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
The Universal
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so many bad ways to be good, haven't paid my rent yet
I tell them "sorry but I haven't got the money anymore"
Just for today I thought I'd leave home alone, hold hands with day
And if I'm so bad, why don't they take me away?
Just like what you hear with a shell pressed to your ear
Hello, The Universal
Good morning Steve, well you won't believe me today
Working doesn't seem to be the perfect thing for me so I'll continue to play
And if I'm so bad why don't they take me away?
Well, a hippy-trippy name-dropper came through my door
He said "I just bumped into Mick he told me you know where to score?"
No, not me friend, I mind my own and my own minds me
Well, my love is at the foot of your hand, come what may
But if June comes first please won't you take me away?
The Small Faces' song "The Universal" is a surreal and whimsical exploration of the duality of good and bad, adulthood and freedom, and the mysteries of the universe. The first verse establishes the song's themes, with the singer acknowledging that there are many ways to be good and bad, and he hasn't paid his rent yet, possibly due to prioritizing his freedom over his responsibilities. The second verse continues this thought, with the singer suggesting that he's not cut out for work and would rather play, questioning why he hasn't been taken away if he's so bad.
The chorus is where things get cryptic and dreamlike, with the singer holding hands with the day and hearing the sea in the trees. The phrase "The Universal" is ambiguous and could refer to the universe or a higher power, though the way it's addressed like a person suggests it may be more mystical in nature. The phone conversation that follows adds to the surrealism, with a hippie asking the singer for drugs and the singer denying any involvement, emphasizing his independence and desire to mind his own business. The song ends on a romantic note, with the singer placing his love at the foot of someone else's hand and pleading to be taken away if June comes first.
Overall, "The Universal" is a trippy and impressionistic song that captures a sense of restlessness and longing for something more than the mundane realities of life. The lyrics are open to interpretation but seem to touch on themes of freedom, spirituality, and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
There's such a lot of good ways to be bad
There are many ways to do bad things that seem good.
And so many bad ways to be good, haven't paid my rent yet
Similarly, there are many ways to do good things that seem bad; however, the singer is currently in a bad situation as he hasn't paid his rent.
I tell them "sorry but I haven't got the money anymore"
The singer informs his landlord that he doesn't have the money to pay his rent anymore.
Just for today, I thought I'd leave home alone, hold hands with day
The singer wants to take a break from his surroundings for a day and spend some time appreciating nature and time itself.
And if I'm so bad, why don't they take me away?
The singer is questioning why he is still free to roam if he is truly doing such bad things.
Just like what you hear with a shell pressed to your ear
The sound of the singer's voice is compared to the sound heard when one listens to a seashell due to the reverberation of sound within it.
That's the sea in the trees in the morning
The sound he creates is like that of the waves coming from the sea at dawn.
Hello, The Universal
The Universal represents the things that transcend individuals, making their actions larger in effect.
Good morning Steve, well you won't believe me today
The singer greets someone named Steve who may not believe what he has to say.
Working doesn't seem to be the perfect thing for me so I'll continue to play
The singer is not getting satisfaction from working so he chooses to play instead.
Well, a hippy-trippy name-dropper came through my door
A person with a free-spirited attitude and a need for attention came to singer's door.
He said "I just bumped into Mick he told me you know where to score?"
He is asking if the singer knows where he can get drugs.
No, not me friend, I mind my own and my own minds me
The singer doesn't have any knowledge of where drugs can be found, as he prefers to keep to himself.
Well, my love is at the foot of your hand, come what may
The singer's love lies in the hands of fate.
But if June comes first, please won't you take me away?
If his love doesn't arrive by June, he asks to be taken away from this world.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: RONNIE LANE, STEVE MARRIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nigelwillmott6177
I read somewhere that Steve recorded part of this in his garden & that it was his dog you can hear barking in the background. He was a unique artist and, IMO, the best rock singer the UK ever produced.
@alansmith1840
Definitely agree about the voice and good guitarist
@jameswood3977
Yeah I heard that story too and agree about Steve’s vocals and yes a good guitarist
@GroovingPict
It's also Steve's dog on the Pink Floyd track Seamus. Seems a popular dog :p
@NcalBiker
MY GAWD, WHERE HAS THIS BEEN? I haven't herd this for years!!! This was one of my favorite songs back in the day. I still get a kick out of the dog barking and the wonderful lack of any tech tricks to cover things up. @bandcouver put it well, "All stripped down". What could be better than having the band in your backyard, jamming away, FOR THE FUN OF IT!
@miyukishijisha8540
East End music
@hughwalker5628
Such a wonderful, way underrated song!
@ac9110
Always loved this song. The solo is brilliant too.
@bandcouver
I love the rawness of this song. All stripped down. So devoid of the often overproduced fare of the mainstream. brilliant!
@thewordofgord
Gad! the unfettered brilliance of this. Steve could do anything, really, let's face it, possibly the most underrated genius of the sixties, a decade filled with genius. Every week another brilliant song or two...how was it all possible? wordofgord