Despite this, Davies has commented that he sought to keep the lyric ambiguous: "When it comes to songs like 'See My Friends' or 'David Watts', I like to leave their meaning open.

[6] As Ray Davies confirmed in The Kinks: The Official Biography by Savage, "David Watts is a real person.

In this light, lines such as "he is so gay and fancy free" and "all the girls in the neighbourhood try to go out with David Watts... but can't succeed" provide a second level of interpretation based on this ironic in-joke.

Ray Davies recalled to Q magazine in a 2016 interview: "My brother, Dave, was in a flamboyant mood and I could see that David Watts had a crush on him.

25 in the UK singles chart, featured bassist Bruce Foxton on lead vocals rather than Paul Weller, as it was not in the right key for the Jam frontman.