.

Timeline This song has been officially released in 1986

Timeline This song has been written (or started being written) in 1985 (Paul McCartney was 43 years old)

Song facts

“Move Over Busker” is a song from 1986 album “Press To Play” co-written with Eric Stewart.

From “Club Sandwich 42 – Autumn 1986“:

“That’s got a good American rock ‘n roll feel to it.. .There’s a bit of harmless sexism in it: that strong British tradition, you know, of seaside postcards. Nell Gwynne, well you know the archetypal image of her, with her oranges and all! Then there’s Mae West ‘in her sweaty vest’ – that’s an old Beatle joke: ‘And here’s Miranda in her little sweaty vest’.” Paul’s percussion helps drive the track along and Kate and Ruby are singing again.

Club Sandwich No 42 Autumn 1986

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That’s got a good American rock ‘n’ roll feel to it. I think originally it was called ‘Move Over Buster’, which Eric and I thought was a bit ordinary. So we just kicked it about a little bit and it came out ‘busker’, then that gave us more possibilities about wandering round and meeting people…
There’s a bit of harmless sexism in the lyrics – that strong British tradition, you know, of seaside postcards. Nell Gwynne, well you know the archetypal image of her, with her oranges and all! Then there’s Mae West ‘in her sweaty vest’ – that’s an old Beatle joke ‘and here’s Miranda in her little sweaty vest’; just one of those insanities. Then we get Errol Flynn, looking out of his motor home, another one who was supposedly renowned for his sexual prowess.
Paul McCartney, in Sound On Sound interview, October 1986

From the “Press To Play” sleeve – These coloured diagrams by Paul show the position of the voices and instruments in the mix of each track.

Last updated on May 2, 2020

Lyrics

Well, the rest of my life lay in front of me,
I was pedaling down the road,
When I saw Nell Gwynne and her oranges,
And I said I'll have one of those.
She said…Move over busker, don't bang your drum
Move over busker, your time will come.

Well, I was hanging around for a miracle,
Struggling with a rhyme,
When I saw Mae West in a sweaty vest,
And I said I'll come up and see you sometime.
She said… Move over busker, that's not my style,
Your chance is coming, in a little while.

You've got it coming, come on come on.
You've got it coming, coming to you.
You've got it coming, come on come on.
You've got it coming, coming to you.

Well, I've been waiting, but I'm impatient
No-one can hold me back, I want to stay with the action.
But I won't get it, my great illusion
Will vanish anyhow if I don't grab it now.

Whoa!
Oo-wee, babe!
A belly dancer!

Well, I was hacking my way through the undergrowth,
Juggling with my pride,
When I saw Errol Flynn in a tiger skin,
And I said, "You look satisfied!"
Uh, well, he looked down at me from his motor home,
And he gave me a dirty smile.
He said,
"Well, yes, I am, but she's calling me,
Would you excuse us for a while?"

Yeah, move over, busker, your day is done,
Move over, busker, my time has come.

I'm telling you to
Move over, busker, (come on, come on)
I'll bang my drum. (come on, come on)
Move over, busker, my time has come.
(you've got it coming, coming to you)

Ooh, move over, busker, (come on, come on)
Yeah, your day, your day is done. (come on, come)
Move over, busker, my time has come.
(you've got it coming, coming to you)