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)
Animal Farm
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take me where real animals are playing.
Just a dirty old shack,
Where the hound dogs bark,
That we called our home.
I want to be back there,
Among the cats and dogs,
And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
While I lay my head upon my pillow,
Little girl, come play beneath my willow.
Though she's far from home,
She is free from harm,
And she need not fear.
She's by my side, and the sky is wide,
So let the sun shine bright
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
Girl, it's a hard, hard world,
If it gets you down.
Dreams often fade and die
In a bad bad world.
I'll take you where real animals are playing.
And people are real people, not just playing.
It's a quiet, quiet life,
By a dirty old shack,
That we called our home.
I want to be back there,
Among the cats and dogs,
And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
The Kinks's song "Animal Farm" is a wistful and nostalgic yearning for a simpler life free from the harshness of the "big and wild and half insane" world. The singer yearns to return to "Animal Farm", a humble abode characterized by "a dirty old shack" with barking hound dogs, cats, dogs, pigs, and goats - simple and natural living. The idea of "Animal Farm" invokes a sense of freedom from the constraints of urban life, where everything is carefully planned and structured. The singer describes the hardships of the world, where dreams often fade and die, but suggests that he knows a better way of life, a "quiet, quiet life" close to nature. The singer imagines a world where people are not just playing, where things are real and honest, and where little girls can play freely beneath the willow without fear.
The Kinks created this song in 1968, during the heyday of the psychedelic rock and counterculture that was sweeping the world. The song was inspired by George Orwell's satirical novel "Animal Farm," which tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer and establish their own society, only to have it gradually degenerate into a totalitarian state. The song reflects the idealistic vision of the social revolution, but also highlights the challenge of maintaining a system free from oppression and hierarchy.
Line by Line Meaning
This world is big and wild and half insane.
The world can seem chaotic and overwhelming.
Take me where real animals are playing.
I want to escape to a place that is simpler and more natural.
Just a dirty old shack,
Our home is humble and not glamorous.
Where the hound dogs bark,
The sound of dogs barking is familiar and comforting to us.
That we called our home.
Even though it may not be much, it is still our home and feels like home to us.
I want to be back there,
I am nostalgic for this place.
Among the cats and dogs,
I long to be among animals that are simpler and more content than humans.
And the pigs and the goats
I want to be around other creatures that are innocent and not part of the human world.
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
This place represents a simpler life that I long for.
While I lay my head upon my pillow,
As I rest and try to sleep,
Little girl, come play beneath my willow.
I am envisioning a peaceful and pure world, perhaps childhood.
Though she's far from home,
Even if she is not in her true home,
She is free from harm,
This place is safe and free of the dangers of the outside world.
And she need not fear.
There is no need for fear in this place.
She's by my side, and the sky is wide,
I have companionship and a sense of expansiveness in this pure world.
So let the sun shine bright
I want to bask in the joy and purity of this place.
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
This place is not just a dream, but a real haven that I crave.
Girl, it's a hard, hard world,
I am addressing someone who may need an escape from the harshness of reality.
If it gets you down.
If you are feeling disheartened by the world,
Dreams often fade and die
It can be difficult to hold onto one's hopes and dreams in the face of adversity.
In a bad bad world.
When the world seems overwhelmingly negative and oppressive.
I'll take you where real animals are playing.
I can offer a haven that is free of some of the negative aspects of civilization.
And people are real people, not just playing.
This place offers a contrast to the often superficial and inauthentic nature of human society.
It's a quiet, quiet life,
This lifestyle may not be filled with excitement or glamour, but it is peaceful.
By a dirty old shack,
The physical space itself may not be much, but it is functional and reliable.
That we called our home.
This place is a true home, despite its faults.
I want to be back there,
This place represents a simpler life that I long to return to.
Among the cats and dogs,
I want to return to a life in which I can coexist peacefully and simply with other living beings.
And the pigs and the goats
This place represents a sense of community and companionship that is free of the conflicts and stresses of human society.
On Animal Farm, my animal home.
This place encompasses a sense of belonging and comfort that I crave.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sarahbeatrizfranco6315
This world is big and wild and half insane
Take me where real animals are playing
Just a dirty old shack
Where the hound dogs bark
That we called our home
I want to be back there
Among the cats and dogs
And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
My animal home
While I lay my head upon my pillow
Little girl, come play beneath my window
Though she's far from home
She is free from harm
And she need not fear
She is by my side
And the sky is wide
So let the sun shine bright
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
My animal home
Girl, It's a hard, hard world, if it gets you down
Dreams often fade and die in a bad, bad world
I'll take you where real animals are playing
And people are real people not just playing
It's a quiet, quiet life
By a dirty old shack
That we called our home
I want to be back there
Among the cats and dogs
And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
My animal home
On Animal Farm
Animal Farm
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
This world is big and wild and half insane
Take me where real animals are playing
Just a dirty old shack Where the hound dogs bark
That we called our home
I want to be back there
Among the cats and dogs And the pigs and the goats
On Animal Farm
My animal home
While I lay my head upon my pillow
Little girl, come play beneath my window
Though she's far from home
She is free from harm And she need not fear
She is by my side And the sky is wide
So let the sun shine bright
Girl, It's a hard, hard world, if it gets you down
Dreams often fade and die in a bad, bad world
I'll take you where real animals are playing
And people are real people not just playing
It's a quiet, quiet life By a dirty old shack
@brotzmannsax
Five star album, always was and always will be.
@creamween
Perfect!
@Loftur1172
It's such a funny thing
@thefilth4337
Nice and smooth.
@pr0fsnip3r86
five stars out of four buddy
@TheOrangeRoad
This and Aurther
@mohammedhanif6780
Just being Pakistani and loving The Kinks makes me proud.
@patjos7719
:) Love that! Or just being and loving the Kinks is enough my friend!
@FredMorris-pc8ed
if you like this you might like my brothers music. his name is Stu Morris
@kbean63
The subtle string arrangement on this song is magnificent. One of my favorite Kinks songs..