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)
Rainy Day In June
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And covered all the ground
And even though the sun was out
The rain came pouring down
And all the light had disappeared
And faded in the gloom
There was no hope, no reasoning
The eagle spread its mighty wings
And pounced upon its pray
And all the skies, so brilliant blue
Turned suddenly to grey
The cherished things are perishing
And buried in their tomb
There is no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
The demon stretched its crinkled hand
And snatched a butterfly
The elves and gnomes were hunched in fear
Too terrified to cry
The reckoning was beckoning
They're living to their doom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
The lyrics of "Rainy Day In June" by The Kinks depict a scene of misery and despair on a rainy day in June. Despite the fact that the sun is out, a misty shadow covers the ground and the rain is pouring down. The once brilliant blue skies have turned to grey and all the light has disappeared, leaving no hope or reasoning. The imagery of the eagle pouncing on its prey and the demon snatching a butterfly adds to the intense feeling of impending doom. The cherished things are perishing and buried in their tomb, and the reckoning is beckoning for those hunched in fear, living to their doom. The repetition of "everybody felt the rain" emphasizes the universality of the misery and despair experienced on this rainy day in June.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was recorded during the sessions for The Kinks' 1965 album "The Kink Kontroversy" but was not included on the final track list. It was instead released as the B-side to the single "Sunny Afternoon" in 1966. Another fact is that the song was written by Ray Davies, the lead singer and principal songwriter of The Kinks, who was known for his insightful and poetic lyrics. "Rainy Day In June" is also notable for its heavy use of imagery, which was not as common in rock music at the time. In fact, a reviewer for Pitchfork called Davies "one of rock's greatest imagists."
Another interesting fact is that the song's opening riff was later interpolated by The Beatles in their song "Badge" by Cream. The Kinks and The Beatles were friendly rivals during the 1960s, with each band influencing the other's music. The song has also been covered by numerous artists, including The Lemonheads and The Jam.
The chords for "Rainy Day In June" are as follows:
Verse: E, F#m, A, B
Chorus: E, A, B
Overall, "Rainy Day In June" by The Kinks is a haunting and powerful song that showcases Ray Davies' talent for insightful and poetic lyrics, as well as the band's ability to create a memorable and atmospheric sound.
Line by Line Meaning
A misty shadow spread its wings
The gloomy atmosphere spread around.
And covered all the ground
It encompassed everything around it.
And even though the sun was out
The sun was unable to provide light due to the darkness of the shadow.
The rain came pouring down
Heavy rain started to fall from the sky.
And all the light had disappeared
The shadow engulfed all the light.
And faded in the gloom
The light faded away into darkness.
There was no hope, no reasoning
There was no way to look ahead or think rationally.
This rainy day in June
It was a day filled with gloom and darkness.
The eagle spread its mighty wings
An eagle flew down with great force.
And pounced upon its pray
It attacked its prey with great ferocity.
And all the skies, so brilliant blue
The clear blue sky turned dark and grey.
Turned suddenly to grey
The sky changed color in an instant.
The cherished things are perishing
Things that were once loved and cherished are now dying.
And buried in their tomb
These objects are now gone and buried away.
There is no hope, no reasoning
There is no logical way to understand why things are disappearing.
This rainy day in June
The sadness and gloom continues on this day.
And everybody felt the rain
Everyone was impacted by the storm.
The demon stretched its crinkled hand
A demon appeared with a wrinkled hand.
And snatched a butterfly
It killed a beautiful butterfly.
The elves and gnomes were hunched in fear
Magical creatures were all cowering in fear.
Too terrified to cry
These creatures were so scared they couldn't make any noise.
The reckoning was beckoning
The day of reckoning was coming.
They're living to their doom
Their fate was sealed, they were going to die.
And everybody felt the rain
Everyone felt the sadness and gloom during this dark time.
Everybody felt the rain
The storm impacted everyone equally.
Everybody felt the rain
No one could escape the terrible conditions of the day.
Everybody felt the rain
Everyone was emotional and downcast during the storm.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ernestkinas5973
It's June 21 2019 in Boston MA.
Guess what?
It's raining this day in June.
Hey wait a second....
June 21st is Ray's birthday!!!
Happy 75th you old 😈!!!!!!
🎸 on Raymond Douglas Davies.
Oh I'm sorry.
Sir Raymond Douglas Davies.
@vania7988
A misty shadow spread its wings
And covered all the ground
And even though the sun was out
The rain came pouring down
And all the light had disappeared
And faded in the gloom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
The eagle spread its mighty wings
And pounced upon its pray
And all the skies, so brilliant blue
Turned suddenly to grey
The cherished things are perishing
And buried in their tomb
There is no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
The demon stretched its crinkled hand
And snatched a butterfly
The elves and gnomes were hunched in fear
Too terrified to cry
The reckoning was beckoning
They're living to their doom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
@hallofshame6112
Rainy Day in June
Song by The Kinks
Overview
Listen
Artists
Lyrics
Main results
A misty shadow spread its wings
And covered all the ground
And even though the sun was out
The rain came pouring down
And all the light had disappeared
And faded in the gloom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
The eagle spread its mighty wings
And pounced upon its pray
And all the skies, so brilliant blue
Turned suddenly to grey
The cherished things are perishing
And buried in their tomb
There is no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
The demon stretched its crinkled hand
And snatched a butterfly
The elves and gnomes were hunched in fear
Too terrified to cry
The reckoning was beckoning
They're living to their doom
There was no hope, no reasoning
This rainy day in June
And everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Everybody felt the rain
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Raymond Douglas Davies
Rainy Day in June lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc
@simplechronology2605
The Kinks were years ahead of the competition here, lyrically and musically. This is one of the most unheralded classics of the 1960s, a decade full of them. I'm glad more people are diving deeper into the Kinks these days because they truly deserve a thorough rediscovery. There's a richness in their catalog, so if you like this one, keep digging! There's a lot more.
@gringochucha
Such a great feel. One of their best songs.
@georgeharrison70
Wow.....what a song!! I love the atmosphere on this one.
@bttrflygal
This was one of my favorites when I bought this kinks album. I was no more than 10 .I knew this song was special
@danielsweet858
Love this song. So full of dread...
@toomuchrose
Always loved this song, and the album is a long forgotten classic
@marvinbnaylor
Incredible piece of work - I've never heard it before! Thanks for posting this.
@777RockNRollin
This amazing track is way WAY AHEAD OF 1966 ,.... and it's plain to see that the Blind Faith Song "Can't find my way home" borrows plenty here,..
@user-lv2rb1kv4l
To say the least...
@No-lq2vc
I can totally hear that, especially at the beginning!