Their self-titled album was an underground sensation, particularly with smooth 70s easy listening ruling the airwaves back then. Chrissie Hynde once commented that every punk band ("And I knew them all") had both New York Dolls albums, illustrating the Dolls' influence. Still, the original line-up experienced many problems, particularly with the mainstream record industry that didn't know what to do with the wild group. Upon their break-up, frontman David Johansen had a moderately successful solo career.
In 2004, the three surviving members reunited for some sporadic touring. In 2006, now down to two surviving members, the band released a new album, 'One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This'. Two albums followed after this: 'Cause I Sez So', in 2009, followed up by a revamped lineup for 2011's 'Dancing Backward in High Heels'.
Sylvain Sylvain died on January 13, 2021. He was 69 years old.
Final lineup
* David Johansen - vocals, harmonica (1971-1977, 2004-2011)
* Sylvain Sylvain - guitar, bass, piano (1971-1977, 2004-2011; died 2021)
* Claton Pitcher - guitar (2011)
* Kenny Aaronson - bass (2021)
* Brian Delaney - drums (2005-2011)
Past members
* Johnny Thunders (deceased) - guitar, vocals (1971-1975)
* Rick Rivets - guitar (1971)
* Arthur Kane (deceased) - bass guitar (1971-1975, 2004)
* Billy Murcia (deceased) - drums (1971-1972)
* Jerry Nolan (deceased) - drums (1972-1976)
* Blackie Lawless - guitar (1975)
* Peter Jordan - bass (1975-1977)
* Chris Robison - keyboards (1975-1977)
* Tony Machine - drums (1976-1977)
* Gary Powell - drums (2004)
* Steve Conte - guitar (2004-2010)
* Sami Yaffa - bass (2005-2010)
* Frank Infante - guitar (2010-2011)
* Brian Koonin - keyboards (2005-2006)
* Earl Slick – guitar (2011)
* Jason Hill – bass (2010–2011)
Take a Good Look at My Good Looks
New York Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And awakens in mind
And finally recognizes
Yourself in time
Call us what you will but
Love made us like this
So what? Yeah, this whole world is just
Take a good look at my good looks
Then close your eyes
Keep the picture in your mind 'cause
I'll be gone
One rainy day, I saw ya smiling
You let me stay awhile
And it was all right
Living with you, not even trying
The pain is long gone
And it's all right!
Take a good look at my good looks
Then close your eyes
Keep the picture in your mind 'cause
I'll be gone
Hellishly transparent
Utterly divine
Every little timeless gesture of
Valentine
Memories hold onto illusion
Cause we're just human
And that's all right (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
Duality is so confusin'
You think you're not dreamin'
Then you open
There's no foundation
No final resting place
Only emptiness and
Hellish grace
Some rainy day, I'll find ya crying
With love and animus
Sparkling in your eyes (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
But you'll be the one to recognize me
You'll all get lost
Every time I fall (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
Nothing you say will scandalize me
You'll be all right
You're just like it is (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
It's all right, it's all right!
Our noisy years will seem like moments
In a film of
Eternal tears (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
Seems so long to have romance
(Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
The opening lines of "Take a Good Look at My Good Looks" by New York Dolls may be interpreted in various ways, but they lend themselves to the idea that the essence of life or spirit is found in nature and awakens in the mind, leading to self-knowledge achieved with time. The following lines suggest that love is at the core of the band members' identity, regardless of how others call them. The lyric "this whole world is just artifice" may imply that they reject or expose the superficiality of societal norms that dictate how they ought to behave or look.
The chorus urges the listener to take a closer look at their good looks, as if to say "look beyond appearances, for what you see might not last." Perhaps, the line "I'll be gone" refers to the band's experience of an audience that only values their looks or image and overlooks their artistic merit. The verse that follows speaks of a rainy day when the singer saw someone smiling and let him/her stay awhile. The lines "Living with you, not even trying, The pain is long gone, And it's all right!" could suggest that the songwriter finds comfort in the company of that person and that they have moved on from past troubles.
The second chorus reiterates the same message as the first but in different words, with the addition of the lines "Hellishly transparent, Utterly divine, Every little timeless gesture of Valentine." This part might echo the idea that beauty and love can exist alongside darkness or impermanence. The song concludes with a reflection on time and how it makes our lives seem fleeting in a world characterized by "eternal tears."
Line by Line Meaning
Spirit slumbers in nature
Our inner essence lies dormant in the natural world
And awakens in mind
But comes to life in our thoughts and consciousness
And finally recognizes
Until we ultimately realize
Yourself in time
Our own true identity over time
Call us what you will but
Others may judge and classify us but
Love made us like this
It's love that defines who we are
So what? Yeah, this whole world is just
And it doesn't matter since the world is only
Artifice
A human-created illusion
Take a good look at my good looks
Observe my appearance in detail
Then close your eyes
But then shut them tight
Keep the picture in your mind 'cause
So you can keep an image of me
I'll be gone
Even though I won't be around anymore
One rainy day, I saw ya smiling
One day, I witnessed you smiling even in the rain
You let me stay awhile
You welcomed me for a time
And it was all right
Everything felt good in that moment
Living with you, not even trying
Being with you was effortless
The pain is long gone
The past hurt doesn't linger anymore
And it's all right!
Everything is okay now
Hellishly transparent
The transparency of things can sometimes be unpleasant
Utterly divine
But can also be totally heavenly
Every little timeless gesture of
Every single perpetual sign of
Valentine
Love
Memories hold onto illusion
Our recollections may deceive us
Cause we're just human
Since it's our humanity that makes us this way
And that's all right (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
But it's okay, even if it's just external appearance
Duality is so confusin'
The existence of two opposing concepts can be bewildering
You think you're not dreamin'
You may believe you're awake
Then you open
But then you awaken from your slumber
There's no foundation
Our existence has no base
No final resting place
And there's no guaranteed end point
Only emptiness and
All that's left is a void and
Hellish grace
An infernal form of divinity
Some rainy day, I'll find ya crying
Perhaps one day I'll discover you weeping in the rain
With love and animus
A feeling of love and ill will
Sparkling in your eyes (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
Shiny eyes that reflect my looks
But you'll be the one to recognize me
But you'll be the one to identify me
You'll all get lost
Everyone else will be at a loss
Every time I fall (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
Whenever I stumble, just admire my appearance
Nothing you say will scandalize me
You can't shock or surprise me
You'll be all right
You'll be okay
You're just like it is (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
You're perfectly fine with my looks
Our noisy years will seem like moments
The decades of our lives will feel fleeting
In a film of
As if in a movie of
Eternal tears (Take a good look at my good looks, baby)
An infinite amount of sorrow in a single glance
Seems so long to have romance
Romantic relationships can feel drawn out
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN KOONIN, BRIAN D. DELANEY, DAVID JOHANSEN, SAMI LAURI TAKAMAKI, STEVEN J. CONTE, SYLVAIN MIZRAHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind