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)
Situation Vacant
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Earned enough to pay the rent
But Johnny's mother-in-law had too much ambition
And this made Johnny very upset
So to keep his little mama satisfied
He went and bought the weekly classified
All for peace and quiet's sake
Just to please his mother-in-law
So he left the job where he'd been all his life
He left and turned his back on door[?]
Now he's looking at the situations vacant
Situations vacant
Just to keep his little mama satisfied
He went and bought the weekly classified
All for peace and quiet's sake
Then he had to leave the apartment
And sought a less plush residence
And poor Suzy and Johnny had to skimp and save
Just to help to pay the weekly rent
So to keep his little mama satisfied
He went and bought the weekly classified
All for peace and quiet's sake
Johnny's got no money
Got no where to go
Johnny's in a great big hole
Suzy's separated, living with her ma
Now little mama's satisfied
The Kinks's song "Situation Vacant" tells the story of a man named Johnny who gives up his job just to please his mother-in-law, who has too much ambition for him. He buys the weekly classified in the hopes of finding another job, but his decision to leave his old job causes a lot of financial strain on him and his wife, Suzy. They are forced to move to a less expensive apartment and struggle to pay the rent. In the end, Johnny has no money and nowhere to go, while Suzy is separated from him and living with her mother. The only person satisfied is Johnny's mother-in-law, who got what she wanted.
The lyrics of the song are an exploration of the pressure that family can put on individuals to fulfill their expectations, often at the expense of their own happiness. Johnny's decision to give up his job is driven by his desire to keep his mother-in-law satisfied, even as it causes him and his wife great hardship. The song speaks to the idea that in some families, there is a sense of duty and obligation that can override personal desires, and that this can lead to difficult situations and strained relationships.
Overall, "Situation Vacant" is a powerful commentary on the pressures of family relationships and the consequences of giving in to them. It speaks to the human desire to please others, even when it is not in our best interests, and the difficulties that can arise when we prioritize external expectations over our own happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Suzy and Johnny were happy
Suzy and Johnny were content with their lives
Earned enough to pay the rent
They earned sufficient money to pay their rent
But Johnny's mother-in-law had too much ambition
Johnny's mother-in-law was too ambitious and meddlesome
And this made Johnny very upset
Johnny was very upset due to his mother-in-law's interference
So to keep his little mama satisfied
To satisfy his mother-in-law
He went and bought the weekly classified
Johnny bought a newspaper with job advertisements
All for peace and quiet's sake
All just to avoid any trouble and stress
Johnny gave up his position
Johnny quit his job
Just to please his mother-in-law
He did it just to make his mother-in-law happy
So he left the job where he'd been all his life
He left the job he had been doing for a long time
He left and turned his back on door[?]
He left and never looked back
Now he's looking at the situations vacant
He is now searching for job vacancies
Situations vacant
Job vacancies
Then he had to leave the apartment
He had to leave his apartment
And sought a less plush residence
He searched for a less fancy place to live in
And poor Suzy and Johnny had to skimp and save
Suzy and Johnny had to cut back on their expenses and save their money
Johnny's got no money
Johnny has no money
Got no where to go
He has nowhere to go
Johnny's in a great big hole
Johnny is in a big and serious trouble
Suzy's separated, living with her ma
Suzy is separated from Johnny, living with her mother
Now little mama's satisfied
Now the mother-in-law is happy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ginnerisaimedinayah6943
Suzy and Johnny were happy
Earned enough to pay the rent
But Johnny's mother-in-law had too much ambition
And this made Johnny very upset
So to keep his little mama satisfied
He went and bought the weekly classified
All for peace and quiet's sake
Johnny gave up his position
Just to please his mother-in-law
So he left the job where he'd been all his life
He left and turned his back on door[?]
Now he's looking at the situations vacant
Situations vacant
Just to keep his little mama satisfied
He went and bought the weekly classified
All for peace and quiet's sake
Then he had to leave the apartment
And sought a less plush residence
And poor Suzy and Johnny had to skimp and save
Just to help to pay the weekly rent
So to keep his little mama satisfied
He went and bought the weekly classified
All for peace and quiet's sake
Johnny's got no money
Got no where to go
Johnny's in a great big hole
Suzy's separated, living with her ma
Now little mama's satisfied
@tonym3281
This track is freakin' genius - musically and lyrically.
The outro is the best part, where it starts to get heavier but then it fades out - shame!
@gregoryjclark81
Whether it be 1967 or 5 years ago, yes, a fantabulous outro without a doubt. Heavy psychedelia cut way to short--but then again, making it any longer would possibly defeat the incredible maximization of every 169 seconds of wax and master utilization of brevity and succinctness...all the while, Johnny's got no money, he's got nowhere to go--Johnny's in a great big hole...
@thedelaunesband1405
Reminds me of Stray Cat Blues
@oscarchile3108
favourite kinks song...an absolute madness of inventive and humour
@kandahman
how gratifying that nobody has given this a thumbs down rating. it's a fantastic track on a superlative album
@brendanspaulding7930
kandahman sadly someone has now
@turnleftaticeland
The Coolest you just know they did it solely because of this comment
@brendanspaulding7930
turnleftaticeland i know right
@Sydney-Casket-Base
why are the kinks always so good!!!!????? its magnificent.
@neilus
Killer guitar tone from Dave Davies as usual