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
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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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What's The Matter Baby
Small Faces Lyrics

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When people ask me what love's all about
There's one thing I can say
Some people believe just what I'm puttin' down
Understand your troubles away

You got to do this thing we're feeling
You got to know just what I'm meaning
You gotta believe just what I'm handing

Understanding, understanding

You got to do this thing we're feeling
You got to know just what I'm meaning
You gotta believe just what I'm handing
Understanding, yes, understanding, alright

You see I love this life I live
And I wanna love it with you
But people if you don't understand
Just what I'm, what I'm puttin' down
There's no more I can do

You got to do this thing we're feeling
You got to know just what I'm meaning

You gotta believe just what I'm handing
Understanding, understanding

Overall Meaning

In Small Faces' song "Understanding," the singer talks about the difficulty of explaining love to others but believes that people can understand their troubles away. The repetition of the phrase "you gotta do this thing we're feeling" emphasizes the need for actions, not just words or explanations, to truly understand love. The singer also expresses their desire to share their love and life with someone who understands them, but acknowledges that if others can't understand, there's nothing more they can do. In the end, they emphasize the importance of understanding, saying it twice for emphasis.

The lyrics of "Understanding" suggest that while love can be hard to explain or understand, it is something that can be felt deeply and shared through actions. The repetition of the phrases "you gotta do this thing we're feeling" and "you gotta believe just what I'm handing" suggest that the singer believes that love must be experienced to be understood. The song's upbeat melody and catchy chorus reinforce the idea that love is something that should be embraced and shared, even if it is hard to put into words.

Line by Line Meaning

When people ask me what love's all about
When someone asks me about the meaning of love

There's one thing I can say
I have one answer

Some people believe just what I'm puttin' down
Some people understand my message

Understand your troubles away
Understanding can solve your problems

You got to do this thing we're feeling
You need to experience this feeling

You got to know just what I'm meaning
You need to understand what I'm saying

You gotta believe just what I'm handing
You have to trust what I'm giving you

Understanding, understanding
Understanding is important

You see I love this life I live
I'm in love with my life

And I wanna love it with you
I want to share it with you

But people if you don't understand
If you don't get it