The phrase "walk like an Egyptian" evokes images of ancient art and a distinctive posture. But what is the real story behind this iconic phrase and the hit song that made it famous? This article delves into the origins of the phrase, the history of the song "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles, and its impact on pop culture.
Wall Fragment from the Tomb of Amenemhet and His Wife Hemet, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12 (1976 -1794 B.C.). Art Institute of Chicago.
The Ancient Egyptian Inspiration
Why do people talk about “walking like an Egyptian”? This strange phenomenon, which became a cult hit at one point, involves an unnatural posture where your shoulders face the side while everything else faces the front. When people try it, they usually also add strange head and arm movements. This idea comes from ancient Egyptian tomb paintings, which often show people in this pose.
However, there’s no reason to believe that ancient Egyptians walked any differently than the rest of us, particularly since what’s shown on the paintings would be a very awkward way to move. As you’ve probably noticed, ancient Egyptian art didn’t focus primarily on naturalistic (or mimetic) representation.
Instead, indicating people, events, and ideas was more the goal. And when you indicate something, you want to show it in a way that makes it as quickly and easily identifiable as possible. To depict a human figure in the way that’s easiest to identify, it’s best to show body parts at their most recognizable angles. For the torso, this is definitely a head-on view, but for the legs, a side view is better to show the feet and the movement of walking. For the head, a full-on face makes it easy to identify an individual, but the profile view is more legible for a generic face and has been preferred by many cultures up through the Renaissance.
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So, ancient Egyptian artists showed each section of the body at its most recognizable angle - legs and feet from the side, torso from the front, and head from the side.
The Song: "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles
“Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles was one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. You couldn’t turn on a radio without hearing it. You couldn’t tune in to MTV without seeing it. You couldn’t climb in the shower without singing it. Oh-whey-oh. The Bangles, featuring Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson and Michael Steele, released the track in September 1986 as the third single off their album “Different Light,” following “Manic Monday,” written by Prince, and “If She Knew What She Wants,” written by Jules Shear.
“Walk Like an Egyptian” climbed to No. 1 on Dec. 20, remained on top for four weeks and became the biggest single of 1987, according to Billboard. After 35 years, The Bangles still perform “Walk Like an Egyptian” in concert. And fans still sing along - and whistle, too. Oh-whey-oh.
The biggest hit for the Bangles, "Walk Like An Egyptian" gave them a new level of notoriety, but not the kind they wanted. Suddenly they were known for this quasi-novelty song instead of their own compositions. The song does have their stamp on it though: every Bangle could sing, and three of them get a verse on "Egyptian." The guitar riff is also their distinctive sound, something Vicki Peterson had been developing for a while.
The Bangles didn't have a problem with the song itself, but when it made them famous it also made them miserable - they were burned out and their friendships fractured. The hits kept coming ("Eternal Flame," "In Your Room") until they couldn't it anymore; they broke up in 1989 at the peak of their powers.
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In the late '90s, after enough water had passed under the bridge, the Bangles re-united. They still had some bitter feelings about "Walk Like An Egyptian," which came out in a VH1 Behind The Music where they talked about the song as a catalyst for their demise. But as years went by, the song took on a feeling of nostalgia and the group made peace with it.
"These days I feel very differently about it than I did in the '90s, because to me it was such an odd moment," Vicki Peterson told Songfacts in 2018. "I actually loved doing it. I thought the song was brilliant, in the strangest way... It's so fun to do live because of how it's received by our audience: They are completely in love and having a blast."
All members except drummer Debbi Peterson sang a verse. Peterson was originally supposed to sing the whole thing, but producer David Kahne had each member audition the lyrics to determine who would sing what verse. Debbi's sister Vicki Peterson got the first verse, bass player Michael Steele (a girl, despite the name) the second, and Susanna Hoffs the third.
The difficult recording process caused a lot of tension within the band, which tried to share the spotlight in equal measure (literally: they insisted on four spotlights on stage). Leaving Debbi Peterson out of this one was a pivotal moment for the Bangles, who instead of standing up to producer David Kahne and insisting she have a part in the song, allowed her to be left out.
In the US, this was the #1 song of 1987 according to Billboard's year-end chart. It held the top spot for four weeks.
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The video for this song made the band superstars, as it aired in heavy rotation on MTV. The Bangles became darlings of the network, but early on they weren't sold on the medium.
Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson didn't perform on this song at all; percussion was done with a drum machine. When they performed it live, which you can see in the video, Debbi abandoned her drum kit and moved out front with a tambourine as a backing track played the drums.
In a popular scene from the video, Susanna Hoffs was filmed in a close-up where her eyes moved from side to side. When asked about the scene in an interview, she explained that she was looking at individual audience members during the video shoot, which took place with a live audience.
The famous whistling after the guitar solo was machine made, according to Vicki Peterson. In concert, Debbi would mime it.
The music video for "Walk Like an Egyptian" was nominated for Best Group Video at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. It shows the Bangles performing the song at a concert and scenes of people dancing in poses similar to those depicted in the Ancient Egyptian reliefs that inspired Sternberg.
The Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian (Official Music Video)
The Songwriter: Liam Sternberg
If you’ve ever attempted to “slide your feet up the street, bend your back, shift your arm then pull it back,” you can thank Akron native Liam Sternberg. He’s the man who wrote the song. Contacted at his home in Paris, Sternberg was happy to share memories of the song he created. Believe it or not, it all started on a boat.
I used to keep notebooks with lyrics - just lyrics - with no idea about what the melodies would be,” Sternberg, 72, explained during a phone interview. “So I wrote down one day ‘Walk like an Egyptian.’ I was in a ferry boat crossing the English Channel.” When the vessel hit choppy water, passengers stepped carefully and moved their arms awkwardly while struggling to maintain their balance.
“It was a pretty tipsy ride and I had too much wine to drink, so I was also pretty tipsy,” Sternberg recalled. “So I just wrote it down: Walk like an Egyptian. It really came from wherever these things do.”
Sternberg was part of a vibrant '70s music scene in Akron, Ohio, where he wrote and produced for the almost-famous Jane Aire & The Belvederes and Rachel Sweet.
Several years later, while making demos for songs in Los Angeles, he picked up an old notebook and saw the scribbled words “Walk like an Egyptian.” Suddenly, he thought he could turn that phrase into a song.
For inspiration, he bought a portrait of Queen Nefertiti, a monarch of ancient Egypt, and stuck it on the wall.
Writing with a guitar, he put together an up-tempo song with lyrics about Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Nile River, crocodiles, desert sand, bazaars and hookah pipes and then deftly segued into modern scenes of blond waitresses, school kids and police officers walking like Egyptians. He incorporated a catchy “oh-whey-oh” refrain and a showstopping interlude of whistling.
Sternberg has lived in France since 1990. His wife is Ariane Delarbre, a classical dance teacher in a Paris conservatory whose former students perform in major companies. The two got married in March after more than 20 years together. Sternberg has a stepdaughter, Lou, who is a freelance project manager.
From Egyptians to Venetians, it’s been an interesting career.
Chart Performance and Recognition
The song reached a peak of number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1986 and reached number one in the US on December 20, staying at the top of the Hot 100 for four weeks, carrying it over into January 1987.
| Chart (1986-1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 3 |
| Austria | 9 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 1 |
| Finland (Suomen Virallinen Lista) | 7 |
| France (SNEP) | 39 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 2 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 2 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 3 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
“I’m really happy when I hear it on the radio or a bit of it in a film, and it brings back all the memories,” Sternberg said. “That’s the joy of it.”
The Bangles MTV's making of Walk Like an Egyptian + Bangles' day
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