Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
A Gallon of Gas
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now I've got one, I want to send it right back
I can't afford the gas to fill my luxury limousine
But even if I had the dough no one's got no gasoline
I went to my local dealer to see if he could set me straight
He said there's a little gas going but I'd have to wait
But he offered some red hot speed and some really high grade hash
For any amount of cash
I can score you some coke and some grade one grass
But I can't get a gallon of gas
I've got some downers some speed all the drugs that you need
But I can't get a gallon of gas
There's no more left to buy or sell
There's no more oil left in the well
A gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere
For any amount of cash
Who needs a car and a seven forty seven
When you can't buy a gallon of gas
Who needs a highway, an airport or a jet
When you can't get a gallon of gas
There's no more left to buy or sell
There's no more oil left in the well
A gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere
For any amount of cash
You can't buy a gallon of gas
The Kinks' song "A Gallon of Gas" is a commentary on the events happening in America in the late 1970s. The song's lyrics reflect the energy crisis of that time, which was caused primarily by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) embargo on oil exports to countries that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
The first verse of the song explains how the singer has waited years to buy a brand new Cadillac, but now that he has it, he wants to send it back because he can't afford to fill it with gasoline. He went to the local dealer to inquire, but there is no gasoline available, and the singer is offered drugs instead. The second verse expresses the frustration of not being able to purchase gasoline, regardless of how much money one has to spend. The final verse poses a question about the need for transportation if there is no fuel available.
Paul McCartney was inspired by the song and reached out to Ray Davis (the lead vocalist of The Kinks) to collaborate with him. However, the project never materialized.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waiting for years to buy a brand new Cadillac
I have been eagerly waiting to buy a new Cadillac car for many years.
But now I've got one, I want to send it right back
However, now that I have finally bought one, I want to return it instantly.
I can't afford the gas to fill my luxury limousine
Unfortunately, I am unable to afford the gasoline required to fuel my luxurious limousine car.
But even if I had the dough no one's got no gasoline
Even if I had enough money, it wouldn't matter as there is no gasoline available for anyone to purchase.
I went to my local dealer to see if he could set me straight
I visited my local car dealer to ask for advice.
He said there's a little gas going but I'd have to wait
The dealer informed me that there is a small amount of gasoline available, but I would have to wait to get it.
But he offered some red hot speed and some really high grade hash
In addition, the dealer also offered me some drugs such as amphetamines and marijuana.
But a gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere
However, it is impossible to buy a gallon of gasoline anywhere.
For any amount of cash
No matter how much money one has, it is not possible to purchase any gasoline.
I can score you some coke and some grade one grass
I am able to get some cocaine and high-quality marijuana for you.
But I can't get a gallon of gas
Unfortunately, though, I cannot get you any gasoline.
I've got some downers some speed all the drugs that you need
However, I have access to other drugs like sedatives and amphetamines that you might want.
There's no more left to buy or sell
It is impossible to find any gasoline for sale anywhere.
There's no more oil left in the well
There is no oil left in the well, making it impossible to produce any more gasoline.
Who needs a car and a seven forty seven
What is the point of having a car or a Boeing 747 airplane?
When you can't buy a gallon of gas
When there is no way to purchase any gasoline.
Who needs a highway, an airport or a jet
Why would anyone need a highway, airport, or jet when there is no gasoline available to fuel them?
A gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere
It is impossible to buy a gallon of gasoline at any location.
For any amount of cash
No matter how much money one has, it is not possible to purchase any gasoline.
You can't buy a gallon of gas
In summary, it is impossible to buy any gasoline at this time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RAY DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron Wells
LYRICS: I've been waiting for years to buy a brand new Cadillac
But now that I've got one I want to send it right back
I can't afford the gas for my luxury limousine
But even if I had the dough no one's got no gasoline
I went to my local dealer to see if he could set me straight
He said there's a little gas going but you have to wait
But he offered some red hot speed and some really high-grade hash
But a gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere for any amount of cash
I can score you some coke and some grade one grass
But I can't get a gallon of gas
I've got some downers some speed all the drugs that you need
But I can't get a gallon of gas
There's no more left to buy or sell
There's no more oil left in the well
A gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere
For any amount of cash
Who needs a car and a seven-forty-seven
When you can't buy a gallon of gas
Who needs a highway, an airport or a jet
When you can't get a gallon of gas
There's no more left to buy or sell
There's no more oil left in the well
A gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere
For any amount of cash
You can't buy a gallon of gas
DHope
I always loved this song years ago. Man should this be on the airwaves right now!!!❤👍🏻
TheRealPontificator
Yes it should. I had Low Budget on cassette back in the day and played the hell out of it.
-N
@TheRealPontificator It is on the radio in the philly area, heard it over the air yesterday and am here checking on it.
Neil Phelan
I saw them again when they toured doing this album. A Kinks show was always a never to be forgotten great time!
Russell Novadale
What a great tune, fabulous album
Örn Jónasson
Fantastic song with great texts which are very appropriate for the time this album by Kinks was released when there were economic crisis in the West, unemployment was high, when the second oil crisis was reigning.
Creativ1
I always loved this song. (Have the LP)
Back in the day, my Father was a photographic engineer for some well known publications.He sometimes let me borrow slides of bands photos he was working on for one magazine or another. One day he gave me The Kinks to show friends at school. This song reminds me of that. I also agree this song is very relevant in 2022!
thomas murphy
LP? Huh... gas to me !!
Richard Ingrassia
Love this album bought it when it came out 1979. Attitude great song
Dan Wilkerson
The LP and the first ARISTA cd have this version which is shorter than the subsequent cd releases which feature extra verses. As is the often the case, less is more. This is still the best version.