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)
Life Goes On
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see, his life was shattered and he lost his mind.
His girl ran off along with his best friend,
And through emotional stress he brought his life to an end.
It was such a tragedy,
But that's the way it's got to be.
Life goes on.
It happens every day.
So appreciate what you got
Before it's taken away.
Life will hit you
When you're unprepared,
So be grateful and take all
That you can while you're there.
Get that frown off your head,
'Cause you're a long time dead.
Life goes on and on and on.
Life goes on and on and on.
No use runnin' 'round lookin' scared,
Life could get you when you're unaware.
One day it's gonna come, so you better accept it.
Life will hit you when you least expect it.
And one day when you are gone,
You know that life will still go on.
But no one'll care if you've been good, bad, right or wrong.
Life will still go on.
My bank went broke and my well ran dry.
It was almost enough to contemplate suicide.
I turned on the gas, but I soon realized
I hadn't settled my bill so they cut off my supply.
No matter how I try, it seems I'm too young to die.
Life goes on and on and on.
Life goes on and on and on.
Tornado, cyclone and hurricane
Can batter the houses with the thunder and rain.
Blizzards can blow; the waves hit the shore,
But the people recover and come back for more.
Somehow the people fight back, even the future looks black.
Life goes on and on and on.
Life goes on and on and on.
The Kinks’ song “Life Goes On” tackles the universal and timeless theme of the impermanence of life. The song tells the story of a friend who committed suicide after his girlfriend left him for his best friend. The lyrics, “It was such a tragedy, but that's the way it's got to be. Life goes on,” suggests that the singer sees the suicide as a tragic but inevitable conclusion to his friend's pain. The chorus of the song reinforces the theme that life goes on despite its unpredictability and its tendency to bring hardship.
The second verse of the song takes a more philosophical and reflective approach to the theme. The lyrics, “No use runnin' 'round lookin' scared, Life could get you when you're unaware,” serve as a warning that life’s hardships can happen to anyone, anytime, and anywhere. The singer goes onto say that acceptance and gratitude for what we have are key to weathering life’s storms. In the final verse, the singer shares his own personal story of going through a difficult financial time but realizing that suicide was not the answer.
Overall, “Life Goes On” is a song about the inevitability of change, the resilience of the human spirit, and the importance of living in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
A friend of mine just had a real bad time.
The singer is telling the story of a friend who recently experienced a great misfortune.
You see, his life was shattered and he lost his mind.
The friend's emotional distress caused him to suffer mental trauma due to the severe circumstances he had to face.
His girl ran off along with his best friend,
The friend's girlfriend left him and ran away with his closest friend.
And through emotional stress he brought his life to an end.
The friend, unable to cope with the adverse situation and emotional turmoil, committed suicide.
It was such a tragedy,
The whole incident was extremely sad and tragic.
But that's the way it's got to be.
The singer believes that such unfortunate events are a part of life that one has to accept.
Life goes on.
Despite the tragedies and hardships one might face, life continues to move forward.
It happens every day.
Adverse situations can happen to anyone, and it's not uncommon for people to go through them.
So appreciate what you got
It's essential to realize and feel the importance of the good things in life and be grateful for them.
Before it's taken away.
One should value the good things while they still have them, as they can disappear at any moment.
Life will hit you
Life can throw difficult situations and challenges one's way unexpectedly.
When you're unprepared,
These challenges can arise without warning, and people should be ready to face them.
So be grateful and take all
People should be thankful for every good thing they get and make the most out of them.
That you can while you're there.
One should enjoy the good moments in life while they last and make them count.
Get that frown off your head,
The singer suggests that people should smile because life is too short and they ought to savor it.
'Cause you're a long time dead.
Life is finite, and every moment should be enjoyed because no one knows when they will die.
No use runnin' 'round lookin' scared,
People shouldn't worry about the future and be anxious, as it's futile and only causes more distress.
Life could get you when you're unaware.
Unfortunate events and hardships can surface unexpectedly, making people vulnerable.
One day it's gonna come, so you better accept it.
Challenges are an inevitable part of life, and people need to recognize and be prepared to face them.
Life will hit you when you least expect it.
Unfortunate situations can arise without warning, making people unprepared.
And one day when you are gone,
When people die, life will continue to move forward without them.
