I'm a Highwayman

In the song, “I’m a Highwayman”, Dendee adopts the menacing yet charismatic persona of Dick Turpin, the most infamous figure of 18th-century English folklore. While many legends attempt to romanticize outlaws, Dendee’s version is refreshingly honest: he is not a “Robin Hood” figure looking to aid the poor. Instead, he views his life of crime as a practical, albeit illegal, retirement plan. Lurking on the trails and avoiding the “cops” who want to put him in jail, Dendee demands everything from gold and jewels to a “stash” of cash, flatly refusing credit cards in a humorous nod to modern sensibilities.

Historically, the highwayman was a product of the late 17th and 18th centuries, a time when travel between cities was slow and dangerous. Unlike common footpads, highwaymen usually rode horses, which gave them a higher social status and the ability to make quick escapes. The real Dick Turpin was originally part of the “Essex Gang” and was involved in poaching and burglary before becoming a highwayman. Despite his modern image as a “gallant” rogue, the historical Turpin was a brutal criminal. The myth of his famous overnight ride from London to York on his horse, Black Bess, was actually a fictionalized account popularized by the 19th-century novel Rookwood.

Dendee captures this historical tension by blending Turpin’s ruthless reputation with a rhythmic, playful ultimatum: “give me all your money or your life ain’t gonna be too sunny.” By framing highway robbery as a financial strategy for his golden years, Dendee turns a dark chapter of British history into a witty anthem about survival and greed on the open road.