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)
Nothing Lasts Forever
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He sings this song with belle.
Flash: when we were young and green
We shared our dreams together,
And you were my friend.
Belle: we had our good times pal,
But nothing lasts forever,
Nothing lasts forever.
Time goes by and people change
It's best we go our separate ways
And it was wrong to think our love would never end
My friend
Nothing lasts forever,
Nothing lasts forever.
Time goes by it takes us all,
Nations crumble and empires fall
And who are we
To think that we would always be,
You see nothing lasts forever,
Nothing lasts forever.
Flash: I know that you'll survive
And you'll get by whatever.
Though you say goodbye.
My love will never die,
It will last forever.
Your love will die but mine will last forever,
Your love will fade but mine will last forever.
Your feeling might go but mine will last forever.
And though you're gone you're in my mind forever.
The Kinks' song "Nothing Lasts Forever" is a poignant reflection on the changing nature of relationships and the inevitability of change. The song features two characters, Flash and Belle, who are facing the end of their friendship. Flash expresses a sense of nostalgia and a desire to hold onto their memories and their connection, but Belle acknowledges the passing of time and the need to move on.
The lyrics are filled with powerful imagery that captures the bittersweet nature of their parting. The opening lines, "When we were young and green, we shared our dreams together, and you were my friend," evoke a sense of innocence and hope that is now lost. Belle's response, "We thought they'd last forever, but nothing lasts forever," speaks to the pain of realizing that even the strongest bonds can be broken by the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were young and green
Back when we were inexperienced and naive.
We shared our dreams together,
We confided in each other about our aspirations.
And you were my friend.
You were a close companion to me.
We had our good times pal,
We enjoyed some positive experiences together, buddy.
We thought they'd last forever.
We believed our happy moments would never end.
But nothing lasts forever,
However, everything comes to an end eventually.
Nothing lasts forever.
It's worth repeating that nothing in life is permanent.
Time goes by and people change
As time passes, people undergo transformations in their personalities and lives.
It's best we go our separate ways
We'd be better off parting ways.
And it was wrong to think our love would never end
Our assumption that our connection would never cease was inaccurate.
My friend
I refer to you fondly, my associate.
Time goes by it takes us all,
Time is an unstoppable force that affects us all.
Nations crumble and empires fall
Even societies and civilizations face eventual decline and failure.
And who are we
Who are we exactly, in the grand scheme of things?
To think that we would always be,
To presume that we'd be a constant presence in each other's lives.
You see nothing lasts forever,
As I mentioned before, nothing is everlasting.
Nothing lasts forever.
Repeating for emphasis: everything has its end.
I know that you'll survive
I'm confident that you'll get through this.
And you'll get by whatever.
You're resilient and will persevere despite any obstacles.
Though you say goodbye.
Even if we must part ways, and you are leaving.
My love will never die,
Despite our separation, my affection for you will endure.
It will last forever.
This love I have for you will be unending.
Your love will die but mine will last forever,
Although your feelings will fade, mine will remain eternal.
Your love will fade but mine will last forever.
Your affection for me will wane, but my love will be everlasting.
Your feeling might go but mine will last forever.
While your emotions for me may disappear, my own will never falter.
And though you're gone you're in my mind forever.
Even though we are apart, you will always be in my thoughts.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Chedgey
on Do It Again
Great song but also a memorable music video. Why is it unavailable?