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)
Dead End Street
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the kitchen sink is leaking
Out of work and got no money
A Sunday joint of bread and honey
What are we living for?
Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
No money coming in
We are strictly second class, we don't understand
(Dead end!)
Why we should be on dead end street
(Dead end!)
People are living on dead end street
(Dead end!)
I'm gonna die on dead end street
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
On a cold and frosty morning
Wipe my eyes and stop me yawning
And my feet are nearly frozen
Boil the tea and put some toast on
What are we living for?
Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
No chance to emigrate
I'm deep in debt and now it's much too late
We both want to work so hard
We can't get the chance
(Dead end!)
People live on dead end street
(Dead end!)
People are dying on dead end street
(Dead end!)
Gonna die on dead end street
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
(Dead end!)
People live on dead end street
(Dead end!)
People are dying on dead end street
(Dead end!)
Gonna die on dead end street
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
Head to my feet (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
How's it feel? (yeah)
How's it feel? (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
Dead end street (yeah)
The Kinks's song Dead End Street tells the story of a couple living in a two-roomed apartment on the second floor of a dilapidated building. They have no money coming in, the kitchen sink is leaking and there's a crack in the ceiling. They are constantly being harassed by the rent collector and struggle to make ends meet. The couple dreams of a better life, but they are trapped in their dead end street.
The lyrics highlight the struggles of people living in poverty and the lack of opportunities available to them. The couple wants to work hard and make something of themselves, but they are unable to escape their situation. The song is a commentary on the class divide in society and the challenges faced by those at the bottom of the social ladder.
The chorus of the song serves as a reminder that many people are living and dying on their own "dead end streets." Despite the bleak subject matter, the song is catchy and upbeat, with a memorable melody and strong harmonies.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a crack up in the ceiling
The poor living conditions are evident by the crack on the ceiling
And the kitchen sink is leaking
The kitchen sink is also one of the many things that are broken and unaffordable to repair
Out of work and got no money
The singer is jobless and has no money to afford even the basic necessities
A Sunday joint of bread and honey
All they can afford to eat on a Sunday is a slice of bread with some honey
What are we living for?
The artist is pondering about the meaning of life in such a hopeless situation
Two-roomed apartment on the second floor
The singer and their companion live in a small two-room apartment on the much neglected second floor
No money coming in
The singer is not earning any money and is living in poverty
The rent collector's knocking, trying to get in
The rent collector is knocking on the artist's door to collect the overdue rent
We are strictly second class, we don't understand
They feel inferior and disadvantaged compared to the rest of the society
(Dead end!)
The artist is stuck in a desperate situation with no way out
Why we should be on dead end street
The singer wonders why they were destined to live in such hopelessness and despair
People are living on dead end street
There are others in the same hopeless situation as the artist
I'm gonna die on dead end street
The singer feels helpless and afraid that they may never escape their desperation
On a cold and frosty morning
The singer wakes up to a cold and frosty morning which adds to their misery
Wipe my eyes and stop me yawning
The singer tries to gather their strength despite their exhaustion
And my feet are nearly frozen
They don't have enough money to afford proper heating and clothing to keep themselves warm
Boil the tea and put some toast on
Despite their situation, they make an effort to carry on with their limited resources
No chance to emigrate
The singer can't afford to migrate to a better country with better opportunities
I'm deep in debt and now it's much too late
The singer is in a debt that they cannot get out of, and their desperation has reached a point of no return
We both want to work so hard
Despite their unemployment, the artists want to work hard to make a better life for themselves
We can't get the chance
But getting an opportunity for work remains out of reach
People are dying on dead end street
The situation is so bad that some people on the same street have succumbed to their hopelessness and died
Gonna die on dead end street
The singer is afraid they may die themselves due to the desperate and hopeless situation they're in
Head to my feet (yeah)
The artist is overwhelmed by the desperate situation and doesn't know how to fix it
How's it feel? (yeah)
The singer asks the society how it feels to be ignored and neglected by those in power
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Chedgey
on Do It Again
Great song but also a memorable music video. Why is it unavailable?