By late 1967, the band had felt constricted financially & creatively by manager Don Arden (father of Sharon Osbourne), and were lured by Rolling Stones' publicist Andrew Loog Oldham into signing with his new Immediate label. They soon recorded more expansive psychedelic sounding material including hit pop tunes like "Lazy Sunday" which was included with their UK number one classic concept album Ogdens Nut Gone Flake and "Itchycoo Park" which was their only stateside charting single.
The demise of the Small Faces arrived on New Years Eve 1968, when Steve Marriott walked off stage at The Alexandra Palace in London. Marriott felt that despite the success of the group, he was still not being taken seriously as a musician. He went on to achieve major status in the U.S.A with Peter Frampton in Humble Pie. The others continued as the Faces, opting to drop the "Small" after one LP as new recruits Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood towered above their new band mates. Drummer Kenney Jones later joined The Who after the death of their drummer Keith Moon. As years went on, Marriott kept recording various lineups as Humble Pie but became somewhat of a caricature and casualty of rock excess. Tragically, Steve Marriott died in a house fire in 1991 and Ronnie Lane followed him in 1997 after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Keyboardist Ian McLagan has continued to tour and record with his own band as well as with artists like Billy Bragg, The New Barbarians ( a group composed of Ian, Ron Wood, Keith Richards, Stanley Clarke, and Billy Cobham), and The Rolling Stones. According to announcements at the shows on the New Barbarians tour, the proceeds of the live gigs were going to pay Ronnie Lane's medical expenses associated with Ronnie's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis.
The Small Faces remain one of British rock's most important legacy acts, with their membership having links to so many other acts. Amongst the many bands they influenced were The Jam, Ramones, Oasis and X.
There are a number of locations around London linked to the Small Faces, many to be found in the East End where they grew up.
The J60 Music bar in Manor Park, an instrument shop where Steve Marriott first met Ronnie Lane
http://www.musicpilgrimages.com/articl/4012.php
Little Ilford park, also located in Manor Park, inspired the track Itchycoo Park, Steve and other kids in the East End used to play in this park when they grew up.
http://www.musicpilgrimages.com/articl/4002.php
In 1968 the Small Faces recorded a video for their track Lazy Sunday, Steve sings in his native East end accent and the video was shot in the East End using Kenney Jones parents' flat in Havering Street. The video ends with a shot of the nearby Thames.
http://www.musicpilgrimages.com/articl/4014.php
Come On Children
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah, all right.
I feel all right,
You know I feel all right,
I feel all right,
You know I feel all right,
I wanna think about the hard times that make you, yeah,
Think about the bad times that break you, yeah,
Think about grey storms and stormy weather,
Ah, come on children,
Whatever you do don't kid me woman,
Woh no, Oh woh no.
I've got something I wanna tell ya, right,
Yeah, I got something I wanna show ya,
Something that I been thinking about for such a long time,
I just gotta let it out,
Oh, you know the other night,
Hhmm, as I lay sleeping baby,
I dreamed I held you in my arms,
When I woke up, I found I was mistaken,
Do you know that I hung my head and I cried,
That you are my sunshine, baby,
I really do believe you are my only sunshine, yeah,
You make me happy,
You make me happy,
You make me happy when my skies are grey,
You'll never know dear how much I love ya,
So go on and change my grey skies to blue,
Change my grey skies loving you, yeah, all right,
Just a little bit a softer,
Just a little bit a softer,
Just a little bit of quiet,
Just a little bit of quiet,
Just a little bit of soul,
Just a little bit of soul, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, ba byeeee,
Are you ready,
Hey hey, (Hey yeah),
My my my (My my my)
Yeah (yeah),
My (My),
Yeah, wow,
Come on children...
Whatever you do,
I wanna hear it own up each and every one of you,
Don't it make you feel all right,
{Yeah all right]
I've told ya that it's true baby,
W'oh yeah, all right, yeah.
The Small Faces's song "Come On Children" is a feel-good tune with upbeat and soulful chords. In the song, the singer expresses the need to think about hard and bad times that make people, and also about the good things they have done together. The refrain "come on children" is a call to action, an invitation to get up and dance, to face life's ups and downs and to overcome them together.
The second verse is about a confession the singer needs to make. He dreams of holding someone he loves in his arms, but when he wakes up, he realizes it was just a dream, and he feels sad and disappointed. He expresses his love and appreciation for this person, claiming that they are his sunshine and they make him happy. The song ends with a plea for unity, for each and every one to speak up and say what they need to say.
Line by Line Meaning
Woh yeah, all right,
Expressing excitement and agreement
Oh yeah, all right.
Reiterating the previous line
I feel all right,
I am content with myself
You know I feel all right,
Addressing a specific person, confirming I feel good
I wanna think about the hard times that make you, yeah,
I want to reflect on experiences that have built character
Think about the bad times that break you, yeah,
Remembering the difficult moments that tested one's resilience
Think of all the good things, yeah, yeah, we done together,
Recalling moments of happiness shared with someone else
Think about grey storms and stormy weather,
Thinking about hardships in life
Ah, come on children,
Encouraging listeners to join in and participate in singing
Whatever you do don't kid me woman,
Urging the listener to be honest
Woh no, Oh woh no.
Expressing disapproval
I've got something I wanna tell ya, right,
Wanting to share something important
Yeah, I got something I wanna show ya,
Wanting to physically demonstrate something
Something that I been thinking about for such a long time,
Referring to a long-standing thought or feeling
I just gotta let it out,
Explaining the need to express oneself
Oh, you know the other night,
Recalling an event
Hhmm, as I lay sleeping baby,
Setting the scene for the previous event
I dreamed I held you in my arms,
Detailing the dream
When I woke up, I found I was mistaken,
Disappointed in reality compared to the dream
Do you know that I hung my head and I cried,
Experiencing sadness and despair
That you are my sunshine, baby,
Addressing someone as a source of joy
I really do believe you are my only sunshine, yeah,
Confessing feelings of affection towards someone
You make me happy,
Personal relations towards someone
You make me happy when my skies are grey,
How someone makes another person feel better
You'll never know dear how much I love ya,
Talking about love for another person
So go on and change my grey skies to blue,
Asking someone to have a positive impact on the other's life
Change my grey skies loving you, yeah, all right,
Desiring a happier life with the other person
Just a little bit a softer,
Describing a change in intensity
Just a little bit a softer,
Repeating previous line
Just a little bit of quiet,
A request for peace
Just a little bit of quiet,
Repeating previous line
Just a little bit of soul,
A desire to feel a certain emotion
Just a little bit of soul, yeah,
Repeating previous line with emphasis
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
An expression of agreement or excitement
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Repeating previous line
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Repeating previous line
Yeah, yeah, yeah, ba byeeee,
Another expression of excitement, signifying the end of something
Are you ready,
Asking listeners for preparation
Hey hey, (Hey yeah),
A crowd-involved chant
My my my (My my my) Yeah (yeah),
An expression of positive emotions
My (My), Yeah, wow,
Repeating previous line with emphasis, expressing surprise or awe
Come on children...
Inviting listeners to join
Whatever you do,
Speaking to the listeners
I wanna hear it own up each and every one of you,
Asking for personal accountability
Don't it make you feel all right,
Asking if that action (confession, accountability) is making them feel better
{Yeah all right]
Affirmation of the previous line
I've told ya that it's true baby,
Reiterating a point previously made with affection
W'oh yeah, all right, yeah.
Repeating previous line with emphasis and excitement
Contributed by Thomas A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.