'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 the stocks and shares
And he goes to the regatta
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


Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit

A Well Respected Man Lyrics as written by Ray Davies

Lyrics © BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd

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A Well Respected Man song meanings
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    General Comment

    When this song popped up in 'Juno', I knew it was going to be a great film, even though it's kinda used for a different, comedic effect in that film, other than what Ray's actually singing about in the lyrics, but it's a great moment of music in cinema, and when I heard it it just reminded me of what a great song it is too, from a great album.

    The Kinks were the only ones really doing any social commentary stuff in England in the 60s, or certainly no-one else was doing it as good as this. Kinda similar in lyrical content, though not style, as 'Plastic Man'.

    FishesWillLaughon March 09, 2010   Link

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