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)
Somebody Stole My Car
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You beg for mercy but you got no pity
Low-life zero mentality
Vandalized victims of depravity
Fast food, take-out mentality
Where the dogs eat the dogs
And the innocent bleed
The city can't cope and the cops don't care
It's a jungle out there
I don't want it, don't want it
Don't want it, don't want it
[Chorus]
Somebody stole my car
Somebody stole my automobile
They ripped off the radio and sold the wheels
And if it's happened to you
Then you know how I feel
Somebody stole my car
Somebody stole my car
I left it parked outside of my home
It had a new A/C and a cellular phone
And I'm as sick as a dog
'Cos I'm still paying off the loan
Somebody stole my car
That's life in the metropolis
Living on credit and overdrawn interest
Craving commercialized commodities
Everything advertised, stirring up greed
Everyday I wonder why
Everyday I can't get away
The city's in debt, up past its ears
Yet we still borrow more
And pay it back next year
Now I'm paying for a car that I no longer own
And the next time anybody offers me a loan
I'll say I don't want it, don't want it
Don't want it, don't want it
Somebody stole my car
It's just been cleaned and I've just had it taxed
It had brand-new stereo speakers in the back
And I call up the cops
With a panic attack
Somebody stole my car
Somebody stole my car
I bet they're riding around and running red lights
Got chicks in the back and ballin' all night
While I sit at home
Getting more uptight
Somebody stole my car
[Chorus]
Don't want it, don't want it
Don't want it, don't want it
Somebody stole my car
Somebody stole my car
Somebody stole my car
That life in the metropolis
Possessions mean nothing in a world like this
Some punks wanna ride and they see my car
So they take it, shake it
Burn it up and break it
Hey, that's my car
Somebody stole my car
The Kinks's song "Somebody Stole My Car" is a commentary on urban life in a big city. The lyrics reflect the feeling of helplessness and victimhood that people can experience in such an environment. The song's lyrics convey a sense of frustration and disappointment with the culture of greed and consumerism that dominates urban life. The lyrics mention a "fast food, take-out mentality" and the "craving commercialized commodities," which suggest that people are consumed with acquiring material goods, even at the cost of their own well-being.
The song's chorus highlights the sense of injustice and violation that comes with having something stolen. The lyrics express a feeling of betrayal and frustration, as the singer's car has been stolen, and he is now left with the burden of the loan he took out to buy it. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to cope with the loss, as he contemplates the impact of the theft on his finances and his life.
In the song's verse, the lyrics condemn the indifference and neglect that the singer perceives in the city's authorities, as they fail to provide security and safety to the people. The lyrics express a sense of fear and vulnerability, suggesting that the city is a dangerous place where the innocent suffer and the guilty prosper.
Line by Line Meaning
That's life in the big city
Life in the big city is tough
You beg for mercy but you got no pity
There's no mercy for anyone in the city
Low-life zero mentality
People with no moral values steal and vandalize
Vandalized victims of depravity
Innocent people become victims of vandalization due to the degraded state of society in the city
Fast food, take-out mentality
People are always in a hurry and want things quickly
Where the dogs eat the dogs
People take advantage of each other in the city
And the innocent bleed
The innocent suffer due to the actions of the wrongdoers
The city can't cope and the cops don't care
The city is not equipped to handle the crime and the police don't care enough
There's fear in the streets
People are scared to go out in the city
It's a jungle out there
The city is like a jungle with everyone out for themselves
I don't want it, don't want it
The singer doesn't want to deal with the city anymore
Somebody stole my car
The singer's car was stolen
Somebody stole my automobile
The singer's car was stolen
They ripped off the radio and sold the wheels
The thieves stole parts of the car to sell
And if it's happened to you
If you've also had your car stolen
Then you know how I feel
You understand the singer's frustration
I left it parked outside of my home
The car was parked outside the singer's house
It had a new A/C and a cellular phone
The car had new air conditioning and a mobile phone installed
And I'm as sick as a dog
The singer is very upset
'Cos I'm still paying off the loan
The singer still owes money on the car
That's life in the metropolis
Living in the city comes with its own set of hardships
Living on credit and overdrawn interest
People are living beyond their means and borrowing too much
Craving commercialized commodities
People always want the latest and greatest things
Everything advertised, stirring up greed
Advertisements promote materialism and greed
Everyday I wonder why
The singer questions why they continue to live in the city
Everyday I can't get away
The singer feels trapped in the city
The city's in debt, up past its ears
The city is in serious financial trouble
Yet we still borrow more
Despite being in debt, people continue to borrow more money
And pay it back next year
People defer the debt to the next year
Now I'm paying for a car that I no longer own
The singer is still paying for a car that was stolen
And the next time anybody offers me a loan
The singer will refuse any future loans
I'll say I don't want it, don't want it
The singer doesn't want to be in debt anymore
I bet they're riding around and running red lights
The thieves are probably driving recklessly and breaking the law
Got chicks in the back and ballin' all night
The thieves are probably enjoying themselves with women and partying
While I sit at home
The singer is stuck at home without a car
Getting more uptight
The singer is becoming more and more upset
Possessions mean nothing in a world like this
Material possessions don't matter in the city
Some punks wanna ride and they see my car
The thieves saw the singer's car and decided to steal it
So they take it, shake it
The thieves took the car and damaged it
Burn it up and break it
The thieves destroyed the car
Hey, that's my car
The singer is upset that their car was stolen
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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?