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Released in 1986

Move Over Busker

Written by Paul McCartney • Eric Stewart

Last updated on May 2, 2020

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

Timeline This song was officially released in 1986

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1985, when Paul McCartney was 43 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other "Press To Play" songs co-written with Eric Stewart

“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.

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.

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)

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

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Paul McCartney writing

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