Dedicated Follower Of Fashion by The Kinks Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Sartorial Satire of a ’60s Icon
Lyrics
His clothes are loud, but never square
It will make or break him so he’s got to buy the best
‘Cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion
And when he does his little rounds
‘Round the boutiques of London Town
Eagerly pursuing all the latest fads and trends
‘Cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion
Oh yes he is (oh yes he is), oh yes he is (oh yes he is)
He thinks he is a flower to be looked at
And when he pulls his frilly nylon panties right up tight
He feels a dedicated follower of fashion
Oh yes he is (oh yes he is), oh yes he is (oh yes he is)
There’s one thing that he loves and that is flattery
One week he’s in polka-dots, the next week he is in stripes
‘Cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion
They seek him here, they seek him there
In Regent Street and Leicester Square
Everywhere the Carnabetian army marches on
Each one an dedicated follower of fashion
Oh yes he is (oh yes he is), oh yes he is (oh yes he is)
His world is built ’round discotheques and parties
This pleasure-seeking individual always looks his best
‘Cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion
Oh yes he is (oh yes he is), oh yes he is (oh yes he is)
He flits from shop to shop just like a butterfly
In matters of the cloth he is as fickle as can be
‘Cause he’s a dedicated follower of fashion
He’s a dedicated follower of fashion
He’s a dedicated follower of fashion
The siren song of London’s swinging ’60s still resonates across the decades, carrying with it the unmistakable tune of ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ by The Kinks. Ray Davies, the mastermind behind the group, penned an anthem that would become the hymn of both pretension and the pop culture zeitgeist. On the surface, it’s a catchy, jangly pop song that pays homage to the style-obsessed mods of the era, but there’s a devious complexity lurking beneath its polished exterior.
The lyrics of ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ work on multiple levels: a humorous take on the vapid nature of fashion trends, a social commentary, and a self-aware nod to the band’s own place within that world. As we peel back the layers of this musical onion, the song reveals not just a story about a particular subset of society, but a timeless narrative on the human condition and the search for identity through external means.
The Swinging Satire of the Sixties
The Kinks expertly craft a character in ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ – our protagonist, a caricature of the fashion-obsessed males parading through London’s hippest neighborhoods. By expressing with both wit and sly judgment, the song serves as a time capsule, capturing the essence of a generation preoccupied with Carnaby Street and what’s en vogue.
But there’s more than disdain at work here; it’s nuanced parody. The very sound of ‘Dedicated Follower’ – its upbeat tempo and jaunty guitar riffs – lauds the very scene it teases, celebrating the vibrancy of youth culture while simultaneously poking it with a sharp stick.
A Butterfly Flickering from Trend to Trend
‘He flits from shop to shop just like a butterfly,’ Davies sings, an image that conjures up both the beauty and the lack of substance in our sartorial protagonist’s pursuits. It speaks to the temporal nature of fashion and to the fickle-hearted consumers who soar on the winds of fads, never landing long enough to find true personal style.
The reference to a butterfly also underscores a deeper dig at the socialite scene – the suggestion is one of metamorphosis, yet unlike the butterfly, there’s an implication that this fashionista has no true transformative arc. He’s merely changing patterns, not substance.
The Hidden Meaning in London Town Rounds
By describing the character’s ‘little rounds’ around London’s boutiques, The Kinks are wielding metaphor as a weapon. The song delves deeper, alluding to the superficiality of keeping up appearances and the exhausting race to remain abreast with the Joneses.
This roundabout journey through London is emblematic of an endless cycle – a samsara of consumerism – where the pursuit of surface-level pleasures leaves our character chasing his tail, always following, never leading.
The Immortal Lines: A Flower to be Looked At
Among the song’s most striking lyrics, ‘He thinks he is a flower to be looked at’ drips with irony. It reframes the fashionista as an object, rather than a subject—beautiful, perhaps, but passive. Yet, there’s a tint of tragedy here as well, a man desperate for validation through the eyes of others.
The juxtaposition of delicate imagery with nylon panties, a clear marker of the androgynous fashions of the era, underscores a confusion of roles and self. It’s a powerful reflection on identity in a material world where increasingly, what we wear is who we are—or who we are told to be.
Fashion as a Battlefield: Carnabetian Army Marches On
Davies’ lyrics employ the metaphor of marchers in the ‘Carnabetian army’, adding a martial twist to the sartorial saga. This clever stroke reveals fashion for what it can often be: a series of skirmishes, a war of wardrobes where each outfit is both armor and artillery.
Within these lines rests a critique on the consumerist culture and how it militarizes the individual, urging one to conform to the ranks, to march in the parade of the season’s new collections – a sharp salute to conformity dressed up in the latest cut.
