Both sides of their only official single release, Zoot Suit / I'm the Face (released on major mod label Fontana in 1964), were works of plagiarism; respectively, "Zoot Suit" and "I'm the Face" were Meaden's reworkings of "Misery" by The Dynamics, and "I Got Love If You Want It" by Slim Harpo. Both were well-known mod songs; by all accounts, angered mods were the primary cause the single's failure. The band quickly broke off their association with Meaden, and would shortly earn the mods' affection, and indeed became one of the most emblematic "mod" bands of all time.
In 1974, The Who released the album Quadrophenia, their second rock opera, its lyrical subject matter being a search for identity during the heyday of the mods. Fittingly, lyrical references to "I'm the Face" and "Zoot Suit" appeared in the songs "Cut My Hair" and "Sea and Sand", respectively. "Zoot Suit" later appeared on the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Quadrophenia, whereas the two aforementioned album cuts were used only in abridged forms.
The High Numbers' only single was released alongside two other studio cuts ("Leaving Here" and "Here 't Is") as part of The Who's box set Thirty Years of Maximum R&B. A number of High Numbers performances also exist in bootleg audio, or video form; most notably, this includes one, or several, performances during their residency at the Marquee Club in London.
Shepherd's Bush, West London, United Kingdom
Zoot Suit
The High Numbers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the snappiest dresser right down to my inch wide tie,
And to get you wise I'll explain it to you,
A few of the things that a face is supposed to do.
I wear zoot suit jacket with side vents five inches long,
I have two-tone ????? yeah you know this is wrong.
But the main thing is unless you're a fool,
Ah you know you gotta know, yeah you know, yeah you gotta be cool.
With my striped zoot jacket that the sods can plainly see,
So the action lies with all of you guys,
Is how you look in the other, the other, yeah, the other cat's eye.
Well don't you see, well don't you see, well don't you see now,
Well don't you see now, come on baby, 'cause don't you see now, oh baby,
Well don't you see now, you drive me wild, hmm hmm hmm, you're crazy-looking now.
The High Numbers' song "Zoot Suit" is a classic example of the mod culture of the mid-60s in Britain. The lyrics describe the fashion and attitude of a typical mod, boasting about being the hippiest number in town and the snappiest dresser. The zoot suit jacket with five-inch long side vents and two-tone shoes were iconic pieces of clothing for the mods. The singer of the song is trying to explain to the audience what it means to be cool, wearing the right clothes is just one part of it.
The song goes on to make a statement about how appearance is everything in mod culture. It is not enough to just dress well; one must also look good to others. The singer explains that the other cats' eye is what matters, and how you look in front of them is everything. The line "So all you tickets I just want you to dig me" means that the singer wants everyone to pay attention to him and admire his fashion sense. One of the most revealing lines in the song comes in the second verse: "I have two-tone ????? yeah you know this is wrong." This line demonstrates the self-awareness of the singer, who knows he is breaking rules but gets away with it anyway.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the hippiest number in town and I'll tell you why,
I'm the coolest and most fashionable person in town, and I'll tell you why.
I'm the snappiest dresser right down to my inch wide tie,
I'm the most stylish dresser with my inch wide tie and overall outfit.
And to get you wise I'll explain it to you,
Let me enlighten you with some knowledge.
A few of the things that a face is supposed to do.
I'll share some tips on how to be fashionable.
I wear zoot suit jacket with side vents five inches long,
I wear a fancy jacket with long side vents and it's five inches long.
I have two-tone ????? yeah you know this is wrong.
I have two-toned shoes, which may not be acceptable to some people.
But the main thing is unless you're a fool,
But the most important thing is that you have to be cool and not a fool.
Ah you know you gotta know, yeah you know, yeah you gotta be cool.
You have to know and understand that being cool is a must.
So all you tickets I just want you to dig me,
So hey, everyone, I want you to appreciate and admire my style.
With my striped zoot jacket that the sods can plainly see,
I'm wearing a striped zoot jacket that everyone can clearly see.
So the action lies with all of you guys,
The way you look and dress is up to you.
Is how you look in the other, the other, yeah, the other cat's eye.
It's all about how you look in the eyes of others, especially other fashionable people.
Well don't you see, well don't you see, well don't you see now,
Do you not understand, do you not see, do you not see it now?
Well don't you see now, come on baby, 'cause don't you see now, oh baby,
Come on, can't you see it now, baby?
Well don't you see now, you drive me wild, hmm hmm hmm, you're crazy-looking now.
Can't you see it now? Your fashion sense is driving me wild, and you look crazy right now.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carlover1816
I've never heard of The High Numbers, but they sound very promising, especially the drummer and bassist.
I hope they release an album soon.
@stellazuegel5696
They are The Who - who are now in their 70ies.
@carlover1816
@Stella Zuegel r/wooosh
@stuartpearson2993
Thanks for the info didn't know that and must've watched the movie 30 odd times and played the soundtrack as well
@alexmacleod3728
Hopefully they’ll have success by 1966
@ronchamberlain8392
Uhh...lol
@sidfiddler2131
how good were they? bags of class even back then. what a band.
@Luileadolfo
This was the first 45 record by the future WHO ! I think this one is maybe more infectious than the "A" side "I am the Face". The quality of the recording is excellent; better than many of the songs the band recorded as The Who.
@RhysSandford
I'm supprised this didn't do better in the charts. Really cool sound.
@ChrisHenniker
I love that treble-tone guitar, it suits the melodic quality of the song. Mod goes on forever times ten to the power forever and a year after! I've just discovered it and it's still fresh, it never dates.