Live Life
The Kinks Lyrics


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Have you heard about trouble throughout the land
With the fascists and the left wing militants
Out of work executives are killing themselves
And the I.R.A. are killing everybody else
Don't panic, don't lose control
Keep your head, keep ahold
Act normal there's nothing wrong
Stay cool, just carry on

You gotta live life and be yourself
You can't live life for anyone else
You gotta live life that's all you do
Nobody gonna live your life for you

Don't get depressed when you read in the press
About world revolution and social unrest
Try not to panic when you switch on the news
And see crooked politicians and the unemployment queues
It's only life it's really fine
So don't you believe all you read in the headlines
Live life see it through
Carry on it's all you can do

You gotta live life for yourself, can't live for anyone else
You gotta live life, that's all you do
Nobody gonna live their life for you

Extra verse from long version
Trendy intellectuals always take action
For every cause that's ever been in fashion
Weekend revolutionaries protest and sing
Because they're dedicated followers of any old thing
They got every solution for every revolution
They live in the slums just like the poor people do
But they'd rather sniff coke instead of glue
Right-wing fascists beat up the blacks
Then they salute the Union Jack
You can't pretent there's nothing wrong
It's not the end, so just carry on

Oh, life's a mother, oh, life's a mother
Oh, life's a mother, oh, life's a mother





You gotta live life for yourself, can't live life for anyone else
You gotta live life

Overall Meaning

The Kinks's song "Live Life" is an expression of the band's worldview on life, politics, and individual responsibility. The lyrics touch on various topics, such as fascism, militant left-wing movements, unemployment, and social unrest. The song opens by asking if the listener has heard about the trouble throughout the land, and then goes on to describe the various issues affecting society at the time. Despite the chaos, the song encourages people to remain calm and carry on, stressing the importance of living life on one's terms and not getting caught up in others' expectations.


The song's main message is about taking responsibility for one's own life and actions. It emphasizes the idea that everyone is responsible for their own existence and that nobody can live another's life for them. This self-empowerment message encourages listeners to take control of their lives and not be swayed by external forces such as the media or peer pressure.


The lyrics take a critical view of various groups, including politicians, right-wing fascists, and trendy intellectuals, suggesting that they may not have the best interests of the general public in mind. The song encourages listeners to be wary of these groups and to not blindly follow their lead.


The overall tone of the song is one of resilience and positivity in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges facing society, the song urges listeners to carry on and enjoy life as best they can. It's an inspiring message, one that speaks to the importance of taking ownership of one's existence and finding meaning and joy where one can.


Line by Line Meaning

Have you heard about trouble throughout the land
Are you aware of the problems happening in our society?


With the fascists and the left wing militants
Extreme groups on both the right and the left are causing chaos.


Out of work executives are killing themselves
Unemployment is taking a toll on even the wealthy.


And the I.R.A. are killing everybody else
Terrorist groups are causing harm to innocent people.


Don't panic, don't lose control
Remain calm in the face of chaos.


Keep your head, keep ahold
Stay focused and maintain composure.


Act normal there's nothing wrong
Just because there's trouble doesn't mean you should alter your day-to-day life.


Stay cool, just carry on
Stay level-headed and keep moving forward.


You gotta live life and be yourself
You should live your life true to who you are.


You can't live life for anyone else
You can't let other people dictate how you live your life.


You gotta live life that's all you do
Your sole purpose is to live your own life.


Nobody gonna live your life for you
No one can live your life for you or make decisions on your behalf.


Don't get depressed when you read in the press
Don't let the negative news bring you down.


About world revolution and social unrest
The media tends to exacerbate the problems in our society.


Try not to panic when you switch on the news
Stay calm even when bad news appears on TV.


And see crooked politicians and the unemployment queues
It's frustrating to witness corrupt politicians and long lines of jobless individuals.


It's only life it's really fine
At the end of the day, life isn't as bad as it may seem.


So don't you believe all you read in the headlines
The media often sensationalizes events and is not always accurate.


Live life see it through
Stay optimistic and don't let hardships defeat you.


Carry on it's all you can do
Just keep pushing forward through adversity.


You gotta live life for yourself, can't live for anyone else
You must prioritize living true to yourself over pleasing others.


Nobody gonna live their life for you
Others have their own lives to lead, so you must create your own path.


Trendy intellectuals always take action
People who think they know everything and jump on every bandwagon.


For every cause that's ever been in fashion
These individuals claim activism for every social movement that's currently in trend.


