Ian Gillan said about the song: “Well, if you give someone the ‘Spanish Archer’, you give them the ‘elbow’ as you probably know, and so that song is about giving some lump the heave-ho. I don’t actually think this song should’ve been included. I mean, it isn’t properly arranged – it’s just a series...
[Verse 1]
Well there must have been a reason
For the smile that you had upon your face last night
Are you the cat that got the cream?
Did you lick your lips? Did you roll your eyes?
Can you imagine how it feels?
It's so hard to reveal, oh
I can't get through, I'm falling
[Chorus 1]
I'm getting out, I'm losing ground
The Spanish Archer's going to bring you down
[Vesre 2]
Is there someone, somewhere
Waiting in the wings to take my place?
Let's not drag it out, like a Cagney death scene
Oh, in this season of change, it's not hard to explain
Like the leaves on the trees, I'm falling
[Chorus 2]
And as you turn, don't look away
The Spanish Archer's going to make you pay
[Verse 3]
Do you remember when the sky was blue?
We used to talk for miles
And now we drive along, in this thundering silence
It's such an obvious lie, with that easy smile of yours
I'm letting go, and I'm falling
[Chorus 1]
[Verse 4]
Well is there something I can say
As we stumble to the edge, have we gone too far?
Why don't we call it a day
Before we call it a nightmare, darlin'?
If we made a mistake, then all that it takes to be free
Is the wave of a hand and you're falling
[Chorus 2]
The Spanish Archer was written by Ian Gillan & Ritchie Blackmore & Roger Glover.
The Spanish Archer was produced by Deep Purple & Roger Glover.
Deep Purple released The Spanish Archer on Mon Jan 12 1987.