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)
Last of the Steam‐Powered Trains
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Monica stands at midnight,
And every guy think he can buy her love,
But money can't buy sweet lovin' from Monica.
Morning to moonshine,
Monica knows every line.
Don't ever propose 'cause Monica knows, you know.
I, I shall die,
I, I shall die if I should lose Monica.
(oh Monica my love.)
People can try,
People can try, but they can't buy Monica, my love.
You take the sunshine,
I'll take the nightly shadows.
Cause everyone knows that Monica glows at night.
She'll do something wrong and prove to you she is right.
I, I shall die,
I, I shall die if I should lose Monica.
(oh Monica my love.)
People may try,
People may try, but they can't buy Monica, my love.
Morning to moonshine,
Monica knows every line.
Don't ever propose 'cause Monica knows, you know.
She'll turn up her nose and say what a fool you are.
Monica.
The Kinks’ song “Last of the Steam Powered Trains” is about a woman named Monica who stands under a lamp light at midnight. Men try to buy her love, but she knows every line and won’t be fooled by their proposals. The singer sings that he would die if he lost Monica, emphasizing her importance to him. The song suggests that money can’t buy love, and that Monica is not easily swayed by superficial gestures.
The lyrics paint a picture of Monica as a strong, independent woman who isn’t interested in men who try to buy her affection. The singer seems to admire her self-assurance and independence, referring to her as “Monica, my love.” The song also suggests that Monica may have a wild side, as she “will do something wrong and prove to you she is right.” Overall, the song celebrates Monica’s strength and independence, and suggests that true love can’t be bought.
Line by Line Meaning
Under a lamp light
In the dim light of a lamp
Monica stands at midnight,
Monica is present at midnight
And every guy think he can buy her love,
Many guys think they can purchase her affection
But money can't buy sweet lovin' from Monica.
However, no amount of money can make Monica fall in love
Morning to moonshine,
From early morning to late night
Monica knows every line.
Monica is familiar with every flirtatious saying
Don't ever propose 'cause Monica knows, you know.
Monica will reject any proposal because she knows better
She'll turn up her nose and say what a fool you are.
She'll snub you and make you feel foolish for trying
I, I shall die,
I'll perish without her
I, I shall die if I should lose Monica.
I cannot live without Monica
(oh Monica my love.)
An exclamation of love and affection towards Monica
People can try,
Others may attempt
People can try, but they can't buy Monica, my love.
However, no one can buy the love of Monica
You take the sunshine,
You can have the daytime
I'll take the nightly shadows.
I'll take the night shift
Cause everyone knows that Monica glows at night.
Monica is at her best at night
She'll do something wrong and prove to you she is right.
She'll do something incorrectly but insist she's correct
Morning to moonshine,
From early morning to late night
Monica knows every line.
Monica is acquainted with every flirtatious saying
Don't ever propose 'cause Monica knows, you know.
Monica will reject any proposal because she knows better
She'll turn up her nose and say what a fool you are.
She'll snub you and make you feel foolish for trying
Monica.
The repetition of her name to emphasize her importance
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
Last of the Steam-Powered Trains
The Kinks
Produced by Ray Davies
Album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
Like the last of the good ol' puffer trains
I'm the last of the blood and sweat brigade
And I don't know where I'm going, or why I came
I'm the last of the good old fashioned steam-powered trains
I'm the last of the good old renegades
All my friends are all middle class and grey
But I live in a museum, so I'm okay
Like the last of the good ol' choo-choo trains
I huff and puff 'till I blow this world away
And I'm gonna keep on rollin' till my dying day
Like the last of the good ol' puffer trains
I'm the last of the soot and scum brigade
And all this peaceful living is drivin' me insane
@bjornlindqvist8305
One of the most underappreciated albums of the 60's.
@Refoundsound
The more I hear The Kinks the more I like.
@brownnoise357
Saw them do a 25 minute version of this live. The whole place was bouncing. Great live band.
@gregreidtpl
link?
@brownnoise357
@@gregreidtpl
The Show was years before the Internet, and things like Video recording onto portable tape only appeared in the late 1970’s- I videoed some Punk Bands on a JVC VHS Video camera then, and the quality with indoor events wasn’t very good. So no, no links sadly, it would have been a stunning Live Performance to have been able to record. Frankly the Only Live Band that came close to the Kinks live on Stage I’ve seen, was Lynyrd Skynyrd, and I’ve seen a lot of Bands, many of them very good.Actually the only other band with that class of presence on stage I’ve seen, was Talking Heads. 🤔
@gregreidtpl
@@brownnoise357 WOW! keepin' it on the 1 you are. I am following...
@user-zr9lt3vq6n
Wow, you lucky dude. Have seen em 20 times. Never saw that.
@bobsmith-ih7ol
This album is as close to perfection as it gets, Pure Brilliance which is par for Ray and the KINKS.
@nibyafternight1983
This album is incredible
@linengray
Ray's lyrics and Dave's guitar awesome combo.