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 House In The Country
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At work he is invariably unpleasant and unkind.
Why should he care if he is hated in his home,
'Cause he's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
He's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
And he's as wicked as he can be,
'Cause he's gotta house in the country
Where he likes to spend his weekend days.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, well all right
Well, he got his job when drunken Daddy tumbled down the stairs.
From that very day this boy is more than having his share.
One of these days I'm gonna knock him off of his throne,
'Cause he's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
He's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
And he's oh so smug, oh yeah.
He's got everything he needs,
'Cause he's gotta house in the country
Where he likes to spend his weekend days.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, well all right
And he's oh so smug, oh yeah.
He's got everything he needs,
'Cause he's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
He's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
But he's socially dead, oh yeah,
And it don't matter much to him,
'Cause he's gotta house in the country
Where he likes to spend his weekend days.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, well all right
House in the country
House in the country
House in the country
House in the country
The Kinks' song "A House in the Country" is a commentary on the materialistic and selfish behavior of some individuals. The singer of the song is described as someone who is unpleasant and unkind at work but doesn't care because he believes he's better than the rest, thanks to his big house in the country and a sports car. He has no regard for his family as he is hated at home, due to his wickedness, yet he still finds solace in his country house where he spends his weekend days.
The lyrics suggest that this character's attitude stems from his origins. His father's drunken fall down the stairs resulted in the singer's employment, and from that day on, he's risen through the ranks and is now sitting comfortably at the top of the food chain. However, despite his success, he is socially dead, and his wealth does not translate to a happy life.
Overall, the song suggests that material wealth is an inadequate replacement for real human connection and that selfishness can lead to a lonely existence, no matter how big your house or sports car is.
Line by Line Meaning
He don't need no sedatives to ease his troubled mind.
He doesn't feel the need to take medication to calm himself, but he might have other ways to cope with his problems.
At work he is invariably unpleasant and unkind.
He is always impolite and mean to his colleagues when he is at his job.
Why should he care if he is hated in his home,
He doesn't see the point in worrying about being disliked by his family or roommates.
'Cause he's gotta house in the country,
And a big sports car.
He feels like he has everything he needs and can live a happy life because he owns a house in a rural area and a fancy car.
But he ain't gotta home, oh no,
And he's as wicked as he can be,
Despite his possessions, he doesn't feel like he really has a home or a place where he belongs. Because of this, he acts in a cruel and evil way.
Where he likes to spend his weekend days.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, well all right
He enjoys spending his free time at his country house, and he is happy with his life despite how others might feel about him.
Well, he got his job when drunken Daddy tumbled down the stairs.
He got his job because of a tragedy: his father had an accident while drunk and couldn't work anymore.
From that very day this boy is more than having his share.
Since he started working, he has been getting more than his fair share of rewards, benefits, and recognition.
One of these days I'm gonna knock him off of his throne,
Someone is planning to dethrone him or take away his power and status.
And he's oh so smug, oh yeah.
He's got everything he needs,
He is arrogant and condescending because he has all he wants to be happy.
But he's socially dead, oh yeah,
And it don't matter much to him,
Although he owns a house and a car, he can't connect with others and doesn't care about it.
House in the country
House in the country
House in the country
House in the country
The phrase is repeated to emphasize his desire for living away from the urban bustle and his satisfaction for owning a quiet and cozy place.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan Kapur
My favorite band! ❤️
Temporary Account
Gotta be my favourite tune by The Kinks
David Alston
The Smithereens ended a lot of their shows with a great cover of this!!
oldschoolguy
Or in other words "He lives in a house, a very big house, in the country......." Damon Albarn was a great admirer of Ray Davies so this must have been his inspiration for Blur's "Country House" in 1995.
Although apparently he said it was inspired by Dave Balfe, their manager, who left and bought a house in the country............Yeah, right, Damon, whatever!
Jonathan Hadley
Could be;-)
Chavo Guerrero
Also Charmless Man reminds me of Plastic Man..
Watts
Both were inspired by Blood, Sweat & Tears' "House In The Country." Possibly.
TrainInVain
The concept of buying a house in the country existed before Ray Davies mate
oldschoolguy
@TrainInVain Of course, but there aren't too many songs about it! Coincidence? I think not........
Luis Segovia
Woow rock n roll!!!