The Kinks (1963–1996; 2018-present) is an English pop-rock group that came … Read Full Bio ↴The Kinks (1963–1996; 2018-present) is an English pop-rock group that came out of the British R&B scene of the early 1960s. Formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies in 1964 and categorised in the United States as a "British Invasion" band, the Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock groups of the era. In 1990, their first year of eligibility, the original four members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Later, in November 2005, they were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Among numerous other honours, they received the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Service to British Music" in 2006. The Kinks reunited in June 2018, with the Davies brothers and drummer Mick Avory.

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)

Drivin'
The Kinks Lyrics

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It seems like all the world is fighting
They're even talking of a war
Let all the Russians and the Chinese
And the Spanish do their fighting
The sun is shining
We're going drivin', drivin'
Drop all your work
Leave it behind

Forget all your problems
And get in my car
And take a drive with me
The sandwiches are packed
The tea is in the flask
We've plenty of beer
And gooseberry tarts
So take a drive with me
We'll take your mother if you want to
We'll have a picnic on the grass
Forget your nephews
And your cousins and your brothers and your sisters
They'll never miss us
Cause we'll be drivin', drivin'. Drivin'. Drivin'
Thousands of trees
Hundreds of fields
Millions of birds
So why don't you come
And take a drive with me
We'll talk to the cows
And laugh at the sheep
We'll lie in a field
And we'll have a sleep
So take a drive with me
And all the troubled world around us
Seems an eternity away
And all the debt collectors
Rent collectors
All will be behind us
But they'll never find us
Cause we'll be drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin'
Passed Barnet Church
Up to Potters Bar
We won't be home late
It's not very far

So take a drive with me, take a drive with me
Drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin'

Overall Meaning

The Kinks’ song “Drivin’” is a simple, joyous invitation to hop in the car and forget one’s troubles for a while. The song opens with Ray Davies’ depiction of a world in turmoil: “It seems like all the world is fighting/They’re even talking of a war/Let all the Russians and the Chinese/And the Spanish do their fighting.” The solution, he suggests, is to simply take a drive in the car: “The sun is shining/We’re going drivin’, drivin’/ Drop all your work/Leave it behind/Forget all your problems/And get in my car/And take a drive with me.”

The lyrics are mostly about how taking a drive in the car can be a way to escape from one's problems and the troubles of the world. Davies invites the person he's singing to take a ride with him, ignoring their problems and obligations by leaving them behind. They'll drive around and have a nice picnic along the way, enjoying the scenery and talking to the animals. He sings, "Passed Barnet Church/Up to Potters Bar/We won't be home late/It's not very far/So take a drive with me, take a drive with me/Drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin'."

Overall, the song is a feel-good anthem about the joys of escapism and enjoying life's simple pleasures. The Kinks' whimsical and lighthearted lyrics make this song a timeless classic.

Drivin'The Kinks Lyrics

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Drivin'
The Kinks Lyrics