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)
Drift Away
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I wish I could just drift away
They say there's gonna be a river of blood
It's apocalypse now
So we're waiting for the flood
The ice is gonna melt, the water gonna rise
And we'll all go to hell
While the dollar falls down
The yen gonna climb
It's a moral decline
And I'm losing my mind
I think I'll just drift away
To that island of my dreams
Live in total fantasy
Close my eyes and drift away
Back in the real world
There's tension everywhere
And the smell of fear
Keeps hanging around and polluting the air
The man on the news is going over the top
Now he'll say anything so his show don't flop
Wall street's down, so what
And according to astute market analysis
The world's gonna stop
They shout the story to the nation
Pass on the panic to the population
This is the end of civilization
It's all over now
[Chorus]
Meanwhile, I just drift away
To my island in the sun
Imaginary paradise, perfection
Sometimes I wish I could just drift away
Drift away (drift away)
Drift away (drift away)
Drift away (drift away)
Now all the politicians are running out of hope
They've burned all their bridges
Now they just can't cope
And who do we blame now we're all going broke?
It's that man over there
Who's hanging from a rope
Newsmen winding up the nation
A little bad news helps circulation
Pass on the panic to the population
It's all over, it's all over
It's all over now
Times like this, I just drift away
To my tropical fantasy
Living on coconuts growing on the trees
Sometimes I wish I could just drift away
Drift away, drift away, drift away
It's apocalypse now, drift away
Rivers of blood, drift away
And the man on the news is going over the top
[Chorus]
The Kinks’ “Drift Away” is a song about escaping from the chaos and fear of the real world into a fantasy world. The song speaks of the apocalypse, the melting of the ice, the rising of water levels, and a slew of other catastrophic events, all of which have people scrambling for cover. As the politicians and newsmen continue to spread fear and panic, the singer concludes that the only solution is to “drift away” to an island in his dreams where he can live in a world of total fantasy. It’s a world where he’s free from the pollution, tension, and fear that’s all around him.
The song is a commentary on the social and political climate of the world during the 80s when it was written. It’s a call for people to take control of their own lives and find ways to cope with the world’s chaos instead of succumbing to the gloom and doom that the newsmen and politicians constantly remind them of.
The song identifies some of the key issues of the time, such as economic decline and market instability, political hopelessness, high tension everywhere, fear pollution, and social decadence. The Kinks use these issues to open a discussion about how they affect people’s lives and how they can be resolved. The song concludes that drifting away to a fantasy world might be the best solution.
Line by Line Meaning
Drift away, just drift away
Sometimes I wish I could just escape reality and leave my problems behind
They say there's gonna be a river of blood
There's talk of an impending disaster that will result in chaos and destruction
It's apocalypse now
The upcoming disaster is going to be catastrophic and perhaps irreversible
So we're waiting for the flood
People are anticipating the disaster and preparing for its impact
The ice is gonna melt, the water gonna rise
The cause of the disaster is likely to be climate change and its destructive effects
And we'll all go to hell
The outcome of the disaster will be extremely negative and affect everyone's lives dramatically
So they're keeping us advised
People are being informed regularly of the situation and what to expect
While the dollar falls down
The US economy is struggling and becoming weaker
The yen gonna climb
The Japanese economy is likely to become stronger and more stable
It's a moral decline
The current state of society is decreasing in values and ethics
And I'm losing my mind
The stress and worry of the situation is affecting the mental health of individuals
I think I'll just drift away
Escaping reality and finding peace of mind is becoming more appealing
To that island of my dreams
The imagined perfect world where everything is serene and peaceful seems like an ideal place to be
Live in total fantasy
The idea of living in the perfect world is becoming more desirable than dealing with the problems of the real world
Back in the real world
The actual world is filled with conflict, tension and fear
There's tension everywhere
Problems and issues are both big and small, creating stress and anxiety for everyone
And the smell of fear
The air is filled with negativity, worry and dread
Keeps hanging around and polluting the air
The negative emotions and events seem to spread and suffocate everything around them
The man on the news is going over the top
The news media are spreading fear and desperation in their coverage of the situation
Now he'll say anything so his show don't flop
The media are interested only in getting higher audience ratings and will do anything to achieve their goals
Wall street's down, so what
The financial crisis and fall of the stock market is not unexpected and causes little reaction
And according to astute market analysis
Experts have analyzed the financial crisis and its implications for the future
The world's gonna stop
There is a feeling that everything is collapsing and coming to a halt
They shout the story to the nation
The media is broadcasting the news to a large audience and creating panic among the population
Pass on the panic to the population
The media is intentionally spreading anxiety and fear among the people
This is the end of civilization
The disaster marks an end to society as we know it
It's all over now
There is a sense of hopelessness that the disaster cannot be avoided or prevented
Meanwhile, I just drift away
Despite the crisis, the concept of escaping to a perfect world seems more attractive
To my island in the sun
The imaginary world is a perfect tropical paradise
Imaginary paradise, perfection
The fantasy world is flawless and has no problems or flaws
Now all the politicians are running out of hope
Even the politicians who are supposed to lead the citizens have given up hope and cannot offer any solutions
They've burned all their bridges
The politicians have exhausted all possible options and have no other places to turn to
Now they just can't cope
The politicians are unable to handle the disaster and cannot provide any guidance
And who do we blame now we're all going broke?
In the crisis, people are now looking for those responsible for the disaster and targeting them with blame
It's that man over there
A person is chosen to be blamed for the situation, which is not necessarily valid or true
Who's hanging from a rope
There is a sense of violence and retribution towards those who are accused of being at fault
Newsmen winding up the nation
The news media are using the crisis to create drama and sensationalize the stories
A little bad news helps circulation
The media is interested in disseminating negative stories to attract more attention and boost their ratings
It's all over, it's all over
The disaster has impacted everything and changed life as we know it
Times like this, I just drift away
Even in the midst of crisis, people still yearn for a perfect world and escape from the problems of the real world
To my tropical fantasy
The imagined world is a beautiful paradise surrounded by serenity and peace
Living on coconuts growing on the trees
The fantasy world provides for all the basic necessities of life without any stress or worry
It's apocalypse now, drift away
In the face of the impending disaster, people are seeking comfort in their imaginations
Rivers of blood, drift away
Despite the horrible nature of the impending disaster, people are still longing to escape to a better world
And the man on the news is going over the top
The media continues to create drama and sensationalize the news, making the situation worse
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?