The Kinks’ “Lola” Lyrics Meaning

The Kinks’ classic hit “Lola” tells the tale of a guy who finds himself romantically attracted to a stunningly beautiful woman he meets at a club. The pair have an amazing time together at the club. However, upon going home and enjoying some bedroom fun together, the guy is shocked. And why? He realizes to his shock this beautiful woman (Lola) isn’t actually a woman but a man!

“She walks like a woman and talks like a man”

“Lola” was inspired by a true Story

The tale contained within the song was inspired by an actual event that happened to someone close to The Kinks. Said person was one Mick Avory (The Kinks’ manager). And according to the story (as revealed by Ray Davies), the manager was at a club where he had too much to drink and was dancing with a man (whom he mistook for a woman). And even after the man’s stubble was exposed by light, he was too intoxicated to take note of that. He therefore kept on dancing with him.

In a 2016 interview, Davies had with Q Magazine, he changed the narrative slightly. According to his own words, he was rather the one who found himself dancing with a “beautiful blonde” whom he thought was a woman. He only realized she wasn’t a woman when “her stubble” was revealed when he and her walked into the daylight. According to him, said event happened at “a club in Paris”.