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)
Dandy
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where you gonna go now?
Who you gonna run to?
All you life
You're chasing all the girls,
They can't resist your smile.
Oh, they long for Dandy, Dandy.
Tickling their fancy,
Pouring out your charm
To meet all your own demands,
And turn it off at will.
Oh, they long for Dandy, Dandy.
Knockin' on the back door,
Climbing through the window,
Hubby's gone away,
And while the cat's away,
The mice are gonna play.
Oh, you low down Dandy, Dandy.
Dandy
Dandy you know you're moving much too fast,
And Dandy, you know you can't escape the past.
Look around you and see the people settle down,
And when you're old and grey you will remember what they said,
That two girls are too many, three's a crowd and four you're dead.
Oh Dandy, Dandy,
When you gonna give up?
Are you feeling old now?
You always will be free,
You need no sympathy,
A bachelor you will stay,
And Dandy, you're all right.
You're all right.
You're all right.
You're all right.
You're all right.
You're all right.
The Kinks' song "Dandy" is a playful but critical commentary on the life of a womanizer. The singer of the song, Dandy, is constantly chasing after women, charming them with his smile and knocking on their doors while their husbands are away. The lyrics suggest that Dandy is a master of manipulation, turning on his charm to meet his own desires and turning it off just as easily. The women long for Dandy, despite his overly aggressive behavior. Through the song, the singer warns Dandy that he's moving too fast and can't escape his past, urging him to settle down like everyone else. When he's older, he'll remember the warning that two girls are too many, three's a crowd, and four you're dead.
The song's message is a familiar one - warning womanizers of the karma that's bound to catch up with them. However, it's delivered in a playful manner with upbeat instrumentals and catchy lyrics. The irony of the song is that the chorus reassures Dandy that he'll always be free and needs no sympathy - he's content with his lifestyle. This message implies that the singer's warning may be falling on deaf ears, as Dandy is convinced that he can do no wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
Dandy, Dandy
The singer is addressed as "Dandy" twice in the opening line.
Where you gonna go now?
Someone wants to know where Dandy will go next.
Who you gonna run to?
Someone wants to know who Dandy will seek help from if in trouble.
All you life
The artist's entire life has been spent in a certain manner.
You're chasing all the girls,
Dandy has constantly been pursuing girls.
They can't resist your smile.
The girls can't resist Dandy's charm.
Oh, they long for Dandy, Dandy.
The girls desire Dandy deeply.
Checkin' out the ladies,
Dandy is viewing and evaluating the ladies around him.
Tickling their fancy,
Dandy is attempting to attract and entertain the ladies in a way that pleases them.
Pouring out your charm
Dandy is trying hard to display his irresistible charm.
To meet all your own demands,
Dandy is doing all this to fulfill his personal demands.
And turn it off at will.
Dandy can switch off his charm when necessary.
Oh, they long for Dandy, Dandy.
The girls still yearn for Dandy's attention and affection.
Knockin' on the back door,
Dandy is not attempting to meet girls the regular way.
Climbing through the window,
Dandy is using unorthodox methods to gain entry into houses.
Hubby's gone away,
Dandy is taking advantage of the husband being absent.
And while the cat's away,
Dandy understands that when the husband is not around, he can get up to no good.
The mice are gonna play.
Dandy and the girls are going to have some fun while the husband is out of town.
Oh, you low down Dandy, Dandy.
Dandy's actions are not admirable, and someone is displeased with them.
Dandy you know you're moving much too fast,
The artist is being warned that he is moving too quickly through life.
And Dandy, you know you can't escape the past.
Dandy is being warned that his past will always be with him and cannot be avoided.
Look around you and see the people settle down,
Dandy should look at the people around him and how they have decided to calm down/live a more settled life.
And when you're old and grey you will remember what they said,
Dandy will remember the advice they gave him when he is old and grey.
That two girls are too many, three's a crowd and four you're dead.
Someone says that surrounding himself with too many women is hazardous, and may lead to repercussions.
Oh Dandy, Dandy,
The singer is addressed as "Dandy".
When you gonna give up?
Someone wants to know when Dandy will stop his actions and settle down.
Are you feeling old now?
Someone is asking Dandy if he feels aged and weary.
You always will be free,
In the near future, Dandy will always have the ability to be independent.
You need no sympathy,
Dandy does not need anyone to feel sorry for him.
A bachelor you will stay,
Dandy will continue to be an unmarried man.
And Dandy, you're all right.
The singer is being assured that he is fine.
You're all right.
The artist is being told that he's doing okay.
You're all right.
The artist is being told yet again that he's doing okay.
You're all right.
The artist is being told yet again that he's doing okay.
You're all right.
The singer is being told yet again that he's doing okay.
You're all right.
The artist is being told yet again that he's doing okay.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@avallach2061
Extremely underrated
@DaleYTheGreenGuy
Many people think this was written about Brian Jones, but In both Ray and Dave Davies own words, it was written about Dave's lifestyle at the time. -- "Dandy" was written by Ray Davies, and is the third track on the band's 1966 Face To Face album. It is said to have been written about Dave Davies, in particular about his rock star lifestyle, a claim Dave confirmed in the documentary Dave Davies: Kinkdom Come, which was first broadcast by the BBC in July 2011.
@terenceboris851
DAVE was an insufferable womanizer at the time. Lucky bloke!
@jezza1953
True lol
@coldacre
thanks for the history lesson green twat
@johannesmuller6670
Das Lied "DANDY, OH DANDY""versetzt"mich in meine Jugendzeit in den 60er-Jahren . Bereits damals gefiel mir dieses Lied sehr gut.Bei verschiedenen Gelegenheiten hörte ich dieses schwungvolle Lied. Die "KINKS" gehören zu den Musikgruppen, welche heute völlig unbekannt sind. Ich kann mich sehr wohl an diese Musikguppe erinnern. Ich singe dieses Lied auch noch im Jahre 2020-im Alter von 69 Jahren.
@antoninuspius5264
Ein gutes Lied, in der Tat. Nur eine Anmerkung: Die Kinks sind heute keineswegs vergessen, sondern gelten als eine der wichtigen und einflussreichsten britischen Bands des 20. Jahrhunderts. Völlig zu recht.
@bjornbeyerodt4608
Lo-la... Lo lo Lolo Lola
@pa3997
Nein, nicht völlig unbekannt - aber es ist auch keine Band, die wie die Beatles oder die Rolling Stones fast jeder kennt, obwohl ihr Gesamtwerk es mit denen aufnehmen kann.
@vixtwelve2448
Oh my goodness! Woke up with that, “Dandy, dandy” singing in my head! Love this song! I can hear it over and over and it doesn’t get old!