Top of the Pops
Produced by
Top of the Pops Lyrics
"Yes, it's number one - it's Top of the Pops!"
[Verse 1]
I've just come in at Number 25
I'm oh so happy, so glad to be alive
And everybody says it's going to get to the top
Life is so easy when your record's hot
[Verse 2]
Go tell my mamma and my sister too
To press my trousers and polish my shoes
I might even end up a rock-and-roll god
It might turn into a steady job
My agent said to me: "Son, I always told you so"
[Verse 3]
Now my record's number 11 on the BBC
And number seven on the N.M.E
Now the Melody Maker want to interview me
And ask about my politics and theories of religion
[Interlude]
"I'd like to ask you a little bit about your influences in your career so far..."
"... Ok man, now stand over there, I wanna nice shot of you all, alright... alright, Shot of a lifetime..."
Now my record's up to number 3
And a woman recognized me and started to scream
This all seems like a crazy dream
I've been invited to a dinner with a prominent queen
And now I've got friends that I thought I never had before
[Verse 5]
It's strange how people want you when your record's high
'Cos when it drops down they just pass you by
Now my agent just called me on the telephone and said:
"Son your record's just got to Number One
And do you know what this means?
This means you can earn some real money"
About
“Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One” is a concept album that plots the career trajectory of a band from its humble beginnings to its signing to its success to its downfall. For thematic consistency, we’ll call that band The Contenders.
This album starts with the narrator singing a lullaby to his mother wherein he promises her a better life. The narrator then asserts that he does not want a life of labor. Instead, he wants to start a band, and seems to have a good head start. The band members are not particularly talented on their own, but when they play together, magic happens.
It just so happens that a record label takes an interest in the band. Despite the fact that the record executive hates their music and their long hair, he signs them to a contract—because he’d hate to be wrong and let another label claim them.
Well, the good news is that the band has a hit song…and that song is “Lola.”
“Top of the Pops" is our clue that “Lola” has gone to #1 on the charts. And the best part? Not only was “Lola” a hit for The Contenders within the context of this album, IT WAS A HIT IN REAL LIFE TOO. The Kinks are geniuses.
Q&A
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