lola

I’m a lyrics person, I generally pay attention to the words of a song, while Tom is the exact opposite. But yesterday he pointed out that the song Lola (I think by the Kinks) is about a transvestite. I had no idea. Never really paying attention, I had always assumed they were singing about some young Lolita, nicknamed Lola. Read for yourself:

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]C-o-l-a cola
She walked up to me and she asked me to danceI asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said lolaL-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 and 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 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 lolaLo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lolaLola 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 stayAnd I always want it to be that way for my lolaLo-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 lolaLo-lo-lo-lo 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
Lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lolaLola lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola