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)

Hay Fever
The Kinks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sitting by my stereo all alone
My baby calls me on the telephone
She says, baby take me out for a dance
I tell my baby I feel so bad
I can't go out and it's making me sad
But when you see me, I know you will understand

I got hay fever, blocking up my head

Hay fever, I ought to be in bed
How can I dance when I can hardly breathe
Wish I could cure this infernal allergy
I got, hay fever blocking up my brain
Hay fever, feel the sinus pains
And all the pills and the powders are in vain
Thought I was cured but here it comes again
It goes ooh-ah

The pollen count's getting higher and higher
My eyes are sore and my nose is on fire
My throat's dry now and I'm starting to perspire
My stuffed up head's killing all of my desire
I got hay fever, you wicked allergy,
Hay fever, you put the curse on me
And I've inhaled every know remedy

I can't stay cool 'cause I'm starting to sneeze
I can't make love when I can't hardly breathe
We start to dance and my nose starts to bleed
There must be a cure for this hay fever
Is there a pill or a powder I can take
I must get a cure, for my romance is at stake

Hey fever, you tore my image down
Hey fever, I must look like a clown
I must have used every tissue in town
I'm running round sniffin' like a hound
It goes ooh-ah

I want to kiss but I'm sneezin' instead
I can't make love when my head feels like lead
How can I pose when my nose is all red
We should be home, should be tucked up in bed
But I got hay fever
Hay fever

Hay fever

Hay fever
Hay fever

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Kinks' song "Hay Fever" describe the singer's struggle with an allergy to pollen, known as hay fever, and the various symptoms that come with it such as blocked sinuses, itching eyes, and difficulty breathing. The singer is unable to go out and dance with his girlfriend due to his severe allergy, much to his disappointment. The song conveys a sense of frustration and helplessness, as the singer tries different remedies but ultimately finds no relief from his symptoms.

The lyrics also touch on the impact of the allergy on the singer's sex life, as he is unable to make love due to his blocked sinuses and nosebleeds. The song portrays hay fever as a debilitating and embarrassing affliction that has ruined the singer's image and left him feeling like a clown. The repetition of the phrase "hay fever" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's frustration and reinforces the central theme of the song.

Overall, "Hay Fever" is a witty and relatable song about the struggles of living with allergies, and the frustration and embarrassment that can come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Sitting by my stereo all alone
The singer is alone and by their stereo.

My baby calls me on the telephone
The singer's significant other calls on the phone.

She says, baby take me out for a dance
The significant other asks the singer to take them out to dance.

I tell my baby I feel so bad
The artist tells their significant other that they feel sick.

I can't go out and it's making me sad
The artist is unable to go out and feels sad about it.

But when you see me, I know you will understand
The singer's significant other will understand why the singer is unable to go out when they see them.

I got hay fever, blocking up my head
The singer has hay fever, which is obstructing their head.

Hay fever, I ought to be in bed
The artist should be in bed due to the severity of their hay fever.

How can I dance when I can hardly breathe
The artist is unable to dance due to difficulty breathing caused by hay fever.

Wish I could cure this infernal allergy
The artist wishes to cure their hay fever.

I got, hay fever blocking up my brain
The singer's hay fever is obstructing their brain.

Hay fever, feel the sinus pains
The artist experiences pain in their sinuses due to hay fever.

And all the pills and the powders are in vain
The singer's efforts to cure their hay fever with medication were unsuccessful.

Thought I was cured but here it comes again
The singer believed they were cured of hay fever, but it has returned.

It goes ooh-ah
This line is a repeated refrain of the song that does not add any additional meaning.

The pollen count's getting higher and higher
The pollen count is increasing.

My eyes are sore and my nose is on fire
The artist's eyes hurt and their nose feels like it is on fire due to hay fever.

My throat's dry now and I'm starting to perspire
The singer's throat is dry and they are starting to sweat.

My stuffed up head's killing all of my desire
The singer's blocked sinuses are ruining their mood and motivation.

I got hay fever, you wicked allergy,
The artist has hay fever and views it as a wicked allergy.

Hay fever, you put the curse on me
The artist feels as if they have been cursed with hay fever.

And I've inhaled every know remedy
The artist has tried every known remedy for hay fever.

I can't stay cool 'cause I'm starting to sneeze
The singer is unable to remain calm because they are starting to sneeze.

I can't make love when I can't hardly breathe
The artist is unable to engage in sexual activity when they cannot breathe properly.

We start to dance and my nose starts to bleed
The singer's nose starts to bleed while dancing.

There must be a cure for this hay fever
The singer believes that there is a cure for hay fever.

Is there a pill or a powder I can take
The singer is curious if there are any other remedies available for hay fever.

I must get a cure, for my romance is at stake
The artist needs to find a cure for their hay fever in order to maintain their romantic relationship.

Hey fever, you tore my image down
Hay fever has caused the artist's appearance to suffer.

Hey fever, I must look like a clown
The singer feels like they look like a clown due to the effects of hay fever.

I must have used every tissue in town
The singer has used a large amount of tissues due to hay fever.

I'm running round sniffin' like a hound
The artist is sniffing like a dog due to hay fever.

I want to kiss but I'm sneezin' instead
The artist wants to kiss, but they are sneezing instead due to hay fever.

I can't make love when my head feels like lead
The artist is unable to engage in sexual activity when their head feels heavy from hay fever.

How can I pose when my nose is all red
The singer is unable to take flattering photos due to their red, irritated nose from hay fever.

We should be home, should be tucked up in bed
The artist and their significant other should be at home in bed due to the severity of the artist's hay fever.

But I got hay fever
The singer has hay fever.

Hay fever
This line is a repeated refrain of the song that does not add any additional meaning.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVIES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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