The Kinks (1963–1996; 2018-present) is an English pop-rock group that came … Read Full Bio ↴The Kinks (1963–1996; 2018-present) is an English pop-rock group that came out of the British R&B scene of the early 1960s. Formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies in 1964 and categorised in the United States as a "British Invasion" band, the Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock groups of the era. In 1990, their first year of eligibility, the original four members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Later, in November 2005, they were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Among numerous other honours, they received the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Service to British Music" in 2006. The Kinks reunited in June 2018, with the Davies brothers and drummer Mick Avory.

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)

Set Me Free
The Kinks Lyrics

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Set me free, little girl
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl
You know you can do it if you try
All you gotta do is set me free, free
Free

Set me free, little girl
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl

You know you can do it if you try
All you gotta do is set me free, free
Free, free

I don't want no one
If I can't have you to myself
I don't need nobody else
So if I can't have you to myself

Set me free
Set me free

Oh set me free, little girl
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl
You know you can do it if you try
All you gotta do is set me free, free
Free, free

I don't want no one
If I can't have you to myself
I don't need nobody else
So if I can't have you to myself

Set me free
Set me free

Oh set me free, little girl
All you gotta do is set me free, little girl
You know you can do it if you try
All you gotta do is set me free, free
Free

Set me free
Oh, set me free

Overall Meaning

The Kinks's song "Set Me Free" talks about the singer's desire to be set free by a girl who he is probably in love with. The lyrics are straightforward, and the message is clear. The singer wants to be free of the hold that the girl has on him, but he is aware that he cannot do it alone. He begs her to set him free, and he believes that she can do it if she tries. The song also seems to imply that the singer wants to be with the girl alone and does not want anyone else to share her with him.

The lyrics suggest that the singer is in a difficult situation, and he is looking for a way out. He wants to be independent and free from any attachments, but he cannot achieve it without the girl's help. The song is a plea for the girl to release him from whatever is keeping him trapped. The repetitive lines, "All you gotta do is set me free, free, free," emphasize the urgency of the singer's request.

Overall, "Set Me Free" is a song about a person seeking liberation from a state that is both emotional and mental. The lyrics portray the desire to be independent, and the belief that the only way to achieve this is through someone else’s help.

Line by Line Meaning

Set me free, little girl
The singer wants the little girl to release him from something that is holding him back, maybe a toxic relationship.

All you gotta do is set me free, little girl
The singer believes that the only requirement for the little girl to do that is to let him go.

You know you can do it if you try
The singer is confident that the little girl is capable of freeing him if she puts in the effort.

All you gotta do is set me free, free
The artist implores the little girl to set him free completely and not hold him back in any way.

I don't want no one
The artist doesn't desire anyone else besides the little girl he's singing to.

If I can't have you to myself
The singer wants the little girl to be all his and not shared with anyone else.

I don't need nobody else
The singer asserts that he doesn't require anyone else besides the little girl.

Set me free
The artist repeats his request for the little girl to let him go.

Oh set me free, little girl
The artist repeats his plea to the little girl for his freedom.

Free, free
The singer implores the little girl to allow him complete freedom in every sense of the word.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY DAVIES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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