Weekend revolutionaries protest and sing
People who only demonstrate on the weekends as a hobby.


Because they're dedicated followers of any old thing
They're not truly dedicated to a cause; rather, they're jumping on a trend.


They got every solution for every revolution
They claim to have solutions to every problem, regardless of their knowledge or expertise.


They live in the slums just like the poor people do
Despite their claims of activism, these individuals don't truly understand or relate to the struggles of the poor.


But they'd rather sniff coke instead of glue
These supposed activists would rather engage in recreational drug use than be committed to a cause.


Right-wing fascists beat up the blacks
Another example of extremist groups causing harm to innocent people.


Then they salute the Union Jack
They use patriotism as a weak justification for their hate and violence.


You can't pretend there's nothing wrong
It's important to acknowledge and confront the issues present in our society.


It's not the end, so just carry on
Things may seem dire, but it's essential to keep moving forward and remain hopeful.


Oh, life's a mother, oh, life's a mother
Life can be brutal and unforgiving at times.


You gotta live life for yourself, can't live life for anyone else
It's crucial to prioritize your own wants and needs and not rely on others to dictate your life.


You gotta live life
Your existence is solely to live your own life, so embrace it.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVIES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Jeanette DuBois

I bought it when it came out, wore it out, and bought another copy. Great album by a great band.

TrblIon

You're totally right, although the Kinks produced some of the best music of all time, they almost got universally bad reviews, which shows you how much the so-called music critics really know. Thanks for the song and God Save The Kinks!

nosense58

Awesome, the guitar tone is unbelievable. The whole album is great.

Sugar Johnson

God I love this band.  I got a copy of this album on 8 track back in 1986.  I was a hard core fan ever since.  I think the Kinks were in many ways superior to the Beatles.  Kink songs had more social meaning and the song writing was far more exploratory and sophisticated.   Sometimes they went way off the reservation though, and many of their songs for a good ten year span are quite unlistenable, punctuated by flat out masterpieces.   I always thought that if Ray Davies had a John Lennon or Paul McCartney opposite him, instead of all the infighting, the sky would have been the limit for this band.  Sadly, they were a bit weak musically when compared to the Stones or Who, which is probably why they never achieved that level of recognition.    If you listen to their music today, I think much of their hits holds up pretty well and sound just as fresh and raw as they did back in the day.

floyd loonie

@ Sugar Johnson-- That would have been a good trick to buy an 8 track tape in 1986 unless you were at a yard sale or an antique/thrift store. I don't think I ever saw an 8 track deck after the 1970s... They were real crap as far as music playing is concerned. Everyone was using cassette tapes by then, and by around 1986 even cassette tapes were starting to fall out of favor due to a massive negative marketing campaign by the massive music industry that was switching to new "digital" format and prerecorded CD disks instead of all those horrible sounding antiquated vinyl LP records and magnetic tapes.

Joe Giersher

Sugar Johnson - You know, I also don't have any problem with people comparing one thing with another and that includes rock bands. However, they should ONLY do it if they know what they're talking about!! It certainly IS human nature, as you explained to Syd Davies, who obviously felt that you also needed to be corrected on a few things. I know, because I also can tell that you don't know your stuff too well after calling The Kinks 'a bit weak musically' when comparing them with The Rolling Stones and The Who. Even though The Who might have been the loudest of the three bands, from the beginning the majority of their material was rather weak on song structure. Except for Who's Next, their only album that reaches true musical masterpiece status, their albums tended to be quite low on really good songs. All three bands released albums in 1978, the Stones made Some Girls, The Kinks made Misfits and they were both great. Then there was Who Are You by The Who, a huge seller, but very weak though. I like their 1982 album, It's Hard a lot more, which wasn't a failure like so many dumbass critics have tried to make it seem. Anyway Sugar, I do agree with you about the Velvet Underground. I also think they pretty much sucked. I've never been much of a fan of Lou Reed's solo albums either.

Sugar Johnson

@syd davies Try harder son.  I don't feel like I have been mortally offended by you yet...you totally cool hipster. 

5 More Replies...

DylanDream

Often overlooked excellent song , one of the greatest songs in rock

Merv Cann

Agree! Great album. I think also, Muswell Hillbillies is one of the best albums ever. Yet, you never hear it mentioned now. So contemporary

Catholic Buddha

You gotta live life and be yourself You can't live life for anyone else You gotta live life, that's all you do Nobody gonna live your life for you I love those lyrics

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