Warren Zevon
Lyric guide

Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner

Read Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner lyrics by Warren Zevon on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Warren Zevon visibility11 visits
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Warren Zevon Canonical path: /zevon-warren/roland-the-headless-thompson-gunner Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

"Roland was a warrior from the land of the midnight sun

With a thompson gun for hire fighting to be done

The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day

So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray

Through '66 and 7 they fought the Congo war

With their fingers on their triggers knee deep in gore

For days and nights they battled, the Bantu to their knees

They killed to earn their living, and to help out the Congolese

Roland the thompson gunner (2x)

His comrades fought beside him, Van Owen and the rest

But of all the thompson gunners, Roland was the best

So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead

That son of a bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head

Roland the headless thompson gunner

Norway's son won't stop till he sums up the score

They can still see his headless body stalking through the night

In the muzzle flash of Roland's thompson gun (2x)

Roland searched the continent for the man who done him in

He found him in Mombasa in a barroom drinking gin

Roland aimed his thompson gun, he didn't say a word

But he blew Van Owen's body, from there to Johannesburg

Roland the headless thompson gunner (4x)

The eternal thompson gunner, still wandering through the night

Now it's ten years later, but he still keeps up the fight

In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley

Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's thompson gun and boughtit

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner"?

Warren Zevon performs "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner", and this lyric page sits inside the Warren Zevon catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner"?

Yes. The related section below points to Bill Lee and The factory with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Warren Zevon?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Warren Zevon's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner yet.