‘Itchycoo Park’ is a song by English rock band Small Faces, written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. Largely written by Lane, it was one of the first musical compositions to feature flanging, an effect at that time made possible by electro-mechanical processes. The song was not featured on any of their UK albums, but was however featured on the North American release There Are But Four Small Faces.
Released on 4 August 1967 by Immediate Records, the song was the Small Faces' fifth top-ten song in the UK Singles Chart, reaching a position of number three. ‘Itchycoo Park’ became the Small Faces' sole top-forty hit in the United States, reaching number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1968. In Continental Europe, it reached the top ten in several countries, while in Canada and New Zealand it was a number one hit. The single was re-released in December 1975, reaching number nine in the UK Singles chart, and is often attributed as the reason for the Small Faces reunion during the mid-1970s.
‘Itchycoo Park’ was released by Small Faces in August 1967. Together with ‘Lazy Sunday’, ‘Tin Soldier’ and ‘All or Nothing’, the song is one of the band's biggest hits and has become a classic of its time. The song reached number 16 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968, during a chart run of 16 weeks. In Canada, the song reached number 1. Long running British music magazine NME cites readers’ poll voting ‘Itchycoo Park’ number 62 out of the top 100 singles of all time.
In an interview Steve Marriott stated that Itchycoo Park is Valentine's Park in Ilford. "We used to go there and get stung by wasps. It's what we used to call it." This was reiterated by actor Tony Robinson, a childhood friend of Marriott. The term "Itchycoo" also appears in the Scots language from around the 1950s. A number of sources claim the song's name is derived from the nickname of Little Ilford Park, on Church Road in the London suburb of Manor Park, where Small Faces' singer and songwriter Steve Marriott grew up. The "itchycoo" nickname is, in turn, attributed to the stinging nettles which grew there. Other sources cite nearby Wanstead Flats (Manor Park end) as the inspiration for the song.
On its release, the BBC immediately banned the song because of overt drug references - "What did you do there? - I got high" and "I feel inclined to blow my mind, get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun, They all come out to groove about, Be nice and have fun in the sun." So Small Faces manager Tony Calder explained the song had an innocent interpretation. In Marriott's biography, All Too Beautiful, by Paolo Hewitt and John Hellier, Calder says: "We told the BBC Itchycoo Park was waste ground in the East End which the band had played on as kids. We put the story out at ten and by lunchtime we were told the ban was off."
Label – ImmediateSongwriters – Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane
Producers – Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Over bridge of sighs
To rest my eyes in shades of green
Under dreamin' spires
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been
[Pre-Chorus 1]
What did you do there?
I got high
What did you feel there?
Well I cried
But why the tears there?
I'll tell you why
[Chorus]
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
[Bridge]
I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun
[Verse 2]
I tell you what I'll do (what will you do?)
I'd like to go there now with you
You can miss out school (won't that be cool)
Why go to learn the words of fools?
[Pre-Chorus 2]
What will we do there?
We'll get high
What will we touch there?
We'll touch the sky
But why the tears then?
I'll tell you why
[Chorus]
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
[Bridge]
I feel inclined to blow my mind
Get hung up, feed the ducks with a bun
They all come out to groove about
Be nice and have fun in the sun
[Outro]
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
Ha! It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful