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)
Lazy Old Sun
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What have you done to summertime?
Hiding away
Behind all those misty thunder clouds
I don't mind
To spend my time
Looking for you
For you are my one reality
Your light will shine eternally
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
You make the rainbows and you make the night disappear
You melt the frost so I won't criticize my sun
When I was young
My world was three foot, seven inch tall
When you were young
There was no world at all
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
The Kinks’s song, Lazy Old Sun, is a nostalgic tribute to summertime and the sun. The lyrics appear to be written from the perspective of someone who has lost the bright, warm sunshine of summertime and is looking for it again. The song's opening lines, "Lazy old sun/ what have you done to summertime?/ Hiding away/ Behind all those misty thunder clouds," suggest the sun's absence and its unwillingness to shine down during summertime. The writer is questioning the sun's behavior and is puzzled as to why it is hiding away. The sun is being called lazy because it is not doing its job properly, which suggests a certain level of frustration on the writer's part.
The writer makes it clear that the sun plays a crucial role in his life as he sings, "For you are my one reality/ When I'm dead and gone/ Your light will shine eternally." This line indicates that the sun is powerfully meaningful to the writer and that its light and warmth are the most important things in the world. The writer also references the way that the sun makes life magical and beautiful when he sings, "You make the rainbows and you make the night disappear/ You melt the frost so I won't criticize my sun." These lyrics demonstrate the transformative power of the sun, which can make everything better and more beautiful.
In conclusion, The Kinks's song, Lazy Old Sun, is a deeply felt and poetic meditation on the importance of the sun in our lives. The lyrics suggest that the sun is more than just a source of heat and light; it is a fundamental part of our reality that can make the world a brighter, more beautiful place.
Line by Line Meaning
Lazy old sun
The singer addresses the sun as lazy and old.
What have you done to summertime?
The singer questions the sun's influence on the summer season.
Hiding away
The sun is currently hidden from sight.
Behind all those misty thunder clouds
The sun is obscured by clouds that gather before a storm.
I don't mind
The artist is indifferent to the sun's current state.
To spend my time
The singer has some free time on their hands.
Looking for you
The singer is on the lookout for the sun's rays.
For you are my one reality
The artist sees the sun as the only constant in their life.
When I'm dead and gone
The artist acknowledges their own mortality.
Your light will shine eternally
The sun's light will continue to shine even after the artist has passed away.
Sunny rain, shine my way
The singer requests the sun to shine their light despite the rainy weather.
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
The artist desires a single ray of the sun's light.
You make the rainbows and you make the night disappear
The sun's appearance creates rainbows and illuminates the dark.
You melt the frost so I won't criticize my sun
The sun thaws the frost and the singer is grateful for it.
When I was young
The singer reminisces about their childhood.
My world was three foot, seven inch tall
The artist's universe was small and limited.
When you were young
The artist refers to the sun's early years.
There was no world at all
The absence of the sun's light meant there was no visible world.
Lazy old sun
The singer repeats their address to the sun.
Lazy old sun
The artist repeats their address to the sun.
Lazy old sun
The artist repeats their address to the sun.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
milena novkovic
Lazy old sun
What have you done to summertime?
Hiding away
Behind all those misty thunder clouds
I don't mind
To spend my time
Looking for you
For you are my one reality
When I'm dead and gone
Your light will shine eternally
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
You make the rainbows and you make the night disappear
You melt the frost so I won't criticize my sun
When I was young
My world was three foot, seven inch tall
When you were young
There was no world at all
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Harry Rag
For me, the best composers of the '60s were
1.- Lennon/McCartney
2.- Ray Davies
3.- Brian Wilson
4.- Syd Barrett
5.- Pete Townshend
And the number 1 is not Ray Davies simply because two people will always have an advantage over one.
And yes, I think they were all superior to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Stephen Reed
Lazy old sun
What have you done to summertime?
Hiding away
Behind all those misty thunder clouds
I don't mind
To spend my time
Looking for you
For you are my one reality
When I'm dead and gone
Your light will shine eternally
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
You make the rainbows and you make the night disappear
You melt the frost so I won't criticize my sun
When I was young
My world was three foot, seven inch tall
When you were young
There was no world at all
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Robbie Clark
They didn't go psychedelic often, but when they did, they proved that the Kinks can do anything you can do better.
Péter Garami
*you can't do better ;)
moody rick
Really?
I love psychedelic music and am familiar with the Kinks, but can only think of "see my friends".
If there are more psyche Kinks tunes I may have missed please "turn me on" to them.
Much appreciated if you can.
Miroslav Čermák
@moody rick Hi, I think Fancy is also one of their psychadelic tunes
moody rick
@Miroslav Čermák I'll check it out.
Thanx.
Edy B
@moody rick "Rainy day in June" as well.
Mary Botkin
The Kinks are so underrated. Not many bands can do just about every genre of music so brilliantly. Lyrically. Musically.
Valdir Bergamo Bergamo
The psychedelic beat and the drums show the vitality of those golden times. Constant changes of tone are wonderful. Thanks a lot
milena novkovic
Lazy old sun
What have you done to summertime?
Hiding away
Behind all those misty thunder clouds
I don't mind
To spend my time
Looking for you
For you are my one reality
When I'm dead and gone
Your light will shine eternally
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
You make the rainbows and you make the night disappear
You melt the frost so I won't criticize my sun
When I was young
My world was three foot, seven inch tall
When you were young
There was no world at all
Sunny rain, shine my way
Kiss me with one ray of light from your lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
Lazy old sun
comic4relief
I think it is not "Sunny rain,.."
Sounds like Sunny rays, shine my way