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A Well Respected Man Lyrics
'Cause he gets up in the morning,
And he goes to work at nine,
And he comes back home at five-thirty,
Gets the same train every time.
'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality,
It never fails.
And he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.
He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.
And his mother goes to meetings,
While his father pulls the maid,
And she stirs the tea with councilors,
While discussing foreign trade,
And she passes looks, as well as bills
At every suave young man
'Cause he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.
He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.
And he likes his own backyard,
And he likes his fags the best,
'Cause he's better than the rest,
And his own sweat smells the best,
And he hopes to grab his father's loot,
When Pater passes on.
'Cause he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.
He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.
And he plays at stocks and shares,
And he goes to the Regatta,
And he adores the girl next door,
'Cause he's dying to get at her,
But his mother knows the best about
The matrimonial stakes.
'Cause he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.
He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.
This song's referring to the bleak and repressed mono-tone lifestyle people of middle class england were expected abide by. The grey routine depicted "Cause he gets up in the morning, And he goes to work at nine, And he comes back home at five-thirty, Gets the same train every time. 'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality, It never fails." is sung and expressed in a way which is trying to put across that this simple structured lifestyle is the way a "respected" person should live. However beneath these words lies the sense that this is a somewhat empty life which is structured accordingly to society's view of how one should live, as oppossed to the individuals wishes. There is also a sinister darker tone created through the character's hypocritical and lustful desires which do not correspond to middle class attitude. "While his father pulls the maid... And he hopes to grab his father's loot... Cause he's dying to get at her" You get the impression that these are not particular happy or nice people, however the contradiction lies in the fact that this is the exact image they are trying to convey, that they are nice,happy "respected" people. A subtle tribute to the hypocrisy of a great britain bound by class divisions, these people are no happier or normal than lower class. In a word an amazing song, one of my fav :)
Another one of those Kinks brilliant biographical songs, It makes me vividly imagine the guy in the song going about his day. It was great in Juno as well.
Another one of those Kinks brilliant biographical songs, It makes me vividly imagine the guy in the song going about his day. It was great in Juno as well.
You seem to know alot about this song. Maybeyou can help me with some of the words.
You seem to know alot about this song. Maybeyou can help me with some of the words.
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What does it mean that his mother is passing bills with every suave young man. What kind of bills and why.
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What does it mean that his mother is passing bills with every suave young man. What kind of bills and why.
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He like his fags the best. What are fags?
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He like his fags the best. What are fags?
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Pulls the maid, I assume has some sexual connotation. Is it specific. Does it mean feels the maid or has sexual intercourse with the maid.
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Pulls the maid, I assume has some sexual connotation. Is it specific. Does it mean feels the maid or has sexual intercourse with the maid.
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Who is Pater. Is it his father and if so whose father in real life is it.
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Who is Pater. Is it his father and if so whose father in real life is it.
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I have always assumed this meant that it meant that his mother was busy screwing young men.. the meetings might mean like appointments so basically she was screwing the golf instructor or whatever and paying for it with sex.
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I have always assumed this meant that it meant that his mother was busy screwing young men.. the meetings might mean like appointments so basically she was screwing the golf instructor or whatever and paying for it with sex.
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Fags= British Slang for Cigarettes which makes more sense than what we think of usually when we hear fags.. BTW it's a play on words, just like the derogatory term for gays, it comes from the word faggot, which is a pile of sticks to be burnt.. IE the burning a cigarette..
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Fags= British Slang for Cigarettes which makes more sense than what we think of usually when we hear fags.. BTW it's a play on words, just like the derogatory term for gays, it comes from the word faggot, which is a pile of sticks to be burnt.. IE the burning a cigarette..
lol I always assumed it meant that the father...
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lol I always assumed it meant that the father was busy bagging the maid.,. sorta like how the mother is off banging other people...
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Pater=Latin for father.
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Reminds me of Mothers Little Helper.... Just, sorta different. Hmm xoxo! LOVEit
"..was inspired by a visit to a hotel in Exeter where aristocratic guests invited him [Ray] to play golf with them - as he [Ray] said, 'I'm not going to be your caddy so you can say you played golf with a pop star.'" I've also heard that this song was inspired by The Kinks' manager. In my opinion, the song is about a man who is well respected in society, but really he shouldn't be as respected as he is. It's written to make the man sound dull. Brilliant song. ;)
i just heard this song on criminal minds. it's so catchy
Another one of those Kinks brilliant biographical songs, It makes me vividly imagine the guy in the song going about his day. It was great in Juno as well.
Another one of those Kinks brilliant biographical songs, It makes me vividly imagine the guy in the song going about his day. It was great in Juno as well.
It's also a political statement: the social climbing, money-grubbing mediocrity of the WRM is specifically said to be conservative, but just make that Conservative and watch the meanings expand!
In such a very English song, I don't expect the word 'fine' with the standard American meaning. And I'm certain I can hear a -d at the end of it! He's oh, so good and he's oh, so kind. Which even rhymes with 'mind', proving my point. And another error: this one, if corrected, improves the humour. Not 'his own sweat', but 'his arm sweat smells the best'. Which is hilarious: one's own sweat can be anywhere, running down the forehead, wherever, but underarm sweat is famously smelly!
I am in love with this song. I loved the way it was used at the end of "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"...it fits him almost eerily.
This song is a great song. It's a simple song, that is some how complex too, about a simple person, a well respected simple person, that probably shouldn't be as well respected as he is.
"And he hopes to grab his father's loot, When Pater passes on."
Muhaha! That’s kind of mean and un-respectful. Wouldn’t you agree?
"... And he adores the girl next door, 'Cause he's dying to get at her... And he's oh, so fine, And he's oh, so healthy, In his body and his mind."
I think that is magnificent.
A very English song, taking a stab at middle-class, bourgeois pretentiousness.
fun song to sing, and fun on the guitar.
This song always sorta reminds me of john lennon's "working class hero" because they are both insanely simple guitar with some cut-throat lyrics