You know that life will still go on.
The artist reminds the audience that despite significant losses, life continues to move forward.
But no one'll care if you've been good, bad, right or wrong.
It does not matter how people live their lives; life will continue to exist without them.
My bank went broke and my well ran dry.
The artist describes a personal experience of going through financial troubles, such as bankruptcy and a shortage of basic resources.
It was almost enough to contemplate suicide.
The financial troubles were severe, and the singer was almost pushed to the point of ending their life.
I turned on the gas, but I soon realized
The singer attempted to inhale gas to commit suicide but soon realized they couldn't do it because their services had been cut off.
I hadn't settled my bill so they cut off my supply.
The singer was unable to pay their bills, and as a result, their gas supply was shut off.
No matter how I try, it seems I'm too young to die.
Despite going through financial troubles and other difficulties, the artist is still young and has a lot of life ahead of them.
Tornado, cyclone and hurricane
The artist describes natural disasters like Tornados, Cyclones, and Hurricanes.
Can batter the houses with the thunder and rain.
These natural disasters can cause extensive damage to civilian structures due to their strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Blizzards can blow; the waves hit the shore,
Other natural disasters like blizzards can occur, and waves can hit shorelines, causing chaos.
But the people recover and come back for more.
Despite the destruction caused by natural disasters, people pick up and move forward and rebuild their lives.
Somehow the people fight back, even the future looks black.
People always fight back against hardships, even if the situation seems bleak and challenging.
Life goes on and on and on.
Despite numerous ups and downs, life continues to move forward.
Life goes on and on and on.
Despite numerous ups and downs, life continues to move forward.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RAYMOND IAN BURNS, PAUL GRAY, CHRISTOPHER JOHN MILLAR, DAVID VANIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrSirDrew
Lyrics
A friend of mine just had a real bad time.
You see, his life was shattered and he lost his mind.
His girl ran off along with his best friend,
And through emotional stress he brought his life to an end.
It was such a tragedy,
But that's the way it's got to be.
Life goes on.
Life goes on.
It happens every day.
So appreciate what you got
Before it's taken away.
Life will hit you
When you're unprepared,
So be grateful and take all
That you can while you're there.
Get that frown off your head,
'Cause you're a long time dead.
Life goes on and on and on.
Life goes on and on and on.
No use runnin' 'round lookin' scared,
Life could get you when you're unaware.
One day it's gonna come, so you better accept it.
Life will hit you when you least expect it.
And one day when you are gone,
You know that life will still go on.
But no one'll care if you've been good, bad, right or wrong.
Life will still go on.
My bank went broke and my well ran dry.
It was almost enough to contemplate suicide.
I turned on the gas, but I soon realized
I hadn't settled my bill so they cut off my supply.
No matter how I try, it seems I'm too young to die.
Life goes on and on and on.
Life goes on and on and on.
Tornado, cyclone and hurricane
Can batter the houses with the thunder and rain.
Blizzards can blow; the waves hit the shore,
But the people recover and come back for more.
Somehow the people fight back, even the future looks black.
Life goes on and on and on.
Life goes on and on and on.
@maryfran2008
Ray is the most underrated performer/songwriter of all time...I was in awe to see him live last December and he's still just as good...45 years later. How many rockers can you truly say that about?
@johnlundy6665
Me, 💯%🥰👍🙏💟🛐🕉️
@MichaelBurhans
This is a band that has never been given their due. So many truly amazing songs.
@gabrielthissen3280
why, they have always been recognized as on of the top four in the UK...
@jellycream1964
@@gabrielthissen3280 right! They're in rock and roll hall of fame. I have them tied for 3rd with the stones and the who as far as British bands
@darrinsiberia
Yeah Oasis sucks. Meanwhile this band rocks the universal spiritual dimension of interstellar magnitude and nobody notices.
@paulalderson3755
Couldn’t agree more
@paulalderson3755
No issue with Oasis mind Gallagher brothers love the Kinks
@nettersly
An excellent example of Ray's mastery of songwriting. The Kinks are easily the most underrated band in history.
@OutnBacker
Dave has such versatility in his playing. Straight up rock, rockabilly, funk licks, finger pickin, he did it all. The Kinks were a great band. I have always referred to them as the British Grateful Dead.