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)
It's Alright
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they don't understand
And don't care much about it
Gotta work for your country
Society's built on concrete and money
If this room was to vanish
And the toys of man turned to civilized dust
There'd still be you and me, honey
But the spirit lives on
Build those highways, build those cars
On a planet full of scrap metal
There'd better be life on mars
Chorus:
It's alright, it's alright
If you don't think about it
It's alright
If you don't look at it, it's alright
How time slips away
Live by the good book
That's what the wise men say
But where does it leave us
Were they right or were they wrong
Gotta have hope, gotta carry on
It's alright, it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
They want your soul and your spirit
Make them understand
These things they never can have
Gotta work for your family
A community built on trust, not money
If this town was to vanish
And the office blocks were just turned into ashes
They'd be you and me, honey
With the will to survive
And the spirit lives on
Build those factories
Plants and cars
On a planet so desecrated
There'd better be life on mars
Chorus
How time slips away
Live by the good book
That's what the wise men say
But where does it leave us
Were they right or were they wrong
Gotta have hope
Gotta carry on
It's alright, it's alright
The Kinks’s song “It’s Alright” is a commentary on the state of society and the way in which people are controlled by governments and institutions that do not care about the individual. The lyrics are a message of hope, despite the bleak picture painted of a world dominated by concrete, money, and machines. In the first verse, the singer observes that those in power want both your mind and your body, but they don’t care about you or understand you. Society is portrayed as being built on concrete and money, and is threatened by the possibility that it could all fall to dust. Despite this, the spirit of humanity remains, embodied by the love between the singer and his partner.
In the second verse, the focus turns to the planet itself, which is shown to be desecrated by factories and cars. The chorus repeats the message that everything will be alright as long as you don’t think about it or look at it. Hope and survival are the keys to carrying on in the face of overwhelming odds.
Overall, the song is a reflection of the mistrust and disillusionment of the post-World War II era, with its focus on materialism and conformity. It highlights the need for a more human-centered approach to society, one that values community and trust over individual gain.
Line by Line Meaning
They want your mind and your body
People in power want to control and use you for their own gain
But they don't understand
Those people don't really know or care about your thoughts and feelings
And don't care much about it
They don't have any empathy for you
Gotta work for your country
You have to contribute to your nation's progress and development
Society's built on concrete and money
Our world is built on materialism and wealth
If this room was to vanish
If everything we have created disappears
And the toys of man turned to civilized dust
If all the material possessions we value turn to nothing
There'd still be you and me, honey
We will still have each other
With our history gone
Without our past and possessions
But the spirit lives on
Our souls and humanity will remain
Build those highways, build those cars
We keep creating and expanding
On a planet full of scrap metal
On a world that's becoming more and more polluted
There'd better be life on mars
We better have a backup plan in case Earth becomes uninhabitable
Chorus: It's alright, it's alright
Despite everything, we'll be okay
If you don't think about it
If you don't dwell on the problems of the world
If you don't look at it, it's alright
If you choose to pretend everything is fine, then it will be
How time slips away
Time passes too quickly
Live by the good book
Follow the teachings of your religion
That's what the wise men say
That's the advice of the knowledgeable
But where does it leave us
But what does that really do for us?
Were they right or were they wrong
Is following these teachings ultimately helpful or harmful?
Gotta have hope, gotta carry on
Regardless of the answers, we have to keep moving forward
They want your soul and your spirit
The people in power also want to control your thoughts and emotions
Make them understand
We need to show them that we won't be controlled
These things they never can have
Our souls and spirits cannot be owned by anyone else
Gotta work for your family
We need to provide for our loved ones
A community built on trust, not money
Our society should be focused on building relationships and connections, not just wealth
If this town was to vanish
If everything we have built disappears
And the office blocks were just turned into ashes
If all our work and careers are destroyed
They'd be you and me, honey
We will still have each other
With the will to survive
And the determination to keep going
And the spirit lives on
We will always have our humanity
Build those factories
Keep growing and creating more jobs and industries
Plants and cars
More products, more production, more progress
On a planet so desecrated
On a world that's been destroyed by humanity's actions
Chorus: It's alright, it's alright
Despite everything weighing us down, we'll be okay
It's alright, it's alright
We have to keep telling ourselves that everything will be okay
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RIII
You Really Got Me......I was 12...what a great band....
total stranger
I bought this 45 when I was 12, as well, but didn't like this song. Now, all these years later, it's one of my all-time favorites. It's weird how that can happen.
LeeAnn Ruth
💓💓💓💓
Betty Weiss
❤️
carspiv
I love Pete Quaife’s bass run during the middle 8.
Lin Kuei Dragon
Okay, but how does this have more views than You Really Got Me? That song is way more famous.
sanford sklansky
true but people have heard it a million times especially if you are older It is interesting to hear songs that you haven't heard much or never at all
SpockBoy
Thanks!
Александр Иванов
From Vladikavkas with ❤