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)
Mr. Churchill Says
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We gotta fight the bloody battle to the very end
Mr. Beaverbrook says we gotta save our tin
And all the garden gates
And empty cans are gonna make us win
We shall defend our island
On the land and on the sea
We shall fight them on the beaches
We shall fight them in the streets
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed to so few
Cause they have made our British Empire
A better place for me and you
And this was their finest hour
Well Mr. Montgomery says
And Mr. Mountbatten says
We gotta fight the bloody battle to the very end
As Vera Lynn would say
We'll meet again someday
But all the sacrifices we must make before the end
Did you hear that plane flying overhead
There's a house an fire and there's someone lying dead
We gotta clean up the streets
And get me back on my feet
Because we want to be free
Do your worst and we'll do our best
We're gonna win the way that Mr. Churchill says
Oh! oh! oh! oh! oh! oh! Well Mr. Churchill says
We gotta hold up our chins
We gotta show some courage and some discipline
We gotta black up the windows and nail up the doors
And keep right on till the end of the war
The Kinks’ song “Mr. Churchill Says” was released in 1969, and it speaks to the patriotism and determination that characterized the United Kingdom during World War II. The title refers to Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister who led his country through the war years, and the lyrics are a reflection of the rallying cries he issued during that time. The song attributes words of encouragement to several other figures who were important during the war effort, including Lord Beaverbrook, a government official who advocated for increased production of steel; Vera Lynn, a popular singer who entertained troops overseas; and military leaders General Bernard Montgomery and Admiral Lord Mountbatten.
The lyrics emphasize the importance of perseverance and self-sacrifice in the name of love of country, with lines like “We shall defend our island on the land and on the sea / We shall fight them on the beaches, on the hills and in the fields / We shall fight them in the streets.” The song also acknowledges the incredible sacrifices made by pilots in the Royal Air Force, with the famous phrase “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Though the song is a reflection of a specific moment in history, it serves as a tribute to all those who fought and died for the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Line by Line Meaning
Well Mr. Churchill says, Mr. Churchill says
Mr. Churchill has given orders – we must follow.
We gotta fight the bloody battle to the very end
We have no choice but to fight until we win.
Mr. Beaverbrook says we gotta save our tin
Beaverbrook says we must prioritize conserving resources.
And all the garden gates, and empty cans are gonna make us win
Even mundane things like garden gates and empty cans play a part in our war effort.
We shall defend our island, on the land and on the sea
We will do everything necessary to defend our country.
We shall fight them on the beaches, on the hills and in the fields
We will fight the enemy wherever they are.
We shall fight them in the streets
We will fight them even in urban areas.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed to so few
Our soldiers have accomplished so much and deserve our gratitude.
Cause they have made our British Empire a better place for me and you
Thanks to their sacrifice, we can enjoy a better Empire.
And this was their finest hour
This is the peak of our soldiers' achievement.
Well Mr. Montgomery says, And Mr. Mountbatten says
Other important figures are in agreement with Churchill.
As Vera Lynn would say, We'll meet again someday
We must stay hopeful, even in difficult times.
But all the sacrifices we must make before the end
We must continue to make sacrifices until we win.
Did you hear that plane flying overhead, There's a house on fire and there's someone lying dead
We are reminded of the horrors of war, as we witness its effects firsthand.
We gotta clean up the streets, And get me back on my feet
We must work to rebuild and restore our country.
Because we want to be free, Do your worst and we'll do our best
We will do whatever it takes to defend our freedom.
We're gonna win the way that Mr. Churchill says
We have faith in Churchill's leadership and believe that we will ultimately win.
Oh! oh! oh! oh! oh! oh! Well Mr. Churchill says
Once again, Churchill's orders are being repeated and emphasized.
We gotta hold up our chins, We gotta show some courage and some discipline
We must remain resilient and focused, even in trying times.
We gotta black up the windows and nail up the doors
We must take precautions to protect ourselves and our homes during air raids.
