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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Itchycoo Park
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To rest my eyes in shades of green
Under dreaming spires
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been
(What did you do there?) I got high
(What did you feel there?) well, I cried
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun
I'll tell you what I'll do (what will you do?) I'd like to go there now with you
You can miss out school (won't that be cool?) why go to learn the words of fools?
(What will we do there?) we'll get high
(What will we touch there?) we'll touch the sky
(But why the tears there?) I'll tell you why
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful, hah
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
The opening lines of "Itchycoo Park" by the Small Faces describe a journey over the "bridge of sighs" and into "shades of green" beneath "dreaming spires" leading to a magical place called Itchycoo Park. This park is where the singer goes to get high and escape the frustrations of everyday life, which leads to tears of joy in response to the beauty of the experience.
The lyrics also describe a desire to share this experience with another person, with the singer inviting someone to join them in the park, with the promise of being able to skip school and leave behind the worries and pressure of what they are taught. The song's refrain repeats the line "It's all too beautiful," reinforcing the idea that the experience of being in this park is more than one can bear.
The lyrics suggest a longing for an uncomplicated existence in a magical, drug-fueled realm. The singer is seeking escape from reality and the pressure of life, finding solace in a wooded area. The lyrics express feelings of joy and tranquility, with the song's setting described as an idyllic, even utopian, space. Despite its somewhat explicit drug references, "Itchycoo Park" is widely regarded as one of the happiest and most upbeat songs of the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
Over bridge of sighs
Crossing over a bridge while feeling emotional
To rest my eyes in shades of green
To find solace in nature's greenery
Under dreaming spires
Beneath picturesque buildings
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been
The artist went to Itchycoo Park
(What did you do there?) I got high
The artist consumed drugs there
(What did you feel there?) well, I cried
The singer experienced intense emotions
(But why the tears there?) tell you why
The singer will explain the reason for their tears
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
The beauty of the experience is overwhelming
I feel inclined to blow my mind
The artist desires further psychedelic experiences
Get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun
Engaging in simple and playful activities
They all come out to groove about
The people at Itchycoo Park come out to have fun and dance
Be nice and have fun in the sun
Enjoy the pleasant weather and have a good time
I'll tell you what I'll do (what will you do?) I'd like to go there now with you
The singer invites their companion to join them at Itchycoo Park
You can miss out school (won't that be cool?) why go to learn the words of fools?
Education is deemed unimportant and inferior to the experience of Itchycoo Park
(What will we do there?) we'll get high
The singer intends to consume drugs with their companion
(What will we touch there?) we'll touch the sky
They will feel a sense of euphoria and transcendence
(But why the tears there?) I'll tell you why
The artist will explain the reason for their tears
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
The beauty of the experience is overwhelming
It's all too beautiful, hah
Emphasizing the beauty of the experience
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
The beauty of the experience is overwhelming
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
The beauty of the experience is overwhelming
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
The beauty of the experience is overwhelming
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RONNIE LANE, STEVE MARRIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind