Lola by The Kinks Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling a Classic Tune’s Challenging of Gender Norms
Lyrics
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola
C-O-L-A, 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”
L-O-L-A, Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-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
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Well, I’m not dumb but I can’t understand
Why she walked like a woman, but talked like a man
Oh, my Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Well, we drank champagne and danced all night
Under electric candlelight
She picked me up and sat me on her knee
And said, “Little 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
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-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
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
Except for Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Well, I’d 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, “Little 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
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
Lo-Lo, Lo, Lo-Lola
The 1970 hit ‘Lola’ by The Kinks stands not merely as a rock anthem with a catchy chorus but as a subversive masterpiece that challenged the rigid gender norms of its era. The genius of Ray Davies’ songwriting takes listeners on a journey into a hazy Soho night, where expectations are inverted, and life’s gritty realities dance cheek-to-cheek with its most intoxicating fantasies.
With its provocative subject matter wrapped in a power-pop package, ‘Lola’ beckoned listeners to question the illusion of clear-cut masculinity and femininity. The song wasn’t just ahead of its time; it helped carve a path for the understanding of gender fluidity and identity in popular culture. Let’s pop the cork on this champagne bottle of a tune and taste its fizzing, complex flavors.
The Electric Candlelight of Soho: Setting the Scene
With lyrical precision, ‘Lola’ paints a vivid picture of the underground nightlife in Soho, London—a melting pot of subcultures and alternative lifestyles. The narrative melody transports you to a club with blinking candlelight, where champagne masquerades as soda pop, setting the scene for an encounter that is both ordinary and profoundly unusual.
What begins as a standard boy-meets-girl scenario is quickly infused with ambiguity. Davies’ masterful storytelling doesn’t cast judgment or prescribe emotion; instead, it invites the listener into a narrative that feels both private and universal, a tale of self-discovery blurred by shadowy corners and alcoves of a societal fringe.
Taking the Dance Floor: Gender and Disorientation
Lola’s approach and invitation to dance is the lynchpin that unlocks a narrative steeped in gender exploration. Her ‘dark brown voice’ and the confession that she ‘talked like a man’ throws the protagonist—and the audience—into a loop of disorientation, challenging preconceived notions of how a woman should look or sound.
The dance thus becomes not just a literal act but a metaphorical venture into the uncharted territory of gender identity. The Kinks playfully toy with expectations, crafting a tune that’s as whimsical as it is poignant, nudging society’s strict gender scripts off the turntable with each spin.
Between the Lines: The Hidden Meaning of ‘Lola’
‘Lola’ operates on multiple levels, a winking narrative that flips the script on conventional love songs. In the undercurrent of the melody, one can detect a celebration of individuality that defies the norm. It addresses the fascination and confusion that comes with meeting someone who doesn’t fit neatly into society’s binary boxes.
Davies carefully walks the line between storytelling and social commentary, leading listeners to wonder about the true nature of Lola. Is she simply a character in a song, or a symbol of the misunderstood and marginalized, presented to disrupt the listener’s comfort zone and provoke thought?
The Man in the Mirror: Self-Discovery in a ‘Mixed Up, Muddled Up, Shook Up World’
The protagonist’s innocent retelling of his encounter with Lola, for all its playful tints, serves as a deeper exploration of his own identity. The repeated lines ‘Well, I’m not the world’s most masculine man, But I know what I am, and I’m glad I’m a man,’ underscore a tone of self-assurance within the seas of confusion.
It’s as if the protagonist reaches a point of acceptance that both he and Lola exist outside of traditional norms. Those iconic lines not only mirror the era’s awakening to complexity in gender expression but also nod towards a future where such self-assured mixed identities are not just possible but celebrated.
Timeless Lines That Echo Through the Decades
‘Lola’s’ enduring power lies in its chorus of memorable lines that have echoed through the decades, cementing themselves in the consciousness of multiple generations. The playful spelling of ‘Lola’, the impactful ‘Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls,’ and the anthem’s ultimate embrace of its protagonists speak to its undying relevance.
These lines capture the ambiguous beauty at the heart of ‘Lola’—a tune that sways confidently between shadows and light, inviting others to find solace in the gray areas of their own experiences. Just as catchy pop lyrics transcend time, so too does the message of ‘Lola,’ resonating with those who seek a voice in a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world.
