“Over bridge of sighs
To rest my eyes in shades of green
Under dreaming spires
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been . . .
“We'll get high
(What will we touch there?) we'll touch the sky
(But why the tears there?) I'll tell you why
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful, it's all too beautiful”
Small Faces British Rock Band
From the song "Itchycoo Park"
Released August 1967
Before anyone starts waving their arms back and forth to protest the absurdity of comparing Yosemite National Park to some relatively unknown destination such as Itchycoo Park, let me provide some context. In one sense, yes, one could say the comparison represents an apples-to-oranges contrast since Itchycoo Park does not fit into the category of a National Park. That would be true.
John Muir even called Yosemite Valley the “Incomparable Valley” suggesting that any attempt to make a comparison would be a useless exercise because nothing compares!
Nevertheless, value can be found in proffering this proposed head-to-head matchup of these two “parks.” The proper context will slow any inclination to hastily conclude the comparison would needlessly consume a person’s time.
Undoubtedly, those prone to impatience, or, shall I say in more polite terms, those compelled by Type A personality traits, may already have begun searching Google Maps to “find” Itchycoo Park to determine for themselves if going forward with this comparison deserves a spot in their schedule.
I would suggest that you not waste your time by doing that. The results will direct you to one so-called “Itchycoo Park” in Manchester, Tennessee, USA. The site consists of a 700-acre farm off of Interstate 24 about 65 miles southeast of Nashville, TN. Google Maps, however, clearly marks that location as “permanently closed,” voiding any possibility of that site being worthy of this discussion. See the screenshot below—retrieved 5-2-24.
Additionally, and with all respect to the folks of Manchester, Tennessee, the Google Maps street view version of this “permanently closed” venue off of Interstate 24 could be described as a somewhat bleak and desolate destination. The irony regarding that relates to the inspiration for the name of that “park.” In August 1967, the British Band, the Small Faces, released a song called “Itchycoo Park.” The song would later inspire the name of a rock concert, the Itchycoo Park ’99 Music Festival, held on that 700-acre farm in Manchester, TN. The refrain from the Itchycoo Park song joyously exults the splendor of Itchycoo Park by proclaiming “It’s all too beautiful”! Obviously, the Itchycoo Park from Tennessee is not the “park” we are speaking about.
Admittedly, the specific site on Interstate 24 hosting the Itchycoo Park ’99 Music Festival may generate interest among music fans who remember it. Occurring over four days during August 1999, the event originally had been designed to run annually. However, the festival failed to produce sufficient revenue to even pay some of the staff. According to the Stites.com branding website, promoters expected sales of 80,000, but only about 19,000 people paid their way. The poorly attended shindig ended as quickly as it started (See setlist here.)
Music historians may also appreciate that the four-day Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival eventually replaced Itchycoo Park ’99 in 2002. Situated near the same location as Itchycoo Park ’99, Bonnaroo has seen more success in alluring concertgoers. It was distinguished in 2003 by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the “50 Moments That Changed Rock & Roll,” according to Wikipedia.
Plus, the name “Bonnaroo” fits the ambiance of the location better than “Itchycoo Park.” Wikipedia states that “Bonnaroo”, which stems from the French language, can be roughly translated to mean “the best on the streets.” Since “the best” can be a relative term, we can only assume it means “the best” in Manchester, TN, which could equate to being much less than “all too beautiful”!
So, where can this “all-too-beautiful” Itchycoo Park be found? Unfortunately, the Small Faces band members who wrote the song, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott, did not see exactly eye-to-eye on its specific location. Lane reportedly recalls Little Ilford Park in Manor Park, East London, as the spot where he and Marriott hung out as children. He remembers the stinging nettle plant with its flowers that children commonly put down friends’ backs to annoy one another by producing an itchy or burning skin condition. The word “itchycoo” stems from the Scots language and means “Anything causing a tickling, specifically the prickly seeds of the dog-rose or the like put by children down one another's backs.”
Marriott, on the other hand, prefers Valentine Park as the inspiration for the song. It lies about three miles southwest of Little Ilford Park where he and his childhood chums would hang out. Despite this variation in identifying the exact location of Itchycoo Park, the context we are searching for can be found in what co-writer Marriott noted about their motivation to seek out Itchycoo Park. He stated in an interview with Creem Magazine in May 1975, “We used to bunk off school and groove there. We got high, but we didn't smoke. We just got high from not going to school."
Sound familiar? Dictionary.com defines “vacation” as “a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday.” There’s nothing like being on “holiday”, as they say in Britain, to take a break from the daily grind of work or even school.
When I think of going on an extended “ holiday,” the first thing that comes to my mind is Yosemite. It has never failed to allow me to “bunk off” work and “groove” there. In fact, some of my most memorable experiences in Yosemite can be highlighted by the lyrics from the Itchycoo Park song! Let me share five ways how this is true: First, no matter the size of the river crossing, I savor the moments passing over any “bridge of sighs.” Second, very little compares to hiking in Yosemite’s vast wilderness forests where I “rest my eyes in shades of green.” Third, I do not hesitate to explore the abundance of ”dreaming spires” in Yosemite Valley such as the Lost Arrow or Cathedral Spires. Fourth, I love to “get high” whether it be traveling along Tioga Road over 8,000 feet in elevation or climbing granite domes such as Cloud’s Rest (9,980 feet high). Fifth, I get butterflies just thinking about “touching the sky” at any of Yosemite’s panoramic overlooks, be it Glacier Point or high upon Half Dome!
In other words, for Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott, their experience of traveling to “Itchycoo Park” as youths brought them joys that equate to traveling to Yosemite and getting away from the daily responsibilities of life. One online dictionary defines “to groove” as “taking great pleasure in [something]” or to “enjoy oneself.” “Itchycoo Park” provided that for bandmates Lane and Marriott. Yosemite extends a similar opportunity to over four million visitors annually. Even John Muir, if alive today, could easily have called Yosemite Valley “Itchycoo Park” instead of the “Incomparable Valley” considering all of the “grooving” he did there (and urged others to do the same!).
So, I see no losers in this comparison of Yosemite National Park with Itchycoo Park. In context, they could be one and the same given the results they bring. Does Yosemite stand out in its ability to prompt one to sing “It’s all too beautiful” with its multiple waterfalls, granite domes, wild and scenic rivers, and mountain meadows? Absolutely . . . but only if you have access to it. In other words, if you have found your own place of natural beauty, wherever that be, and it allows you to “bunk off” from your own daily grind, then that is your own private “Itchycoo Park.” Sing away! And, if that is the case, I suppose I would have to admit that that would be true at the “best on the streets” in Manchester, TN, USA, home of Itchy . . . uh, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.