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
Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sinking down into the deep, that's the time of no time
When you're slipping into sleep
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
When you're slipping into sleep
The day is night, the night is day
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
When you're slipping into sleep, there's a world you will find
That's all yours and you can keep, that's the only thing to keep
When you're slipping into sleep
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
When you're slipping into sleep
Small Faces' "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire" is a song about the moment of slipping into sleep. The lyrics talk about how this is a moment of letting go, of leaving behind the stresses of the day-to-day and entering into a space that is different from waking reality. As one begins the journey into sleep, the sounds around them take on new meaning and they start to feel a separation between their body and their consciousness. The lyrics capture the idea that sleep is a time when we can disconnect from the world and enter into a space that is uniquely our own.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire", which is a playful way of saying "going to bed". The phrase "wooden hills" is an old English idiom for stairs, and "Bedfordshire" is a county in England. Together, they create an image of climbing up the stairs to go to sleep at night.
In addition to the lyrics, the song has a dreamy, almost psychedelic quality to it. It features a hazy guitar riff and harmonized vocals that drift in and out of focus. The overall effect is a feeling of being transported to another world, where anything is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're slipping into sleep, that's the time to unwind
As you begin to drift off to sleep, it's the perfect opportunity to let go of any worries or stress and relax.
Sinking down into the deep, that's the time of no time
As you fall deeper into sleep, time seems to stand still and everything around you fades away.
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
As you sleep, familiar sounds can take on new and sometimes surreal meanings.
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
As you slip into sleep, you may feel a sense of detachment from your physical body and a new sense of freedom.
The day is night, the night is day
Sleeping brings a disorienting shift in your perception of time, where day and night lose their meaning.
So please out the light as I slip away
As the singer falls asleep, they request that the light be turned off to ensure a peaceful slumber.
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
The phrase 'up the wooden hills' is a British term for going up the stairs to bed, with Bedfordshire being a place of slumber and rest.
When you're slipping into sleep, there's a world you will find
As sleep takes over, your mind can enter a new world of dreams and imagination.
That's all yours and you can keep, that's the only thing to keep
The world of dreams you enter while sleeping is entirely your own and something you can hold onto when you awake.
Contributed by Scarlett D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Javier Bermúdez Méndez
Lyrics:
When you're slipping into sleep, that's the time to unwind
Sinking down into the deep, that's the time of no time
When you're slipping into sleep
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
When you're slipping into sleep
The day is night, the night is day
So please out the light as I slip away
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
When you're slipping into sleep, there's a world you will find
That's all yours and you can keep, that's the only thing to keep
When you're slipping into sleep
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
When you're slipping into sleep
Augmuse
The Small Faces were and still are one of my favorite bands. They are so very good. You will not be disappointed to give the Small Faces a listen!
Noah Crews
I agree but who does this apply to? The only ones who can see your comment are the ones that are here.
Beth McAvoy
I love this charming song, God Bless Ian McLagan
208 Records
So sorry to hear Ian McLagan died yesterday. Mac was a great soulful player, & an underacted singer & composer. Have a listen to the beautiful gem, people sometimes forget he wrote this. He signed a fiver for my mate once...... Cheers Ian x
Javier Bermúdez Méndez
Lyrics:
When you're slipping into sleep, that's the time to unwind
Sinking down into the deep, that's the time of no time
When you're slipping into sleep
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
When you're slipping into sleep
The day is night, the night is day
So please out the light as I slip away
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire
When you're slipping into sleep, there's a world you will find
That's all yours and you can keep, that's the only thing to keep
When you're slipping into sleep
All the sounds around you seem to have a new meaning
Leave your body behind you with a different feeling
When you're slipping into sleep
SilverDollar79
what a nice touch from Ian, he was so essential to their sound...the S.F. could be quite evocative with such a simple pop tune!!
CultureJudge
Some of their chord sequences were a big influence on Bowie, I reckon. The fabulous verse chords here and the chords to the chorus of the Arnold Corns version of Moonage Daydream, for instance. Bowie used such semi-tonal downshifts all over the place in his early period.
Nealo81
takes me back to the 1960's, too, but with my dad reminding me to go up those wooden hills to bedfordshire at the end of a long day. The phrase comes from the title of a Vera Lynn song -- 1930 -- must've been millions of kids hearing those words all across England . . .
Gareth Jones
Just a great song.
Richard Cain
best Mod band in my opinion - once a Mod always a Mod