Ray says it right in the song. I'm NOT a flasher in a raincoat. I'm NOT a dirty old man. He definitely is NOT a pedophile in this song. It's a very ambiguous song about a guy who has lost his daughter, either to death or divorce or something of that nature. Watching the little girls in the park reminds him of his child.
I remember reading an interview with Ray Davies in Creem magazine where he was explaining that the BBC wanted to ban the song because they thought it was about pedophelia. He told them that was not the case and that he explicitly says in the song that he has no evil motives.
Once you get to the end it's a pretty straight forward sad song. There is really no double or hidden meaning.
Ray says it right in the song. I'm NOT a flasher in a raincoat. I'm NOT a dirty old man. He definitely is NOT a pedophile in this song. It's a very ambiguous song about a guy who has lost his daughter, either to death or divorce or something of that nature. Watching the little girls in the park reminds him of his child.
I remember reading an interview with Ray Davies in Creem magazine where he was explaining that the BBC wanted to ban the song because they thought it was about pedophelia. He told them that was not the case and that he explicitly says in the song that he has no evil motives.
Once you get to the end it's a pretty straight forward sad song. There is really no double or hidden meaning.