I met her in a club down in North Soho
where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Cherry Cola
C-O-L-A Cola.
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said, "Lola"
L-O-L-A Lola, lo lo lo Lola
Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy,
but when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola
Well, I'm not dumb but I can't understand
why she walks like a woman and talks like a man
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola
Well, we drank champagne and danced all night,
under electric candlelight,
she picked me up and sat me on her knee,
She said, "Little boy won't you come home with me?"
Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy,
but when I looked in her eyes,
I almost fell for my Lola,
Lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo Lola
I pushed her away. I walked to the door.
I fell to the floor. I got down on my knees.
I looked at her, and she at me.
Well that's the way that I want it to stay.
I always want it to be that way for my Lola.
Lo lo lo Lola.
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls.
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world,
except for Lola. Lo lo lo Lola. Lo lo lo Lola.
Well I left how just a week before,
and I never ever kissed a woman before,
Lola smiled and took me by the hand,
she said, "Little boy, gonna make you a man."
Well I'm not the world's most masculine man,
but I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man,
so is Lola.
Lo lo lo Lola. Lo lo lo Lola.
This song is much more than just a humorous tale of gender confusion. Remember that the album (lola vs powerman the moneygoround) is a concept album that tells a story about a young singer and his raise to fame and struggles with the music industry. Very critical of the business, the media, the fans, etc. This particular track comes right after "Get Back in Line" - a song about being poor and in the welfare line, the only way out being the 'union man', to follow certain rules and join the system, to forget about being an artist and just doing what the businessmen say. The song after "Lola", 'Top of the Pops' is about how he finally did it, he has a pop single and now he can make lots of money now.
So, the deeper meaning of Lola should become obvious. The song itself brought the Kinks back into popularity and was a huge successful single. In the story of the album, this is also the case. This is the song that the hero writes that finally gets him some money as mentioned in 'top of the pops', because it's a pop song about love with a sing-along chorus and it's exactly what they want. Ray Davies is basically jerking us all around, it's like we are not just listening to the song like any other song, we are listening to the song being played on a jukebox in the fictional world of the album. you dig?
There is another layer as well. Lola in the song isn't an actual person, it is a representation of the music business. It will look all friendly and female and sexy and enticing, get you drunk on champaigne and say it will "make you a man" ahem...but in reality it's all an illusion, its' a devious man pulling strings and pushing you around and forcing you to your knees. And if you do what he says, he'll make you a star.
I've never heard the whole album, but that makes a lot of sense. I like your definition, it's very interesting and well thought out.
I've never heard the whole album, but that makes a lot of sense. I like your definition, it's very interesting and well thought out.
@enjoymywaffles I wish you were right because your line of thoughts makes nice clicks to my ears, but I am afraid you're only projecting your fantasies about this song and the Kinks in general. It seems more likely that the song originates in what Ray Davies has already described in biographies, he (or his manager, it's not very clear) was drunk, and started dancing in a club with a superb woman, only to realize later on that said woman had a DICK between the legs, uhuhuh
@enjoymywaffles I wish you were right because your line of thoughts makes nice clicks to my ears, but I am afraid you're only projecting your fantasies about this song and the Kinks in general. It seems more likely that the song originates in what Ray Davies has already described in biographies, he (or his manager, it's not very clear) was drunk, and started dancing in a club with a superb woman, only to realize later on that said woman had a DICK between the legs, uhuhuh
One of my friends noticed this today while borrowing the Spanish room for one of our classes...
lo (masculine) la (feminine)
Never noticed that before. That's pretty cool.
Never noticed that before. That's pretty cool.
That's pretty interesting! El-la would also have worked. :P
That's pretty interesting! El-la would also have worked. :P
i love this song its forever a drunken favorite, and the lyrics are so clever
this song is the best. my favorite line is "i'm not dumb but i can't understand why she walks like a woman and talks like a man"... it's so funny!
"I pushed her away. I walked to the door. I fell to the floor. I got down on my knees. I looked at her, and she at me.
Well that's the way that I want it to stay. I always want it to be that way for my Lola. Lo lo lo Lola. "
He thinks its a woman and this part is when he realises it isn't and freaks out. Thats the way I always interpreted it anyway. but I'm sure the guy has no clue up until that point. All the lyrics depict him as seriously naive
I don't think people appreciate the full brilliance of this song.
Yes, it's a fun reveal about a romance with a transvestite, but there's so much more to it than that. The rest of "Lola Vs. Powerman and the Money-go-Round" is all about pre- and post-stardom life ("Get Back in Line" vs. "This Time Tomorrow"). It's all about playing and trying to make a hit...and Lola just happens to be that hit. The next song is "Top of the Pops," indicating The Kinks KNEW "Lola" would be huge, because it's the point at which the album turns, from pre-fame angst to fun of making it.
They set up "Lola" to be huge, and it was. The Kinks pulled one over on us.
i always assumed it was about a transvestite as well but when it says, 'i'm glad i'm a man, and so is lola' i think theyr'e just saying lola is also glad he's a man. grammatically that makes more sense, although i always assumed it to mean lola was a man.
this doesn't mean lola ISN'T a man... it just means it's still up in the air. my sister thinks lola's just a masculine woman and the song's more about gender confusion and submission/dominance etc.
It is GLAD I'm a man... I always felt the meaning was Lola was glad he (the singer) was a man, regardless of whatever gender Lola is...
Named one of my cats Lola after this song... She perks up whenever this song is played. it's uncanny ;-)
i have never read so much rubbish. firstly, there are a numbe rof mistakes in the lyrics not just the glad, that problem. secondly whoever suggested it was soho in new york, wot r u on, the kinks were banned from america for several reasons and so it is very unlikely they would sing about the country that stopped them from being bigger than the beatles (or even jesus lol), they were the original brit pop. the worst mistake of all though is all these theories tht lola was a woman etc. any real fan would know hat it is actually a true story, it happened to ray davies in soho in LONDON, he has said this in his autobiography and in various other places, lola was a transvesdite, and yes he did fall for her, to find out what happened after listen to destroyer by the kinks, htis is a revisit to lola and tells the nxt chapter of ray davies night. the suggestion that ray and dave davies were gay/bisexual is a misconception, thye did dabble and experiment, but that is what the times were like, they are both predominantly attracted to women.
@middo88 It was Ray's commentary on what he saw around Soho and it caused a storm of controversy in those days. Hee, hee he knew it would. I was 12 when it came out and I heard it although it was banned in New Zealand.
@middo88 It was Ray's commentary on what he saw around Soho and it caused a storm of controversy in those days. Hee, hee he knew it would. I was 12 when it came out and I heard it although it was banned in New Zealand.
there is a total redneck kid who is all man and one day he walked into class singing this song and the teacher just gave him the oddest look and asked if he knew what it was about.. he had no clue so when she explained it his whole jaw dropped off, it was hilarious! he hasnt sang since... :]