Buttmunker

...considering the content of the song - that the little boy was made into a man by kissing his first girl, who happens to be a boy in drag.

Don't get me wrong - I embrace the song, too! What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?

The song has a great hook, what can I say?

Lyrics to LOLA - LO-LO-LO-LO-LOLA:

I met her in a club down in old Soho
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola [LP version: Coca-Cola]
See-oh-el-aye 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
El-oh-el-aye Lola la-la-la-la 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 la-la-la-la Lola
Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola

Well we drank champagne and danced all night
Under electric candlelight
She picked me up and sat me on her knee
And said dear 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 well I almost fell for my Lola
La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola
Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola
I pushed her away
I walked to the door
I fell to the floor
I got down on my knees
Then I looked at her and she at me

Well that's the way that I want it to stay
And I always want it to be that way for my Lola
La-la-la-la Lola
Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for Lola
La-la-la-la Lola

Well I left home just a week before
And I'd never ever kissed a woman before
But Lola smiled and took me by the hand
And said dear boy I'm 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
And so is Lola
La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola
Lola la-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola

Gunde

Most people never really listens to lyrics

cungar

Just shows how much of a genius Ray Davies is. Getting an arena full of horny teenagers to sing along with a song about a tranny. Check out the lyrics to Out of the Wardrobe from the album Misfits by the Kinks

Has anybody here seen a chick called Dick
He looks real burly but he's really hip
He's six feet tall and his arms are all brown and hairy
Well, he married Betty Lou back in '65 when you had to be butch to survive
But lately he's been looking at his wife with mixed emotions
You see, he's not a common place closet queen
He shouldn't be hidden, he should be seen
'cos when he puts on that dress
He looks like a princess
The day he came out of the wardrobe
Betty Lou got quite a surprise
She didn't know whether she should get angry or not bat an eye
She really couldn't call up her mother
Mama would positively die
Should she go or stay or should she try to get a trial separation
You see, he's not a faggot as you might suppose
He just feels restricted in conventional clothes
'cos when he puts on that dress, he feels like a princess
He's not a dandy, he's only living out a fantasy
He's not a pansy, he's only being what he wants to be
Now his life is rearranged and he's grateful for the change
He's out of the wardrobe and now he's got no regrets
Betty Lou didn't know what to do at first
But she's learning how to cope at last
She's got the best of both worlds
And she's really in a state of elation
She says it helps their relationship
She says a change is as good as a rest
And their friends finally coming 'round to their way of thinking
She wears the trousers and smokes the pipe
And he washes up
She helps him wipe
'Cos when he puts on that dress
He looks like a princess
He's out of the wardrobe and he's feeling alright
He's out of the wardrobe and he's feeling satisfied
Now it's farewell to the past
The secret's out at last
He's out of the wardrobe and now he's got no regrets


Kinks Out Of The Wardrobe lyrics

Hokeyboy

Wasn't Lola semi-autobiographical about Dave Davies' relationship with a transvestite? I remember hearing that on the radio years ago...

Great song, regardless.

Heat

The lyrics don't actually say that Lola is a man, it could be a woman. He talks about this in the liner notes to the album.

Is Lola glad that the singer is a man, or is Lola glad that she (Lola) is a man? It's ambiguous, though I've always considered Lola to be a man.

JasonF

Lou Reed's Walk On the Wild Side was also pretty popular.

Hokeyboy

Mott the Hoople's "All The Young Dudes"...

B5Erik

I've always found the lyrics to "Lola" to be a little disturbing - especially as a 13 year old when I first heard the song. But I think that's what Ray had in mind...

Great song, though.

bobert3

I remember hearing that The Kinks 'Lola' and Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side' was about the same transvestite.

Hokeyboy

Pete Townshend's "Rough Boys"...

Mr. Salty

That's also why you hear the Police's "Every Breath You Take" at so many wedding receptions.

atlantamoi

Well, I was only 10 in '75 when I started paying attention to classic rock radio. Kind of had that stuff spoon fed to me over the next few years. Not complaining, it's a great tune.

wendersfan

Kind of odd when you consider "Walk on the Wild Side" is about several different people (one for each verse IIRC).

The Bus

Yes, and each (IIRC) a member of Andy Warhol's entourage or whatever they were called.

auto

You answered the question in your first post!

Hokeyboy

David Bowie's "Queen Bitch"...

nodeerforamonth

eh... it's a catchy song. People were probably laughing at the "little boy in the song" who was fooled.

I certainly remember laughing at the song when I first heard it.

Supermallet

It took me a long time to catch the lyrics on this one. When I did I was shocked I had never noticed before.

Hokeyboy

Turd Robelli's "She's Packing Peen"...

Rypro 525

I've heard people have used Hinders "Lips of an Angel" as their wedding song, even though it is about cheating on your spouse

Hiro11

I always though Hendrix's "If a Six was Nine" was slightly suspicious... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Also, they play an extremely obvious anthem about gay swinging in major league baseball stadiums across the country every day. People sing along.

wendersfan

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" has just taken on a whole new meaning.

Hiro11

Actually, I was referring to "The Chicken Dance".

LiquidSky

Joe Dallesandro
Candy Darling
Holly Woodlawn

JoeR63

To be accurate, this song was penned by David Bowie, although I believe it was first recorded by Mott the Hoople.