The Kinks Song In My Head Today

[QUOTE=No.: 44,April 25, 2006 03:02 am] [QUOTE=Billo,April 24, 2006 11:56 am]

Another example was "outside a bed and breakfast" from "Picture Book". In 1969, most Americans had never heard of the term 'B+B' or "Bed and Breakfast" - unless you'd been to the UK. It puzzled me for years. The rest of the line "sunny south end" -- or was it "sunny South Bend"? Why would Ray be name-checking Indiana? [/QUOTE]
I expect you know the answer to this one Bill -sunny Southend is a coast town in Essex UK which is or used to be the London daytrippers choice for the seaside. It used to have an amusement park called the Kursaal. I can see Southend across the Thames estuary from my window in Kent -Garden of England and at night it looks good. I cycled there once when I was young (years ago ) from Harrow in Greater London with a couple of friends. 50 miles each way.

Ah, yes, I figured out where Southend was when I first heard this song -- but HillBill, do you know where South Bend is?

I was discussing this with an English fan a few weeks ago -- does it make Ray's songs stronger if you can identify his English local references? I did not know about Southend, for example, until I heard Ray sing about it, but from the song I could instantly figure out the sort of place Southend must be, and I imagined it to myself vividly. Does it make the song more meaningful if you have actually been there?

For me, the fact that Ray's references are a little exotic makes these songs even more wonderful. What do others of you think?

Hi Holly,

I think it can make a difference knowing the places Ray sings about but it is not the end of the world if you haven't been.

I have been and seen most of the places Ray as wrote about in London for instance but I have never been to "Sunny South End" living in the Midlands as I have all my life our nearest seaside resort was in Wales and the sun very rarely shone in Wales LOL.

The other time that Ray's lyrics have been useful to me are when I have done a quiz,I have never been to the USA for instance but have noted from songs such as "Rock n Roll cities where they are and on many ocassions have shocked people by pointing to a blank map where a place is situated in the USA.They usually say "how the hell did you know that" and I say because of the KINKS.

Its like when Ray mentions COWES on the Ilse Of Wight,it is where Queen Victoria spent a lot of her live before anfd after her husband died.

The other thing about Ray is although he's never very political his observation of friendships in Ireland in the song The Informer are spot on.

Frank.

Picture Book
Over My Head
Over The Edge
Underneath The Neon Sign
(A) Face In The Crowd
This Is Where I Belong

My mind today is working more than usual.

think visual why not

Lonesome Train (The Getaway)

Unfinished Business...( every radio station who has any rock & roll credability should be required to play this song, among a lot of other KinKs and Dave songs )

Frank, have you heard about Sirius satellite radio? Man, you just have to check it out. No self respecting rock fan would listen to broadcast radio. You gotta get Sirius dude, if you don't have it you're in serious trouble. I heard 328 Kinks songs in a row on it. Get it now, don't be a toikey raydavies/moon.gif

QUOTE (hollyh @ April 25, 2006 12:36 pm)

Ah, yes, I figured out where Southend was when I first heard this song -- but HillBill, do you know where South Bend is?

Sorry Hollyh- only just seen your reply, and you've got me -I don't know where South Bend is other than the clue No.: 44 gives. I agree with Waterloo Sunset in the main, but local colour such as travelling on the underground which features in Rays videos Do it again, Video - Return to Waterloo and probably others do give local flavour. But- when I was a kid it was the American Dream that we all admired.
Song in my head has to be that Dirty Old River - I mean Waterloo Sunset - when I hear it I am in Paradise