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
High and Happy
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drinkin' snortin' anything to please me
All I have to say to you today
I'm high, I'm happy, hope I stay that way
Been on the road for about ten long years
I've seen spring in Des Moines I've seen laughter and tears
But I'm still around to say to you today
I just gotta tell you'cause I feel so fine
Let's outrun the constable jack and do another line
There's good booze and bad women I'd love to hear you all say
We're all high, we're all happy
God bless you stay that way.
The Small Faces’s song “High and Happy” is a representation of a rockstar's life on the road. The lyrics exhibit a sense of freedom and liberation that comes with being in the music industry. The opening lyric “I like to feel kinda free and easy” is an indication of how casual the singer's drug habit is. The phrase “Drinkin' snortin' anything to please me” signifies the intense desire to stay high and happy by any means necessary. It is a cry for acceptance and a representation of how accepted substance abuse is.
The second verse of the lyrics portrays the singer's travel experiences while on the road. The band has traveled far and wide and have been witness to different cultures and ways of life. With phrases like “seen spring in Des Moines I've seen laughter and tears”, the emphasis is towards how music can provide a medium to bring joy to people's lives. The chorus repeats the message of being high and happy and hoping to stay that way. Overall, the lyrics suggest that the rockstar life is a life of destruction, but despite that, the singer has had the time of his life.
Line by Line Meaning
I like to feel kinda free and easy
I enjoy feeling unburdened and unconstrained
Drinkin' snortin' anything to please me
Using drugs and alcohol to satisfy my own desires
All I have to say to you today
The only thing I have to communicate at this moment is
I'm high, I'm happy, hope I stay that way
I am currently under the influence and content, and I desire to maintain this state
Been on the road for about ten long years
I have been traveling extensively for a decade
I've seen spring in Des Moines I've seen laughter and tears
I have witnessed both positive and negative experiences in various locations
But I'm still around to say to you today
Despite my past experiences, I am still present and able to address you now
I'm high, I'm happy and hope I stay that way
Once again, I am currently under the influence and content, and I desire to maintain this state
I just gotta tell you'cause I feel so fine
I must share with you because I am feeling so good
Let's outrun the constable jack and do another line
Let's hurry in order to evade the law and consume more drugs
There's good booze and bad women I'd love to hear you all say
I would enjoy hearing all of you affirm that there are both quality alcohol and women, as well as insalubrious specimens
We're all high, we're all happy
God bless you stay that way.
All of us are under the influence and content, and I offer a blessing for us to remain so
Contributed by Victoria S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.