Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
Funny Face
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That only gets stronger and stronger
Smudged mascara and pill-shaped eyes
Everything you want was bought with lies
But what can I do about it
The say you won't last any longer
All the gates of love you won't walk through
The only gates you see are colored blue.
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Oh how can I live without her
The doctors won't let me see her
But I can catch a glimpse through the doorway
Of the girl that I love and care for
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
The Kinks’s song “Funny Face” is a melancholic ode to the pain of lost love. In the song, the singer cannot escape his memories of a former lover with “smudged mascara and pill-shaped eyes”. He understands that the woman obtained “everything she wanted” with lies, but nonetheless, he is unable to forget her. The singer feels powerless against their heartache and impelled to keep observing his ex-lover through “frosted windows”, even though all he can see are her eyes crying. The chorus repeats the lines “Funny Face, she’s all right” in a way that suggests that the former lover has left an indelible mark on the singer’s psyche. The lyrics imply that the singer is separated from their ex-lover physically, which creates a sincere sense of lost love and longing.
The tender melody of the song further emphasizes the painfulness of the lyrics. The melancholic rhythm and gentle guitar riffs enhance the honest emotions conveyed through the lyrics. The song also speaks to a larger theme of love’s complexities and human vulnerability when it comes to losing someone who was once a significant part of one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You're walking 'round in my memory
The person being referred to is present in the singer's memories.
That only gets stronger and stronger
The memories are becoming more vivid with time.
Smudged mascara and pill-shaped eyes
The person being referred to has a distinct look - smudged mascara and eyes shaped like pills.
Everything you want was bought with lies
The singer believes that the person being referred to has acquired things through deceit.
But what can I do about it
The singer is resigned to the situation and doesn't know how to fix it.
The say you won't last any longer
Others have predicted that the person being referred to won't live long.
All the gates of love you won't walk through
The person being referred to is not receptive to love.
The only gates you see are colored blue.
The person being referred to is only interested in sadness - signified by the color blue.
I see you peering through frosted windows
The singer imagines the person being referred to looking through frosted windows.
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
The singer believes that the person being referred to only cries and does not smile.
Funny Face, she's all right
Despite the sadness and deceit associated with the person being referred to, the singer still believes she's alright.
Funny Face, she's all right
Reinforcing that the singer believes she's alright.
Funny Face, she's all right
Further emphasizing that the singer believes she's alright.
Oh how can I live without her
The singer feels as though he cannot live without the person being referred to.
The doctors won't let me see her
The singer is being kept from seeing the person being referred to, likely due to her condition.
But I can catch a glimpse through the doorway
Despite being kept away from the person, the singer can still see her through a doorway.
Of the girl that I love and care for
The singer loves and cares for the person being referred to deeply.
I see you peering through frosted windows
Repeating imagery of the person being referred to looking through frosted windows.
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Repeating the belief that the person being referred to only cries and does not smile.
Funny Face, she's all right
Repeating that the singer believes the person being referred to is alright.
Funny Face, she's all right
Repeating that the singer believes the person being referred to is alright.
Funny Face, she's all right
Repeating that the singer believes the person being referred to is alright.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephencoomer5692
You're walking 'round in my memory
That only gets stronger and stronger
Smudged mascara and pill-shaped eyes
Everything you want was bought with lies.
But what can I do about it
The say you won't last any longer
All the gates of love you won't walk through
The only gates you see are colored blue.
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Oh how can I live without her
The doctors won't let me see her
But I can catch a glimpse through the doorway
Of the girl that I love and care for
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
@brooklime
You're walking 'round in my memory
That only gets stronger and stronger
Smudged mascara and pill-shaped eyes
Everything you want was bought with lies.
But what can I do about it
The say you won't last any longer
All the gates of love you won't walk through
The only gates you see are colored blue.
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Oh how can I live without her
The doctors won't let me see her
But I can catch a glimpse through the doorway
Of the girl that I love and care for
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
@lannydante9390
I was 17 in 1967 and I played this album everyday- still love it at age 73 today!
@MindFlowersDotNet
I love Dave's songs.
In his lyrics I feel more intimate biography.
For someone to be able to bring pain and loss across in a song like Dave is rare.
@CarmieSchulz
You mean you've fell in love in a mental institution? That's what this song is about.
@stephencoomer5692
You're walking 'round in my memory
That only gets stronger and stronger
Smudged mascara and pill-shaped eyes
Everything you want was bought with lies.
But what can I do about it
The say you won't last any longer
All the gates of love you won't walk through
The only gates you see are colored blue.
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Oh how can I live without her
The doctors won't let me see her
But I can catch a glimpse through the doorway
Of the girl that I love and care for
I see you peering through frosted windows
Eyes don't smile, all they do is cry
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
Funny Face, she's all right
@georgeharrison70
Hmmm....I like how The Kinks composed the bridges of this song. The quiet, oddly etheral nature of the bridges contrast with the rest of the song, and they sound like a precursor to indie pop in a way. It's easy to see where bands like Yo La Tengo & Belle and Sebastian got their sound from, after listening to this song.
@acidfilth2007
great observation very concise and effective description
@celiliorodriguezcortes950
Belle & Sebastian took many elements by The Kinks and the Ivy League.
@beepst
Could this band be more underrated?
@billytrap9404
Chandler, is that you?
@iLL-iNNeR-GrOoVe
Most underrated in the states due to broadcast ban throughout the 60s.
You don't punch the elite.