THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

872-Small Faces-Itchycoo Park.

1967-Number 3 single. When re-released in 1975, it reached Number 13.

Best Bit-At 2.23. When she played the song, I always remember the first female Radio 1 DJ, Annie Nightingale saying, ‘Drummers of the world unite.’

‘Itchycoo Park’ was written by Steve Marriott (1947-1991,) and Ronnie Lane (1946-1997,) and features on the Small Faces 1967 Album,’There Are But Four Small Faces'(see also best songs 1048.)

‘Itchycoo Park’ is the nickname of ‘Little Ilford Park’ in London. An ‘Itchtcoo’ is slang for a flower found in the park, called a ‘stinging nettle,’which can burn your skin, if touched.

The song is about skipping school, to spend the day in the park, but with controversial lyrics such as,’What did you do there? I got high,’ it was banned by all the radio stations, until the Small Faces put out a statement saying that Itchycoo Park was a piece of waste ground in the East End, that the band had played on as kids. Ronnie Lane said that the meaning of getting high, was the buzz of playing truant from school, they put the statement out at 10.0.am, and by lunchtime the ban had been lifted.

‘I feel inclined to blow my mind,get hung up,feed the ducks with a bun.’