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
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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.
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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.
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HappyDaysToyTown
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You wake up every morning and it's there
So live as only you can
It's all about enjoy it 'cause ever since you saw it
There ain't no one can take it away.
So life is just a bowl of All-Bran - very true!
What you say has made it very clear
But how can I remember to keep it all together
When half the moon is taken away?
Well, I've got the very thing
If you can laugh and sing
Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smiles
Clap twice, lean back, twist for a while
When you're untogether and feeling out of tune
Sing this special song with me, don't worry 'bout the moon
Looks after itself
[Steve]
Can I have a go?
[Ron]
Yes
[Steve]
Yeah?
[Ron]
Sing now:
Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smile
Clap twice, lean back, twist for a while
Well now you've got the hang of it
There's nothing you can't do with it
If you're very tuned to it you can't go wrong.
All together!
Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smile
Clap twice, lean back, twist for a while
Well now we've got the hang of it
There's nothing we can't do with it
And now we're very into it we can't go wrong!
Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smile
Clap twice, lean back, twist for a while
Well now we've got the hang of it
There's nothing we can't do with it
And now we're very into it we can't go wrong!
The lyrics of Small Faces's song "Happydaystoytown" capture a bright side of life. The metaphor of life as a bowl of All-Bran emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy and positive perspective every day. The song suggests living life to the fullest, enjoying every moment and embracing the positive energy that surrounds us. It encourages people to smile and laugh through hardships, to appreciate the little things and to hold dear the moments spent with loved ones.
The lyrics also reflect a sense of community and belonging. The lines "Sing this special song with me, don't worry 'bout the moon" show how a shared experience can boost morale and bring people together. The idea of a "toytown newspaper smile" implies the simplicity of happiness and how easy it can be to find joy in the world around us. The catchy refrain "Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smile" acts as both an anthem and a reminder to stay positive and to find the good in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is just a bowl of All-Bran
Life is simple and straightforward
You wake up every morning and it's there
Life is always present, and every new day brings new opportunities
So live as only you can
Live life in your unique way, making the most of every opportunity
It's all about enjoy it 'cause ever since you saw it
It's essential to enjoy life because once you have seen its beauty, no one can take it away from you
There ain't no one can take it away.
No one can take away your enjoyment of life once you have experienced it
Well, I've got the very thing
I have a solution that can help you
If you can laugh and sing
If you can find joy and happiness in the simple things
Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smiles
Let's focus on the happy moments and smiles from childhood
Clap twice, lean back, twist for a while
Engage in playful, childlike activities to bring happiness
When you're untogether and feeling out of tune
When you feel disconnected from life and out of sync with the world around you
Sing this special song with me, don't worry 'bout the moon
Sing this happy song with me and don't worry about the things that are out of your control
Looks after itself
Things will work out on their own, so focus on being happy
Give me those happy days toytown newspaper smile
Let's continue to focus on the happy, carefree times of childhood
Clap twice, lean back, twist for a while
Engage in playful activities to keep the happiness going
Well now you've got the hang of it
Now you understand how to be happy
There's nothing you can't do with it
You can be happy no matter what obstacles you face
If you're very tuned to it you can't go wrong.
If you focus on happiness and joy, you will succeed in life
All together!
Let's sing and be happy together
And now we're very into it we can't go wrong!
Now that we are focused on happiness, nothing can bring us down
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: IAN MCLAGAN, KENNEY JONES, RONNIE LANE, STEVE MARRIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind