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)
David Watts
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
I am a dull and simple lad
Cannot tell water from champagne
And I have never met the Queen
And I wish I could be like David Watts
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
And when I lie on my pillow at night
I dream I could fight like David Watts
I'd lead the school team to victory
And take my exams and pass the lot
(Wish I could be)
Wish I could be like David Watts
(Wish I could be)
Wish I could be like David Watts
(Wish I could be)
Conduct my life like David Watts
(Wish I could be)
I wish I could be like David Watts
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
He is the head boy at the school
He is the captain of the team
He is so gay and fancy-free
And I wish all his money belonged to me
And I wish I could be like David Watts
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
And all the girls in the neighborhood
Try to go out with David Watts
They try their best but can't succeed
For he is of pure and noble breed
Wish I could be like
Wish I could be like
Wish I could be like (Fa, fa, fa, fa)
Wish I could be like (Fa, fa, fa, fa)
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa (wish I, wish I, wish I)
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa (wish I, wish I, wish I)
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa (wish I could be like)
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa (wish I could be like)
In the song David Watts, The Kinks sing about a boy who wishes he was like David Watts, his school's head boy, captain of the team, and object of all the girls' affection. The boy singing the song considers himself dull and simple, unable to tell water from champagne and never having met the Queen. He dreams of being like David Watts, fighting like him, leading the school team to victory, and passing all his exams. He wishes he could conduct his life like David Watts and have all the money that he has.
The song speaks to a common sentiment of idolizing someone else's seemingly perfect life and wishing to have it oneself. Despite being just a simple lad, the boy singing the song looks up to David Watts as a paragon of success and popularity, someone he aspires to be like. The repetitive chorus, with its "fa fa fa" syllables, emphasizes the boy's yearning and his simple, repetitive wish to be like David Watts.
David Watts was written by The Kinks' frontman, Ray Davies, and was inspired by a real person named David Watts. According to Davies, Watts was actually a woman named Gail, who worked at the record company Pye Records. The song was released in 1967 as part of The Kinks' album "Something Else by The Kinks."
Line by Line Meaning
I am a dull and simple lad
I am not very interesting or intelligent
Cannot tell water from champagne
I cannot distinguish between luxury and everyday things
And I have never met the Queen
I have not had any special experiences or encounters
And I wish I could have all that he has got
I envy David Watts and want what he has
And I wish I could be like David Watts
I aspire to be like David Watts
And when I lie on my pillow at night
I dream about being like David Watts
I dream I could fight like David Watts
I wish I could be as brave and strong as David Watts
I'd lead the school team to victory
I wish I could have the same success and popularity as David Watts
And take my exams and pass the lot
I wish I could also be academically successful like David Watts
Conduct my life like David Watts
I want to live my life with the confidence and ease of David Watts
He is the head boy at the school
David Watts is a highly respected and admired person at school
He is the captain of the team
David Watts leads the school sports team
He is so gay and fancy free
David Watts lives a carefree and happy life
And I wish all his money belonged to me
I envy the wealth and resources that David Watts has
And all the girls in the neighborhood
The girls nearby are attracted to David Watts
Try to go out with David Watts
They attempt to pursue romantic relationships with him
They try their best but can't succeed
Despite their efforts, they are unable to successfully win over David Watts
For he is of pure and noble breed
David Watts is considered to be of high social status and class
Wish I could be like
I desire to be like David Watts
Fa, fa, fa, fa
Repetitive sound in the background
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@powellpressburger5507
Brilliant lyric! I am a dull and simple lad
Can not tell water from champagne
And I have never met the queen
And I wish I could have all that he has got
I wish I could be like David Watts
And when I lie on my pillow at night
I dream I could fight like David Watts
Lead the school team to victory
And take my exams and pass the lot
Wish I could be like David Watts
He is the head boy at the school
He is the captain of the team
He is so gay and fancy free
And I wish all his money belonged to me
I wish I could be like David Watts
And all the girls in the neighborhood
Try to go out with David Watts
They try their best but can't succeed
For he is of pure and noble breed
Wish I could be like
Wish I could be like
Wish I could be like
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
I am a dull and simple lad
Can not tell water from champagne
And I have never met the queen
And I wish I could have all that he has got
I wish I could be like David Watts
And when I lie on my pillow at night
I dream I could fight like David Watts
Lead the school team to victory
And take my exams and pass the lot
He is the head boy at the school
He is the captain of the team
He is so gay and fancy free
And I wish all his money belonged to me
And all the girls in the neighborhood Try to go out with David Watts
They try their best but can't succeed For he is of pure and noble breed
@lucyfoster4082
Not much could bring a smile to my face this month, but these guys can
@worcestershiresauce6377
Don't you want to be like David Watts?
@lucyfoster4082
@@worcestershiresauce6377 I try my best, but I can’t succeed—for he is of pure and noble breed ;)
@raymondmcmenemy303
The Genius of Ray Davies. He's not like everybody else.
@deanodog3667
It's ok I got it lol !
@1wowyoufoundmychannel931
Lmao-
@janfrancis1161
I totally agree.
@user-kj4sn3yl5d
i wish i could be like him
@seanmullin5201
I also see what you did there…
@stroonZe1
Terrific! High school worries. Wish I had worries like that again. Great song from a great rock and roll band!!