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)
Demolition
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anything here that I can buy.
I see a little thatched cottage
Looking so neat
With compulsory purchase we can buy it up cheap.
Then we'll pull up the floor boards,
Knock down the walls,
Rock the foundations,
Like a pack of cards,
Crashing to the ground.
Then we'll build a row
Of identical boxes
And sell them all off at treble the profits.
Demolition.
The deeds are in my pocket,
I've got a contract in my hand.
An opportunity for luxury living.
I'll arrange the mortgage
To be repaid a hundred percent.
I can't wait around so make your decision.
We'll buy up all the cottages
And every house and every street,
Until we've got everything we need.
Every town in the vicinity,
Every farm and village green.
We're gonna buy up everything,
Then it's Demolition.
Demolition. Demolition.
Two up, two down,
It hasn't got a garden,
But it's got a lovely patio.
Stainless steel kitchen sink,
Gas fired central heating,
Whaaa -- specifically designed for modern-day living,
Nothing's permanent and nothing lasts,
We've sold all the houses so put 'em up fast.
We're gonna buy up this town
And pull it all down.
How I love to hear the demolition sound
Of concrete crashing to the ground.
Demolition.
It's time to make some money,
It's time to get rich quick.
It's the wonderful world of capitalism.
I've got to make a profit,
I've got to satisfy my greed,
It's my faith and my religion,
Demolition. Demolition. Demolition.
And we'
re on the march to progress
But before we build we must digress
Tear down the past and make it all new
Demolition is the only way through
The Kinks's song Demolition is a scathing critique on the greed and destruction caused by capitalism. The lyrics describe a developer who is looking to buy up and demolish homes and buildings in order to build new, identical, and profitable ones. The singer is shocked by the callousness and disregard for human life shown by the developer who treats homes as nothing more than commodities to be bought and sold for a profit.
The song is a commentary on the destructive nature of capitalism and the way in which it can lead to the destruction of our communities and our environment. It highlights the way in which the pursuit of profit can lead to the loss of history, culture, and tradition, as well as the displacement of whole communities. The lyrics are particularly poignant in light of the current climate crisis and the need to move away from the idea of endless growth and constant consumption.
Line by Line Meaning
I spy with my little eye
Searching for profit opportunities
Anything here that I can buy.
Constantly seeking ways to expand wealth
I see a little thatched cottage
Potential for buying property at low cost
Looking so neat
Attractive property for buying and selling purposes
With compulsory purchase we can buy it up cheap.
Opportunity to purchase property at lower market value
Then we'll pull up the floor boards,
Planning to demolish existing structure
Knock down the walls,
Demolish building for replacement
Rock the foundations,
Dismantling structure completely
Until the house falls.
Complete destruction
Like a pack of cards,
Complete disintegration
Crashing to the ground.
Complete demolition
Then we'll build a row
Intention to rebuild for profit
Of identical boxes
Building new structures with similar layout and design
And sell them all off at treble the profits.
Selling new properties at inflated prices
Demolition.
Continuing to seek out new opportunities to demolish and rebuild for profit
The deeds are in my pocket,
Ownership has been secured
I've got a contract in my hand.
Legal agreements are in place
An opportunity for luxury living.
Building new homes with amenities for wealthy buyers
I'll arrange the mortgage
Planning financial arrangements to maximize profit
To be repaid a hundred percent.
Expecting full repayment with interest
I can't wait around so make your decision.
Urgency to secure property for quick profit
We'll buy up all the cottages
Plan to buy multiple properties for profit
And every house and every street,
Expanding real estate holdings
Until we've got everything we need.
Goal of owning vast amounts of property in the area
Every town in the vicinity,
Expanding ownership outside of current area
Every farm and village green.
Planning to buy up rural land as well
We're gonna buy up everything,
Goal of complete ownership of entire area
Then it's Demolition.
Continuing the cycle of demolition and rebuilding for profit
Two up, two down,
Describing a common style of house
It hasn't got a garden,
Identifying a feature that could lower property value
But it's got a lovely patio.
Highlighting a positive feature to help sell property
Stainless steel kitchen sink,
Advertising modern, quality features
Gas fired central heating,
Another modern convenience for buyers
Whaaa -- specifically designed for modern-day living,
Highlighting the newness and modernity of the properties
Nothing's permanent and nothing lasts,
Philosophical statement about the impermanence of life and belongings
We've sold all the houses so put 'em up fast.
Urgency to build more houses to continue making profit
We're gonna buy up this town
Expanding ownership to entire town
And pull it all down.
Demolishing existing structures for profit
How I love to hear the demolition sound
Enjoying the process of demolishing structures
Of concrete crashing to the ground.
Enjoying the destruction of the buildings
It's time to make some money,
Urgency to continue making profit
It's time to get rich quick.
Stressing the importance of making money quickly
It's the wonderful world of capitalism.
Celebrating the freedom to make money through capitalism
I've got to make a profit,
Emphasizing the importance of profit over all else
I've got to satisfy my greed,
Admitting to being motivated purely by greed
It's my faith and my religion,
Viewing the pursuit of profit as central to life
Demolition. Demolition. Demolition.
Repeating the goal of continued demolition and rebuilding for profit
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Chedgey
on Do It Again
Great song but also a memorable music video. Why is it unavailable?