A Well Respected Man

Album: Kinkdom (1965)
Charted: 13
Play Video
  • '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 Writer/s: Ray Davies
    Publisher: BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 2

  • Marty from Cleveland, OhOne small quibble about the published lyrics. I think the line is, "And his arm sweat smells the best."

    This is one of my favorite A+ songs.
  • Jim Castro from Rowland Heights. CaLove that banjo intro - marvelous - The Kinks awesome protest song about the rich - the conservative - My fav from them.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

80s Music Quiz 1

80s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.