Small Faces were an influential British mod/psychedelic band of the 1960s, … Read Full Bio ↴Small Faces were an influential British mod/psychedelic band of the 1960s, led by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane with Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan (who replaced original organist Jimmy Winston). The Small Faces were all genuine East End mods . They were signed to Decca records initially and enjoyed major success across Europe between 1965 and 1967 with classic singles like "All or Nothing" and "Sha-La-La-La-Lee" before moving to a new label.

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

I Feel Much Better
Small Faces Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Easy and lazy we go
It seems so hazy and slow
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
Long before the long before we know
(Shanga-langa-langa-dulang)
Times were so high they were low

I'm only writing the rhyme

Don't find me taking my time
Please pass me my glass of wine
I feel much better
I feel much better
I feel much
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
Please feel at home to come and go
(Shanga-langa-langa-dulang)
Easy and lazy and slow
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
Smiling so nicely to know
(Shanga-langa-langa-dulang)
Winds of good fortune must blow your way

These things won't come in a day
These things are coming to stay
There's really not much to say
I feel much better
I feel much better
I feel much
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy) slowly
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy) slowly feeling
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy) slowly feeling
(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy) slowly feeling

Oh yeah, come on, now, ooh

Overall Meaning

The Small Faces’ song “I Feel Much Better” is a reflection on the simple pleasures in life that can bring joy and contentment. The lyrics convey a sense of relaxation and ease, as the singer describes a languid, carefree existence that is at once escapist and indulgent. The lines “Easy and lazy we go, it seems so hazy and slow” set the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer revels in the fact that he has nothing to do and nowhere to be. He implores the listener to “please feel at home to come and go” and paints a picture of a lifestyle that is both idyllic and unattainable for most of us.

The lyrics also contain a sense of nostalgia, as the singer reflects on a time “long before we know” when life was simpler and times were “so high they were low.” The phrase “winds of good fortune” suggest that the singer is hoping for a change in his luck, and the repetition of the line “I feel much better” suggests that he has found some measure of happiness and contentment in his current circumstances. Overall, the song is a celebration of the small joys in life and the beauty of simplicity.

Line by Line Meaning

Easy and lazy we go
We are moving without any worry or trouble

It seems so hazy and slow
Things are unclear and moving slowly

(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
Vocables to fill the melody

Long before the long before we know
Things started well before our awareness of them.

(Shanga-langa-langa-dulang)
More vocables to fill the melody

Times were so high they were low
Things changed so quickly - what was once high is now low

I'm only writing the rhyme
I am merely putting together words that rhyme

Don't find me taking my time
I am not wasting any time

Please pass me my glass of wine
Please give me my drink to enjoy

I feel much better
I am feeling great!

(Shoop-shoop-doo-weddy-weddy)
More vocables to fill the melody