“An Angry Young Man”

“An Angry Young Man” is a track from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell. It was used as the b-side of the “Barefoot In Baltimore” single. Although its title may suggest a tough, aggressive rock song, the recording is in fact quite mellow and rich.

It does feature a few interesting touches – particularly when a piercing sitar note squirts up here and there, propping the song up like poles in a sagging tent. It’s an echo of the band’s musical adventurousness on its earlier albums Incense And Peppermints and Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow. There is also a pretty groovy organ and a nice acoustic guitar buried in the mix, audible particularly on the fade-out of this super-short song.

The singing and lyrics of “An Angry Young Man”

The vocals are sung in a lovely chorus style, and paint a tragic picture of the titular youth who comes from a broken and unsupportive home (the father abandons the family, and the mother places the blame with her son). He is unable to make friends with other kids and falls in with a rough street gang – but then meets a girl and marries her. All is saved. Hurrah and ho-hum!

Even on an album rife with opulent orchestration, “An Angry Young Man” tends to overdo it. But, in classic SAC style, the song does present an uncanny duality in the way the gruff tale is presented on such a soft musical cushion. Furthermore, if you aren’t the type of music fan to discount a song right off the bat due to its plush string arrangement, the orchestration is pretty.

Overall, “An Angry Young Man” is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of song. Every listener will form some opinion of it. What’s yours?

“An Angry Young Man” appears on…

The World In A Sea Shell (1968)
“Barefoot In Baltimore” b/w “An Angry Young Man” (1969)
The Best Of Strawberry Alarm Clock (1970)

2 thoughts on ““An Angry Young Man”

  1. This is a very sad but very good song. I felt so badly for this boy, but so happy for him when he marries and becomes a much more content soul. I wish though the boy would finally reconcile with his mother, it is a shame they did not ever come out with a positive sequel. I might write one just for my own.

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