Mr. Raffles (Man it Was Mean)

Album: The Best Years of Our Lives (1975)
Charted: 13
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was a track from English rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's third album, The Best Years of Our Lives. It was released as the follow-up single to the band's million-selling hit, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), and it peaked at #13 on the UK singles chart.
  • Steve Harley told Mojo magazine's Fred Dellar in the June 2010 edition of the magazine that the titular character refers to a fictional thief created by author E.W. Hornung. He explained: "Raffles was a master thief. He was a con artist too. I use his name to invoke a religious allegory, yes. We see religion and its leaders in our own ways:

    'Sham: 'Man, it was mean to be seen in the robes you wore for Lent, you must've known that it was Easter.'
    The Devil within: 'Then in Amsterdam you were perfect fun. You never let on you had a gun and then you shot that Spanish Dancer.'
    Truthfully, I always think these references and allusions are obvious to listeners, and it feels a little pretentious to explain. It's not T.S. Eliot, I know, but I was a serious young man!"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Charles Fox

Charles FoxSongwriter Interviews

After studying in Paris with a famous composition teacher, Charles became the most successful writer of TV theme songs.

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.