And keep right on till the end of the war
We must persevere and never give up until the war is won.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
andrew james Bunting
Lyrics
Well Mr. Churchill says, Mr. Churchill says
We gotta fight the bloody battle to the very end
Mr. Beaverbrook says we gotta save our tin
And all the garden gates
And empty cans are gonna make us win
We shall defend our island
On the land and on the sea
We shall fight them on the beaches
On the hills and in the fields
We shall fight them in the streets
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed to so few
'Cos they have made our British Empire
A better place for me and you
And this was their finest hour
Well Mr. Montgomery says
And Mr. Mountbatten says
We gotta fight the bloody battle to the very end
As Vera Lynn would say
We'll meet again someday
But all the sacrifices we must make before the end
Did you hear that plane flying overhead
There's a house an fire and there's someone lying dead
We gotta clean up the streets
And get me back on my feet
Because we wanna be free
Do your worst and we'll do our best
We're gonna win the way that Mr. Churchill says
Oh! oh! oh! oh! oh! oh! Well Mr. Churchill says
We gotta hold up our chins
We gotta show some courage and some discipline
We gotta black up the windows and nail up the doors
And keep right on till the end of the war
Václav Jebavý
@magicblanket A continuation may have been better timed... But I see your point. Screwing the Soviets over is a fine goal as well.
I understand the communist threat to Eastern Slavs and other nationalities very well. But Communism thought of them as drones, Nazism thought of them as cattle to be slaughtered once their milk grew sour.
The common Briton is not the sole metric of measurement, and I find that if you'll ask him, you'll hear that sentiment echoed.
The British suffered a great deal for people they did not know. The British Empire lost a great deal for nations it did not depend on. But I do not think this is a waste. I believe that given the circumstances Britain did bloody well to enforce its righteous policy on Germany, even if it took years of a stalemate to accomplish. I don't think Churchill or anyone else could have predicted how effectively the Nazi war machine would advance into Europe. Even though I do not approve of appeasement, even Chamberlain and his like had their reasons to act the way they did.
I also do not think simply befriending Germany would have resulted in anything different than what happened with the Soviet Union. The Allies and the USSR were also the best of pals until they stopped needing each other.
I don't think I think exactly alike on the last matter, but I think it is an issue worth discussing. Bizarre goings on like protesting and rioting for a dead man in the US, various anti-scientific and vicious critical theories, letting in migrants and refugees who refuse to adapt to even the most basic of standards only for them to live in no better conditions than what they started in while decreasing the quality of services for everyone, crippling the army all the while involving it in pointless conflicts, ceding the fishing rights on your own coast to foreign powers, all this and more are a problem plaguing Britain.
But the effects are so far off from WW2 that they cannot be attributed to those who waged it. And again, who's to say that if we kept Dolfie around, we wouldn't have the same type of pointless and damaging idealogical fools running around, destroying both Britain's past and future?
Kosmic93
It's a shame the Kinks are still kind of a cult band in comparison to the big names, even among rock fans. This is a wonderful song and the guitar solo is remarkably unique. The whole album is an underrated classic.
Lara
Hell yeah !
gringochucha
Nobody ever mentions Mick Avory, but his drumming on this album was fantastic.
paul rawes
gringochucha yeah, I know, but .most people Didn't realise!
BadLarry Gibb
im a drummer and i can verify that Mick was no hack
𝓿𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼
too much symbols
Moon Dancer
Yes but I never cared for the instrumentals. 🤷♀️
MARSBELLA1
They do x
romelovesdan
Absolute classic. As Pete Townsend said one time Ray Davies should be the "...new poet laureate..." when you consider these unique English experience lyrics. The 'Greatest Generation' who lived through these times were touched forever by these images.The first time I played this for my grandmother she was sadly really shaken by the sounds of the air raid sirens. It literally made her hair stand on end..a programmed traumatic natural response.
James Stewart
Just something about Rays voice and that witty songwriting combined with Dave’s twangy guitar style . You won’t see another group like this ever again.