Ray Davies wrote this song after the group’s 1965 tour of the United States. The tour did not go well, with infighting, fatigue, and conflict with the musician’s union that kept them from performing in the country for another four years.
Davies recovered from the tour with a vacation at the English resort town of Torquay, Devon. There, a wealthy hotel guest recognized him and asked Ray to play a round of golf. Far from being flattered by the invitation, he took great offense. “I’m not gonna play f–king golf with you,” “I’m not gonna be your caddy so you can say you played with a pop singer.”
The song peaked at #13 Billboard 100 but it didn’t chart in the UK.
A Well Respected Man
‘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.
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“Cause he gets up in the morning and he goes to work at nine” – lyrics that only Ray Davies can write.
Ray Davies looks so happy in this video, smiling throughout the song. I wonder if he was drinking or high, but at one point he clearly sticks his tongue out at somebody, maybe he was flirting with somebody.
Yes he wasn’t known to be the happiest guy in the world.
I love how spiky the Davies brothers were. Not afraid to start an argument…
In front of anyone and any where. They still are not boring.
Didn’t think I’d ever heard of this until I saw the lyrics. Great song!
This song makes me think of a Supernatural episode it was used in. I’m so cursed…🙄😖
If it was played…music will make you remember where you heard it from.
Ray Davies is a brilliant songwriter. Their songs stick with you. Did he write this about the wealthy man on vaca or about some rich person in US?
On vacation in England…I’m not sure if the person was an American or British.
not as good as the Beatles…BUT criminally underrated band that should have been noticed a lot more when the British invasion was going on and again in the 80s.
they did have a second wind in the 80s didn’t they” With Come Dancing, Do It Again, and a few others.
One of my favorite Kinks songs. LOL – had never heard the golf story!
The cynicism in this one appealed to me even as a little kid. Knowing some of the stuff the Kinks went through back then, it’s amazing they kept going.
I always have to wonder the what if question…if they would have got to tour like their peers…but then again…they wouldn’t have been the Kinks.
In the UK, this song was released on a 4-track E.P. (Extended play, 45 r.p.m) I had it. The sleeve had a shiny, laminated cover. Great song with Ray Davies’s usual sense of irony!
This shows the e.p.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwyet_Kinks
That may be the reason the song didn’t chart in the UK…which I totally didn’t understand. I double checked the charts to make sure.
Yes, that’s most likely. EP’s didn’t tend to do all that well in the charts.
I don’t remember too many EPs in America. I have had a few from used record stores. In the late 70s punk bands would release them but usually no big artists. I always thought it was a cool concept.